There’s a time in every day when you want to kick off your shoes and sink into the welcome embrace of your favorite seat in the house. Over time, however, the well-loved and much used couch can show its age. If your once plump and lush sofa is looking more squished and sagging, follow these six steps to bring new life into your favorite seat.

1. Snap a photo of your sofa.

While it’s always fun to admire your work with a good before/after visual, that’s not our goal here. Having a picture will help you reassemble the couch properly when you’re done. And if you’re going to spice things up with a few new throw pillows, having that snapshot for your designer or with you in the stores will come in handy, too!

2. Remove the seat cushions from the sofa.

The cushions likely have a zipper on the side that faces into the couch. Remove the covers. This is a good time to wash those! Just make sure you follow the directions on the tag. Go the eco-friendly route and air dry the covers outside. While you’ve got everything taken apart, vacuum the foam cushions and the base of your sofa.

3. Inspect the frame of your sofa.

Is it in good shape? Are the springs looking worse for the wear? You may find the bones of your favorite coach are beyond your abilities to repair. If that’s the case, it might be time to find a new love. However, if the frame just needs a little TLC, one option is to place a sheet of plywood over the base of your seat. This will create a new platform for the cushions to sit on. Cut the platform to fit the base properly. Once you put your cushions back into place, you’ll never know the wood is there.

4. Plump your back cushions up.

Use Poly-fil batting and/or quilt batting to plump up the back cushions of your sofa. If the back cushions don’t come off the frame of your couch, they may still have a zipper at their base. That’s when you reach for the Poly-fil. Tuck generous handfuls of fill behind the existing pillow or foam. If you need help, use a ruler to get the stuffing into the corners and edges. Fill each cushion until you achieve your desired level of plump and comfy.

If you can remove the cushions, wrap the foam with layers of quilt batting. Use spray adhesive to help hold each layer of batting in place. How many layers? That depends on how plush you want your seat and how much space you have between the existing cushion and the seat cover. You want your revitalized cushion to have a tight fit, but it still needs to get in the cover.

5. Reassemble your sofa.

Place the now clean and plumped cushions back into place. If you have any extra Poly-fil, freshen up your throw pillows before you place them back into place. Or take your sofa photo shopping, and pick up new throw pillows or fabric to make your own covers for the existing pillows.

6. Kick off your shoes and sink into your renewed, refreshed, favorite seat!

by Anjie Cho

Visit the Holistic Spaces Store

Your living room is where your family comes together to catch up on the day or to binge watch your favorite TV show. It’s where you entertain company. A lot of everyday life happens in this one space, which means selecting the right seating is key to creating the comfortable, inviting room you’re looking for.

Feeling overwhelmed selecting the right sofa? That’s understandable. Between sofa shapes, arm styles, cushion sizes, and fabric options, you have no shortage of choices. Let’s break it down to a few guidelines to simplify the process.

Size

Although finding the perfect size sofa for your space can start to feel like a Goldilocks experiment, sticking to a minimum guideline will narrow down the choices for you. Select a sofa with a seat height of at least 17 inches. This will ease sitting and standing, as well as put less strain on your knees and back. In the same vein, look for a sofa with a maximum depth of 18 inches. If you fall in love with a sofa deeper than that, adding throw pillows will shorten it, as well as add a pop of accent color and flair.

Space

Undoubtedly you’ve stood in the showroom of a furniture store, admiring the sofa of your dreams and picturing it nestled perfectly into the available space in your living room. You’d not be alone, however, if you got that sofa home and found it was either too big or too small for the room. It can be hard to eyeball what’s going to be the right fit. Before you hit the store, measure the available space. Remember to leave 12 to 18 inches between the sofa and the coffee table. This allows sufficient room for slipping in and out, while keeping the table close enough for comfortable use. Also take into account the other furniture pieces you’d like in your room. Will you include a chair and end tables? How much clearance will you need between the sofa and entry way? The most gorgeous, lush sofa will lose its luster if it’s out of balance with the available space.

Livability

Certainly aesthetics are important, but don’t overlook functionality. Will your sofa be a central spot for movie night, complete with popcorn and drinks? Look for durable fabrics. Real life is happening on these cushions, and you’re going to want material that can handle it. Likewise, do you like to stretch out to watch TV on your sofa? Do you find yourself falling asleep cuddled up into the corner of the sectional? Look for the arm style and couch shape that is most comfortable for the way you use your sofa.

by Anjie Cho