Buying a new sofa doesn’t sound difficult, right? I mean, good-looking and comfortable should about cover it, surely? Wrong! So wrong. Sofas say a lot about you as a person or a family. It isn’t just about what fits in your living room or is easy on your pocket.

Choosing a sofa should be a little like choosing a life partner, as dramatic as that may sound – your sofa will see you through the good times and the bad, so choose wisely.

If you need help and steady guidance in this department, you have come to precisely the right place. You little lucky ducky. Below are five great tips to be aware of before you buy your next (or first) sofa:

1. Lifestyle Commitments

Now that doesn’t mean looking for the best sofa to handle pizza stains at 2 am unless that’s your vibe – no shame here. It does mean choosing a sofa best suited to your lifestyle, i.e., do you have kids or dogs? Those will massively alter your best-suited options.

If that is your life, choose a stain-resistance before fabric upholstery option, you’ll be so glad you did.

2. Choose Fabric or Leather

Be sure to research the quality of the upholstery fabric or leather you like. Something to consider, is whether you envision fabric or leather in your living room. Leather is more sophisticated and durable, but fabrics do come in a much wider range of textures and colors.

This aspect is a personal preference, but once you see the perfect sofa, you will feel it in the depths of your design soul, so fret not about that part!

3. Sofa Space

This one can be a little trickier unless you’re limited space-wise. How you plan on positioning your new sofa will largely depend on what shape and size it is. If space isn’t an issue, consider whether it will be displayed in the center of a room with the back exposed – that isn’t a wise choice for someone with cats.

Measure the space available in your living room, keeping in mind that you still need to leave room for a coffee table. You must know exactly what size sofa your living room can accommodate before you start shopping around. Consult a handy sofa size guide to help you measure correctly.

4. Choosing Color

One of the toughest decisions you will face during this process is picking a color. There are almost endless directions you could take with this one, from loud and bold, to detailed patterns, to a softer and more reliable neutral palette – there is no right or wrong.

Go wild on this one, choose the color that speaks to you the loudest.

5. Arm Style

Sofa arms are often not thought about, but they should be. There are multiple styles, like a deep wing, clean-lined, or even rolled and oversized. Arms are everything on the sofa.

If possible, test out the arms of the sofas you like, that way you can ensure they are firm and study – not to mention comfortable to use. Choosing a sofa is such an exciting experience, don’t get bogged down by the details and learn to simply enjoy these pleasures of life.