As we enter the twenty first century, designer sofas are becoming extremely popular as a growing number of people look to spend money on their home furnishings. With a number of firms becoming very well known within the luxury market place, revolutionary new models appearing bi-annually plus a expanding public interest in the field of interior style, this trend looks set to carry on in the future. But what exactly do we mean by a designer sofa? To answer this question, it is important to understand the background of designer sofas, their build quality and also their specific appearance and feel.
Curiously, it wasn't such a long time ago that the notion of a designer sofa would have been a misnomer. Indeed, the early origins of the modern day sofa runs by means of the Pharoahs of Ancient Egypt to the wealthy merchants of the Renaissance. It wasn't actually until the industrial revolution just over 200 years ago that sofas became an cost-effective mass-market household good. Before this date, each and every sofa would have been individually created on a bespoke basis, by modest artisan workshops making use of conventional manufacturing processes that had changed little over the ages.
It was only actually with the arrival of the industrial age that the concept of designer came about as sofas started to turn into commodities. What was once an exclusive item, was speedily transformed into a regular fixture of the typical house. With low cost, reduced quality products flooding the marketplace, a new demand came about for sofas built in classic types with greater levels of quality and a much more developed visual appeal. These features remain the vital distinction between designer sofas and their mass-manufactured alternatives even today.
When it comes to build quality, designer sofas are generally manufactured employing a more labour intensive traditional approach rather than in bulk quantities. They will also usually use a higher percentage of high quality classic materials such as horsehair to upholster the sofa, which can be far more expensive but results in enhanced overall comfort. This method can also be carried forward with regards to the padding of the sofa where organic feather and down is employed rather than less expensive artificial padding such as foam and acrylics.
Designer sofas are also far more thought out with regards to aesthetics where greater attention to detail is given to overall finish, individual appeal and discrete detail. Unlike regular mass-production models, designer sofas are far more considered than mass-produced models that are mainly focused around a smaller sub-set of the most commercially viable styles. With far more room for expression, extra details including technical flutes or outline piping can be incorporated to finish the product with a flourish. This type of detail is simply not incorporated when you purchase a high street equivalent, mainly because of the extra expense involved.
In the end the selection between designer sofas and high street models comes down to a question of taste. For some, the notion of paying a lot more for the same product will never appeal, especially when purchasing on a budget. Nonetheless, for those who wish to express themselves by means of their home decor, designer sofas will constantly appeal for the reasons we have stated above.
Curiously, it wasn't such a long time ago that the notion of a designer sofa would have been a misnomer. Indeed, the early origins of the modern day sofa runs by means of the Pharoahs of Ancient Egypt to the wealthy merchants of the Renaissance. It wasn't actually until the industrial revolution just over 200 years ago that sofas became an cost-effective mass-market household good. Before this date, each and every sofa would have been individually created on a bespoke basis, by modest artisan workshops making use of conventional manufacturing processes that had changed little over the ages.
It was only actually with the arrival of the industrial age that the concept of designer came about as sofas started to turn into commodities. What was once an exclusive item, was speedily transformed into a regular fixture of the typical house. With low cost, reduced quality products flooding the marketplace, a new demand came about for sofas built in classic types with greater levels of quality and a much more developed visual appeal. These features remain the vital distinction between designer sofas and their mass-manufactured alternatives even today.
When it comes to build quality, designer sofas are generally manufactured employing a more labour intensive traditional approach rather than in bulk quantities. They will also usually use a higher percentage of high quality classic materials such as horsehair to upholster the sofa, which can be far more expensive but results in enhanced overall comfort. This method can also be carried forward with regards to the padding of the sofa where organic feather and down is employed rather than less expensive artificial padding such as foam and acrylics.
Designer sofas are also far more thought out with regards to aesthetics where greater attention to detail is given to overall finish, individual appeal and discrete detail. Unlike regular mass-production models, designer sofas are far more considered than mass-produced models that are mainly focused around a smaller sub-set of the most commercially viable styles. With far more room for expression, extra details including technical flutes or outline piping can be incorporated to finish the product with a flourish. This type of detail is simply not incorporated when you purchase a high street equivalent, mainly because of the extra expense involved.
In the end the selection between designer sofas and high street models comes down to a question of taste. For some, the notion of paying a lot more for the same product will never appeal, especially when purchasing on a budget. Nonetheless, for those who wish to express themselves by means of their home decor, designer sofas will constantly appeal for the reasons we have stated above.
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If you are browsing for Sofas, head online to The Sofa & Chair Company, one of the UK's top retailers.
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