Ideal harmonious interior home should be combined according to color scheme and be issued in uniform style. Indeed, standard cheap pieces of furniture look strange among the “palace luxury”. However, if you purchase an exclusive sofa, you can cleverly fit it into a modest setting. High price luxury furniture due to the fact that it goes a long way from the original design sketch to the interior and directly depends on the materials of manufacture.
What are expensive sofas made of?
The frame with carved armrests and legs in the Baroque style is not only decorative element, but also a frame designed to withstand future loads. The higher the quality of this design, the longer the service life. Solid models use solid coniferous wood, as well as hard hardwood:
- ebony;
- cherries;
- oak;
- hornbeam;
- beech;
- mahogany.
When purchasing an array of pears from Russia, Italian manufacturers forced to increase the price of pear furniture. The wood undergoes drying, high-quality processing, and impregnation. It should not contain knots or traces of rotting. Deviations from established standards can lead to distortions, jamming of mechanisms and creaking during operation.
Natural, environmentally friendly fillers made from horsehair, down, plant fibers, and cotton wool reduce the formation of static electricity. Instead of foam rubber, batting or felt that has passed hypoallergenic tests is placed on spring blocks.
The first thing that catches your eye about furniture upper class– sheathing. A successful investment is luxury sofas with tapestry, velor, jacquard fabric. At good care, after some time, they can turn into a rare thing. Trim trim, button closure, carriage tie carry out the process of joining the fabric with the frame and can significantly improve appearance.
Component parts, consisting of front and fastening fittings, contain expensive materials. Decorative pads on the backs and armrests are made from:
- precious metals;
- glass;
- wood exposed with durable varnish;
- ceramics.
Front fittings include molding, upholstery nails, supports, and wheels. Steel hinges, ties, holders connect all elements into a single whole.
Mechanisms of transformation
The most reliable and expensive design is the folding bed. Sedaflex, equipped with a folding headrest, and a French folding bed when unfolded can accommodate two people comfortable spot for sleep and relaxation. The mechanism requires equipment with a pine or beech lattice and allows the use of orthopedic mattresses for sleeping.
Expensive corner sofas intended for luxury interiors living rooms, small rooms. They save space and serve as an indicator of the status of the owner.
Elite quality upholstered furniture depends on the technology by which it is made. There is no room for savings here. Production orders expensive sofas performed according to an individual pattern using exclusively manual labor. Non-standard designer sofas are made in the most bizarre shapes, colors, and from the most unusual materials.
The most expensive copy was created by designer Ron Arad from Israel. It can hardly be called a piece of furniture; rather, it belongs to works of art. The Europa model is made of of stainless steel and has rather strange angular shapes, its cost is equated to 300,000 USD. So that records can be set not only by people, but also by sofas.
Usually we only see outside sofa And when buying it, we pay attention to the upholstery, color and other external signs. But it is very important when choosing a sofa to find out what its internal structure consists of. The reliability and quality of the sofa's construction materials directly determine its service life.
So, let's look inside the sofa and try to disassemble its structure.
- Armrest. Possible materials-wood, chipboard, MDF, metal. A soft armrest upholstered in fabric or leather is available. When choosing a sofa, give preference to models with armrests made of wear-resistant materials (wood, metal, MDF, leather)
- Upholstery - special fabric or leather.
- A layer of padding polyester or batting.
- The filler is furniture foam rubber.
- Polyurethane foam padding provides additional cushioning and weight distribution. Thanks to such inserts, the surface of the sofa has orthopedic properties.
- Spring block, the main shock-absorbing element of the structure.
- Burlap or felt prevents the appearance unpleasant sounds when metal rubs against plywood.
- Fiberboard serves as the base of the sofa mattress.
- The frame of the sofa can be made of wood, metal and chipboard. The frame is a structure that bears the main operational load and defines the shape of the sofa. When choosing a sofa, pay attention to the quality of the wood used in the frame. The presence of knots is not desirable, since the wood may break at the location of the knot.
- Non-woven fabric.
- The roller rail can be located at the bottom of the bed box and can be either wooden or metal.
- Box or niche for bedding.
- and 14. Pull-out part of the sofa used for transformation
Of course, the sofa design described above gives general idea about what the sofa is made of. Please note that in different models sofas have different internal contents and may differ from those presented by me. It is important to understand which elements in the design most influence the lifespan of the sofa.
Elements of the sofa design that affect its service life
sofa frame
The frame provides the foundation for the entire structure. Depends on the frame material permissible load on the sofa, both in terms of the permissible load weight and the possible intensity of use of the sofa.
Do not buy sofas with frames made of chipboard or similar fragile materials. Such a frame can break, especially at times of peak load. The chipboard frame is definitely not recommended for use in the bedroom for sleeping.
For the frame, it is preferable to use deciduous wood - birch, beech, oak. More often you can find a frame made of pine or spruce. Conifers more brittle, especially if there are knots in the wood. Look for knots when purchasing!
It’s even better if the frame is made of metal. Of course, you need to look at the quality of the metal. A thin-walled pipe or square is also not very strong. It is desirable that the thickness of the pipe wall be at least 3 mm, and its diameter should be at least 35 mm.
Conclusion on the frame: Frame made of good stuff will increase the cost of the sofa, but such an item will last a long time. I think it’s not worth saving on the frame.
Sofa filler
The filling gives the sofa its shape and ensures the durability of this shape. You've probably seen sofas with crumpled edges. It was the filler that let the owner of the sofa down. A detailed article about fillers can be found at.
The general conclusion regarding fillers is as follows: it's better to buy a sofa with spring block. Its service life is longer and ease of use is higher than that of other materials.
Sofa transformation mechanism
There are many mechanisms for folding sofas. The choice of mechanism depends on the intensity of use of the sofa in different positions. How often do you unfold and fold it?
For example, we use the sofa in the bedroom every day during the day for sitting, and at night we transform it into sleeping area, or the sofa in the kitchen is folded out only when guests stay late and spend the night. In these examples, the importance of the transformation mechanism is different. Therefore, in the first example it should be very reliable, and in the second example you can save on it.
Details about possible mechanisms transformations, their advantages and disadvantages.
Conclusion on sofa mechanisms: choose a mechanism depending on the frequency of its use
Sofa upholstery
As you can see, the upholstery was in last place in my rating. Of course, the upholstery is the appearance of the product and how long your sofa will remain in “saleable condition” will depend on its quality. But if it wears out, it can be replaced, but with other structural elements this is much more difficult and expensive.
A separate article is devoted to upholstery fabrics. It contains all the details and tips for choosing them.
Conclusion on sofa upholstery: Don’t just chase the external beauty of the sofa. Analyze all design elements. Remember that upholstery is the easiest to change.
Video - sofa frames, which frame is better
In conclusion, I want to offer a short story about frames modern sofas. Find out which one is preferable
Knowing about the base of the sofa will help you choose the right option for you. Currently, there are three common types of bases for making sofas; they differ in rigidity and performance characteristics.
1. FURNITURE SHIELD – sofa base with high degree rigidity . Furniture panels are produced from fiberboard, chipboard or MDF with reinforced elements of multi-layer pressed furniture plywood. Furniture board is the most common and inexpensive option the base of the sofa bed.
2. SLAM (BENDED-GLUED BATTEN) – medium hard sofa base and high elasticity . Made from birch or beech. They are installed along the perimeter of the base at a certain distance from each other. Attached to the frame using lath holders. The lamellar base is considered orthopedic and is superior in cost to its “competitors”.
3. SPRING BLOCK "SNAKE" - soft base for sofas. It is made from thick wire that twists like a snake in one plane. The springs are attached using special holders. The frame of a sofa with such a base is stable, silent and has no rocking effect. A spring base costs a little more than a plywood base, but is inferior to a lamella base.
Currently there are also flexible bases for sofas made from belts. For their production, three types of belts are used: fabric, plastic or rubber-fabric. The belts are intertwined with each other, forming a flexible and elastic surface. The degree of rigidity of such a surface is regulated by the tension force of the belts. Flexible bases have not yet reached the peak of their popularity, but are considered quite promising in the furniture industry.
RESULT: if funds allow, then, without hesitation, choose a slatted base - durable, reliable and easy to repair - it will allow you to use the furniture for at least 10 years without changing its comfort characteristics at all. The best option The base of the lamella base is a metal frame, which provides it with additional strength.
Usually we only see the outside of the sofa. And when buying it, we pay attention to the upholstery, color and other external signs. But it is very important when choosing a sofa to find out what its internal structure consists of. The reliability and quality of the sofa's construction materials directly determine its service life.
So, let's look inside the sofa and try to disassemble its structure.
- Armrest. Possible materials are wood, chipboard, MDF, metal. A soft armrest upholstered in fabric or leather is available. When choosing a sofa, give preference to models with armrests made of wear-resistant materials (wood, metal, MDF, leather)
- Upholstery - special fabric or leather.
- A layer of padding polyester or batting.
- The filler is furniture foam rubber.
- Polyurethane foam padding provides additional cushioning and weight distribution. Thanks to such inserts, the surface of the sofa has orthopedic properties.
- Spring block, the main shock-absorbing element of the structure.
- Burlap or felt prevents the appearance of unpleasant sounds when metal rubs against plywood.
- Fiberboard serves as the base of the sofa mattress.
- The frame of the sofa can be made of wood, metal and chipboard. The frame is a structure that bears the main operational load and defines the shape of the sofa. When choosing a sofa, pay attention to the quality of the wood used in the frame. The presence of knots is not desirable, since the wood may break at the location of the knot.
- Non-woven fabric.
- The roller rail can be located at the bottom of the bed box and can be either wooden or metal.
- Box or niche for bedding.
- and 14. Pull-out part of the sofa used for transformation
Of course, the design of the sofa described above gives a general idea of what the sofa is made of. Please note that different sofa models have different internal contents and may differ from what I presented. It is important to understand which elements in the design most influence the lifespan of the sofa.
Elements of the sofa design that affect its service life
sofa frame
The frame provides the foundation for the entire structure. The permissible load on the sofa depends on the material of the frame, both in terms of the permissible weight of the load and the possible intensity of use of the sofa.
Do not buy sofas with frames made of chipboard or similar fragile materials. Such a frame can break, especially at times of peak load. The chipboard frame is definitely not recommended for use in the bedroom for sleeping.
For the frame, it is preferable to use deciduous wood - birch, beech, oak. More often you can find a frame made of pine or spruce. Coniferous woods are more brittle, especially if there are knots in the wood. Look for knots when purchasing!
It’s even better if the frame is made of metal. Of course, you need to look at the quality of the metal. A thin-walled pipe or square is also not very strong. It is desirable that the thickness of the pipe wall be at least 3 mm, and its diameter should be at least 35 mm.
Conclusion on the frame: A frame made of good material will increase the cost of the sofa, but such an item will last a long time. I think it’s not worth saving on the frame.
Sofa filler
The filling gives the sofa its shape and ensures the durability of this shape. You've probably seen sofas with crumpled edges. It was the filler that let the owner of the sofa down. A detailed article about fillers can be found at.
The general conclusion regarding fillers is as follows: It is better to buy a sofa with a spring block. Its service life is longer and ease of use is higher than that of other materials.
Sofa transformation mechanism
There are many mechanisms for folding sofas. The choice of mechanism depends on the intensity of use of the sofa in different positions. How often do you unfold and fold it?
For example, we use the sofa in the bedroom every day during the day for sitting, and at night we convert it into a sleeping place, or the sofa in the kitchen is folded out only when guests stay late and spend the night. In these examples, the importance of the transformation mechanism is different. Therefore, in the first example it should be very reliable, and in the second example you can save on it.
Learn more about possible transformation mechanisms, their advantages and disadvantages.
Conclusion on sofa mechanisms: choose a mechanism depending on the frequency of its use
Sofa upholstery
As you can see, the upholstery was in last place in my rating. Of course, the upholstery is the appearance of the product and how long your sofa will remain in “saleable condition” will depend on its quality. But if it wears out, it can be replaced, but with other structural elements this is much more difficult and expensive.
A separate article is devoted to upholstery fabrics. It contains all the details and tips for choosing them.
Conclusion on sofa upholstery: Don’t just chase the external beauty of the sofa. Analyze all design elements. Remember that upholstery is the easiest to change.
Video - sofa frames, which frame is better
In conclusion, I would like to offer a short story about the frames of modern sofas. Find out which one is preferable