Small Space Sofas and Sofa Beds 101

In honour of their 75^th Anniversary, The Chesterfield Shop, which specializes in city-sized sofas, is celebrating with events, contests, and promotions at its showrooms all year.

Q: What is the key to selecting a sofa for a small space? 

When it comes to comfortable and versatile seating, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Bring measurements and pictures of your space and your vision. Questions we ask include: Were you thinking soft, firm, deep, shallow, low to the ground, or a higher profile (for a taller person), and what kind of arm or leg? Contemporary or transitional? Most importantly, buyers should tell the shop what they are looking for and how they are using their furniture. We will always accommodate your needs.

Q: And what about sofa beds?

Consider how often it will be used. Are you using it for everyday comfort or when a guest stays over once a year? Know your budget; there are many different price points, with varying degrees of mattress thickness. Now, there are easy-to-use pull-out (contract) mechanisms that aren’t difficult like the early models from yesteryear.

Q:  As a long-time seller of small-space sofas, what do you find people ask for the most?

Functional, quality, well-made seating is where it’s at – anything and everything. Canadian or North American made – and not “disposable” to end up in a landfill after a couple of years. For sofa beds, it’s cushions that are part of the frame, so there are no storage issues – easy open and close. In sofas, buyers want a chaise that easily switches from one side to the other.

Q: For condo dwellers, what are your recommendations?

Sofa-beds and city-sized seating are what we recommend for condos, apartments, and smaller-scale spaces, such as lofts and lower levels, or any hard to fit space: smaller scale sofas that are 70” with a shorter depth of 35” or deeper modular models. It all depends on your space. We can accommodate almost everything – if possible.