What Should You Check Before Shopping for Sofas in Perth?
Measure the Room and the Way In
Start with the path into the house rather than the living room. A sofa that fits your wall perfectly still has to get through the front door, down the hallway and around any tight corners first. Measure the narrowest point on that route. Compare it with the sofa's depth and height, because most pieces go through on their side or back. Homes built to the national Livable Housing Design Standard must have internal doorways with a clear opening of at least 820 mm. Many sofas are deeper than that, so check older homes, apartments with lifts and anywhere with stairs carefully. If access is tight, ask our team whether the corner or modular lounge you like can come in separate sections.
Once you're inside, mark the sofa's outline on the floor with masking tape and leave it there for a day or two. Walk around it, open nearby doors, and make sure you can still reach windows and power points. For a recliner, allow room for the footrest to extend, and ask our team how much space it needs behind the back. Many couches in Perth homes sit in open-plan family areas where the back of the sofa faces the kitchen or dining space. Check how the back is finished as well as the front.
Sofa, Chaise, Corner or Modular
A 2 seater suits a smaller living area, a study or a second sitting area, and pairs easily with an armchair. A 3 seater is the most flexible shape. It seats three people upright or two stretched out and fits most walls without taking over the room. A chaise lounge gives one person a built-in leg rest. But the extra depth sits on one side, so plan which side keeps your walkway clear. Check whether the chaise sits on the left or the right, and confirm it with our team before you order.
Corner lounges seat the most people and work well in a large family or theatre room. They need the right wall or floor arrangement, though, and may not suit your next home if you move often. Modular lounges come in sections you can rearrange or split between rooms, which helps if you rent or expect to move. If you're considering one, ask our team how the sections join together. Matching lounge suites give the room a coordinated look in one purchase but commit the whole space to one style.
Fabric, Leather or Something in Between
Fabric feels soft and comes in the widest choice of colours and textures. On the downside, it absorbs spills faster, holds dust and hair, and direct sun can fade it over time. When comparing fabrics, ask about the abrasion rating. A fabric supplier's guide notes that, under Australian standards, 20,000 Martindale rubs is considered heavy-duty residential. Fibre matters too. One UK survey of sofa owners found that 16% of wool sofas showed damage or wear, compared with 37% of cotton and linen sofas.
Leather wipes clean and doesn't trap dust or hair, but it needs regular conditioning to stay supple. Read the leather labels in each product description carefully. "100% leather" means leather all over. Other lounges use leather where your body touches, with leatherette elsewhere. If a description just says "leather", ask our team which kind it is. You'll also see vegan leather, an option if your household avoids animal leather. Check the product's specifications to see exactly what the covering is made of.
Kids, Pets and Allergies
Who lives in your home should shape your choice of covering as much as looks do. Nearly three in four Australian households have a pet, and claws and fur affect each material differently. Fabric tends to hold onto fur, while fur wipes straight off leather, although claws can mark it. Whichever you choose, keeping your pets' claws trimmed helps protect the upholstery.
With young children, spills and sticky hands come with the territory. Leather wipes clean quickly, and in fabric a mid-tone or patterned cover is more forgiving than a pale one. If anyone at home has asthma or a dust mite allergy, the National Asthma Council suggests choosing leather or vinyl lounges over fabric. That's because dust mites can live in upholstery.
Fixed Seats or Recliners
A fixed sofa is the simpler choice: there's no mechanism, the shape is slimmer, and you have more freedom over where it sits. Recliners give some of that up for adjustable comfort. They suit anyone who likes to put their feet up after work or a household that spends its evenings in front of the screen. That covers a lot of people. Watching TV or streaming was Australians' most common free-time activity in 2024, averaging almost three hours a day for those who did it.
Manual recliners need no power, so they can go anywhere in the room. Electric recliners move at the touch of a button, which can be easier for anyone with limited strength. Most need a power point within reach and a cord running to it. Some electric models add powered headrests, lumbar support, USB charging or storage consoles, so decide which of those you'll actually use. Reclining pieces also tend to look bulkier than most fixed sofas and need clear space to extend.
If you have toddlers, choose a recliner carefully. NSW Fair Trading's recliner chair safety guidance notes that children between six months and five years old have been injured and killed in recliner accidents. Check for gaps where small arms, legs or heads could be trapped, and keep young children clear while the footrest is moving.
How Can You Tell if a Sofa Is Comfortable?
You can't judge three things that decide how a sofa feels from a photo. The first is seat depth. Deep seats suit taller people and anyone who likes to tuck their legs up. In a deep seat, shorter people can end up perched on the front edge or propped up with cushions. Deeper isn't automatically better. In a chair comfort study, a seat depth of 40.2 cm was rated more comfortable over 90 minutes than both shallower and deeper seats.
Seat height decides how easy it is to get up again. Low, slouchy styles look relaxed but can be hard work for anyone with sore knees or hips. Firm armrests make a real difference. 76% of people aged 60 and over in a European survey said armrests make standing up and sitting down easier.
Filling affects how the seat feels over the years. Foam generally feels firmer and keeps its shape. Feather or feather-and-foam cushions feel softer and sink in but need regular plumping and settle into a more relaxed look. Pocket springs add bounce and support underneath. Before you decide, sit the way you will at home, and for longer than a minute: lean back, curl up, lie along it, then get up again.
What Colour and Style Will Suit Your Room?
Your sofa is usually the largest block of colour in the room. A neutral like grey, beige, oatmeal or ivory gives you the most freedom to change cushions, rugs and art later. A bold colour or strong texture becomes the focal point and narrows what goes with it. Pale tones look fresh but tend to show marks sooner, while very dark tones can show dust, lint and hair from light-coloured pets. Look at a colour in daylight and again under evening lamplight before you decide.
Scale matters as much as colour. A low sofa with slim arms feels lighter in a small room, and raised legs show more floor and make vacuuming underneath easier. A chunky, high-backed corner lounge or recliner suite fills a large open-plan space but can overwhelm a smaller one. Match the shape to what's already in the room. Square arms and straight legs sit well in modern and Japandi spaces. Rounded arms, curved backs and Chesterfield styles suit relaxed coastal or classic rooms.
How Do You Protect a Sofa From Sun and Wear?
Every covering needs some upkeep, so choose one that matches the time you'll realistically give it. Fabric needs regular vacuuming and benefits from a fabric protector. Leather needs a regular wipe and periodic conditioning, especially on headrests and arms, where skin oils build up in warm weather. Faux leather needs regular dusting and a clean every 3 to 6 months. In warm or humid weather, it also needs a weekly wipe of the headrests, arms and seats.
Where the sofa sits matters just as much. Perth averages 8.8 hours of sunshine a day, rising to 11.6 hours in December and January. Direct sun through a window fades fabric and dries leather until it cracks. If your living area gets strong sun, use blinds or sheer curtains, and keep the sofa away from heaters and fireplaces. Rotating seat cushions and changing who sits where spreads wear evenly, and our team can recommend care products for your covering.
Questions People Ask About Sofas
What Colours Go With a Grey Sofa?
White, navy, sage, mustard and natural timber all suit a grey sofa, but the best match depends on its undertone. Cool greys with a blue or silver tint pair well with crisp white, navy, charcoal and dusty pink. Warm greys with a beige or brown tint suit cream, terracotta, mustard, olive and timber. If you're unsure, choose one accent colour for cushions and a throw, and add timber or black metal for contrast. Test fabric or paint samples against the sofa in daylight before you commit.
How Do You Clean a Couch?
Vacuum or wipe it weekly, blot spills straight away, and use a cleaner made for its covering, checking the care label first. For fabric, vacuum with a soft brush attachment and blot spills with a clean dry cloth instead of rubbing. Treat marks with a fabric cleaner tested on a hidden spot first, and deep clean twice a year. For leather, wipe weekly with a damp cloth, then clean and condition it with a leather product every 3 to 6 months. Faux leather needs regular dusting and a mild soap solution, rinsed off with a damp cloth and dried.
How Do You Style a Throw on a Couch?
Drape it loosely over one arm, a back corner or the end of the seat, so it looks casual rather than arranged. For a relaxed look, fold it lengthways into thirds and hang it over the arm, or let it fall diagonally from one back corner. For a neater finish, fold it into a long strip across the end of the seat. Choose a texture that contrasts with the sofa, such as a chunky knit on leather, and repeat one of its colours in a cushion. A throw over the most-used seat also helps protect the upholstery.
Find the Right Sofa for Your Home
Browse the range above to compare sizes, coverings and recline options side by side. If you'd like help narrowing it down, get in touch with our design team. Adore Home Living has helped WA families choose lounges in Perth since 2015, and we're happy to talk through your room, your household and how you like to sit before you decide.