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29 Sep 17

That yellow velvet sofa

Canaray yellow velvet sofa adds a pop of colour to an all grey living room in the new annex build at the home of interior deisgner Sophie Robinson

So by now you have probably seen on my instagram feed or twitter or facebook, THAT canary yellow velvet sofa. How wonderful to come to a point in life where a canary velvet sofa becomes a good idea. Of course I’ve not yet reached that pinnacle of maturity for the aforementioned golden seat belongs to my  Mum. It’s an integral part of her new home, new life and new chapter in her exciting interior design journey. It makes her squeal with joy, like she’s just had 60 years knocked off her. Sofas can do that you know. But only if they’re a cheeky bright hue.

When buying a new sofa it’s essential that you try before you buy. Here’s Mum road testing in the Sofa.com Chelsea showroom

So buying a sofa feels like a big purchase right. First of all it’ll take up a big part of the budget. Next up is comfort, because if you’re anything like me you spend a lot of time curled up on it with the purpose of feeling totally relaxed.  But in terms of the visual, I think its a great opportunity to have some fun creatively. We designed Mum’s annex interior space in a very muted grey to help enhance the feeling of oodles of natural light and open space. So a bright jewel coloured number, positioned center stage, really fitted in with the otherwise all grey scheme.

 

Velvet yellow sofa in the annex of interior designer Sophie Robinson. Black and white monochrome rug goes so wonderfully with the yellow sofa

So with the colour in mind we did a little research on the internet and the shape and comfort of the Sofa.com models really appealed. And I have already owned two sofa.com sofas and have am a very happy customer. I’m a fan of their brand, their customer service, price range and their designs and I love the choice of fabric offerings. So it seemed the obvious place to shop. With a couple of models in mind we headed up to the London showroom in Chelsea to try them out. I couldn’t ever buy a piece of furniture that I’m going to sit on  without trying it first- even if you are going to order it online afterwards.

Mum plumped for the Holly sofa. She liked the upright seating position it offered as she’s not a one for curling up and slouching like me. The depth of the seat on the Holly is too shallow for me but that’s why its so important you try these things out. We also liked the Holly because it looks so good from all angles, and as it was going to be placed in the center of the open plan room we needed to consider how it would be viewed from all sides. Finally on the stylistic front we just loved the cute little legs. It was a nod to the mid century modern, that Mum’s keen on incorporating in the new design. I also love sofas that are raised off the floor on legs, as they enhance the sense of space in a room, as you can see more floor. Its a great little visual trick.

The Holly sofa from sofa.com in canary yellow velvet sits perfectly in a n all grey interior open plan space.

So here are my ten tips on buying a sofa

  1. Try before you buy. Ideally you’ll want to have sat in the sofa first to make sure it suits your posture. For example I love to sit on a sofa with my feet curled up so a deep seat is essential for me, where as my Mum preferred a more shallow seat with back support.
  2. Check out if the company your buying from offer a no quibble return policy. Sofa.com do and I think when your spending such a large investment its important that you can return it if its not right when it arrives in the room. (I’ve done this too!)
  3. Measure up your space. Its really important that you measure up where the sofa will be situated so you can check you have enough room for it, so include space for side tables if you intend to have them. But also measure your access area, like door width and turning circles in the stair ways. Many large sofa designs come apart in modules to help with this problem.
  4. If you have pets and young children, consider going for a loose cover option, so its easy to wash out spills and marks. You can get brilliant custom made loose covers for any Ikea sofa from Bemz which is well worth checking out. Or leather is very forgiving and wipe-able down-able. Terrible at supporting scatter cushions though- they just tend to slip off, so that’s a now from be obvs!
  5. A sofa raised on legs will help a room feel larger. A sofa that sits on the floor might have more springs and hence more comfort.
  6. You’ll want to think of quality. Often the price reflects this. A soft wood frame will have a shorter shelf life but this is what most affordable high street sofas, are made from. Rule of thumb I’d expect them to look good for around 5 years depending on how hard you use them.  (I had a habitat sofa in one of my holiday lets but it got broken by an over exuberant hen party!) Next up you have hardwood frames like beech which will be warp resistant and longer lasting. I’ve had my beech frame sofa for 7 years and with hard wear (sofa jumping kids) its still going string. Finally you have designer brands like Minotti that are often enhanced with metal frames which makes them close to indestructible.
  7. Think about the cushions. Foam seat cushions give more support and look sharper and suit modern styles. Feather filled is a rounder and softer look, but be prepared to regularly plump. Or go for a combination of the two. Foam seat cushions with feather back cushions is a winner.
  8. Don’t discount buying a vintage sofa. They are often structurally well made – and then you can have fun covering them in your choice of fabric. Note you’ll need around 10 meters of upholstery grade fabric and around £500+ for the upholsterer, (depending in the style and condition of the sofa), so its not a budget option but you’ll have an heirloom to keep. A good upholsterer will let you know if the sofa you are recovering is worth the investment.
  9. Do make your sofa an integral part of the colour scheme. The safe thing to do is invest in a neutral coloured sofa- this way you’ll be able to change your scheme over time easily without having to change the sofa. But who wants safe! The trend right now is very much for sofas in moth-watering jewel like colours like yellow, emerald green or deep blue. So I urge you to go for it. If you’re going to spend all that money, it might as well be on something that makes your heart beat faster!

 

a canary yellow velevet sofa adds a pop of colour to an all great interior. The open plan living room kitchen is at the home of interior designer Sophie RobinsonIf you’ve missed out on the whole story- you can watch the renovation of her annex build over on my YouTube channel.

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comments

Christine on 29.09.17

I was getting worried when you said “The safe thing to do is invest in a neutral coloured sofa”, but was then delighted when you followed this with “But who wants safe!”. My thoughts exactly. Let’s bring more colour into our homes.

Reply
Sophie Robinson on 01.10.17

We’re on the same page!!!

Reply
Christine on 18.04.18

Hi Sophie

When will you be unveiling your own home renovations?……I can’t wait to see your new kitchen and sitting room!,

Reply
Sophie Robinson on 06.05.18

Gosh I know! I can’t wait either. I’ve been too busy with work but am going to make sure I make headway this summer! Sorry to keep everyone waiting!!

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It’s a peach of a show jam packed with creative inspiration. Listen on your podcast app, and why not leave a comment below on how you will be being thrifty this Christmas 👇 

#1stdecember #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas #hallway #hallwaydecor #christmasdecor #thegreatindoors
Who is looking forward to the weekend! 🙌 Welc Who is looking forward to the weekend! 🙌 

Welcome to a rare tour of my home! Since every room looked tidy, I grabbed my phone to show you around. 

You can see how I have lots of colour and pattern in every room but still the house has flow. I use the same palette of colours through which helps make it all hang together. But it takes more than that to make a maximalist home sing. Repeating the same materials, design motifs, styles and shapes helps to create a feeling of cohesion.

For the ultimate insight into how to decorate in a way that supports you emotionally, flexes your creativity and leaves you loving your home, check out my interior design school where I teach you  everything you need to know. 

- how to harmonise colours
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And this weekend you can enjoy 25% of ALL COURSES across my entire design school by using the code BLACKFRIDAY25 at check out. Click on the link in my bio or visit courses.sophierobinson.Co.uk ☝️

#housetour #banthebeige #bbbinteriors #colourlover #colourfulhome #maximalistinteriors #eclecticdecor #onlinedesign #designschool
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This is an opportunity to listen to this whirlwind of a design mind, with insights into what it takes to win a TV completion, how living on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides has made him ultimately resourceful and his unique design process. 

Listen to The Great Indoors, whoever you get your podcast. Hit that subscribe button and come back here to let us know what you thought! 

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This is the perfect time of year to up level your This is the perfect time of year to up level your bedding. With the autumn chill on its way I’d rather hike up the tog count than whack up the central heating. 

Beautiful bedding and linen is the ultimate luxury and at this time in my life 👵🏻 my bed is up there as my absolute favourite place to be and my sleep is honestly my favourite pastime! So making it the most comforting, soothing, replenishing experience possible is my priority. 😴

I recently up-levelled my duvet and pillows  to @naturalmatuk goose down products and here is my unbiased review. The pillows are the like sleeping on an actual cloud! Along with the 9 tog duvet I’ll stay cosy all winter, and leave the thermostat turned down.  @naturalmatuk only use natural, sustainable materials, organic cotton and responsibly sourced feathers, which all support a good nights sleep. With a hectic lifestyle, my bed is my ultimate sanctuary 🥱

What’s your self care routine and secret to the perfect pampered night sleep? 

#ad PR product 
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This dress shape is so perfect. I love the big sleeves, that goes so well with a fine knit underneath and the long gathered skirt looks perfect with boots, both of which I bought recently at @cosstores . Team with my signature big earrings ( these are old ones from @anthropologieeu ) and I feel a million dollars! Happy Monday folks! We can do this 👊

#ad - pr product. 
#dresslikeyourhome
I hosted an event this week to show off all the ha I hosted an event this week to show off all the hard work we’ve done in the house and showcase the new collection with @harlequinfw . It was a wonderful opportunity to fill the house with laughter, great conversation and celebrate our mutual love of colour! Since the pandemic I work more and more from home and it felt good to open the door and let people in. 

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Special Thanks to @mad_about_the_house @erica_davies @hillhousevintage @andrea_childs_journo @theottohouse @clairevallis @michelleogundehin @mollymahonblockprinting @sophieabbottartist @gemswholesomekitchen @edwardrobinsonid @dahliabeach for making it such a wonderful day 

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thanks to @benjaminfoxdressmaker fir the custom made dress!

#harlequinxsophierobinson #athome #colourlover #banthebeige
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I’m so excited to present my new ready made cush I’m so excited to present my new ready made cushion collection, in collaboration with @harlequinfw sold exclusively at @johnlewis 
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Cushions have long been an obsession of mine and I’m so thrilled with this capsule collection for @johnlewis because it combines all the pattern and colour so you can get an instant hit of maximalist spirit by creating any combination that works for you. There is the iconic Sherbert stripe, sitting amongst luxurious embroidered designs and heavily patterned velvets. My personal favourite is the deeply colourful jewel bug design🪲 Which ones yours?!

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