Custom Couch Design Guide

People spend nearly 20% of their home time in the living room. In most homes, living rooms are a place for entertaining guests or spending quality time with family. This means that living rooms are a highly functional and often busy area of the home. 

Since your living room is such a well-used space, it makes sense to invest in furniture that is not only well-made and comfortable but also matches your individual personality.

There is no better way to design a perfect living room than a custom couch. In a living room, the couch sets the stage for functionality and design. When you customize your couch you are making a unique statement and a guarantee that it will fit in size, shape, and style. 

This design guide will help you customize your couch by exploring what’s available for every element, from framing to fabric. 

Design Your Custom Couch

What’s your blank canvas?

Your living room and lifestyle are the blank canvas for designing your couch. Before you begin looking at the specific details for your custom couch, it is important that you outline things like room measurements, durability requirements, and general style of the home. This information will help you make important decisions as you put together the elements of your new couch. 

Here’s a checklist to consider when outlining the blank canvas for your custom couch:

• What are the room dimensions?
• Is there any existing furniture?
• Who uses the living room? Are there kids or pets?
• How is the living room most often used? Is it a TV room, a lounge space, or will it be used for entertaining?
• What is the overall style of the home?

Choose your couch shape and frame.

Based on the information that you gathered about the room dimensions and existing furniture layout, determine the couch shape and size that will best fit your living room. 

Your custom couch dimensions include length, depth, and height. Keep in mind that these dimensions should not only fit the room size but also suit the couch’s main function.

For example, when entertaining guests the number of people that can comfortably sit on the couch will be an important factor. If the living room is more of an afternoon nap or television zone, then perhaps a comfortable place to kick up your feet is most important. Maybe you use the couch as a sleeper sofa for visiting guests. Your unique needs will determine the best layout for your custom couch. 

Here’s the dimensions to consider when building the frame and shape for your custom couch:

• Length: This measurement determines the number of people who can sit comfortably or whether you can lay back for a nap or movie night. 
• Depth: A deeper couch can create a cozier spot to curl up. Depending on the room size, a narrow couch might work better. 
• Height: Different heights not only change the comfort and feeling of a couch but also the design trend. Many contemporary couch designs are lower to the ground with sleek and minimal backs. 
• Configuration: There are seemingly endless couch shapes available including sectionals, loveseats, sleeper sofas, traditional sofas, and many more. Narrow down your configuration options by the style trends and dimensions of your living room.

Discover the perfect material for your custom couch. 

Deciding on a material to cover your custom couch is probably the most exciting part of the process. There is so much opportunity to express your unique style with the different materials available. From leather to fabric, solid colours to bright patterns, your options are virtually endless.

Before you decide on the perfect material for your custom couch, consider not just the style but also the durability and texture qualities. Some materials are easier to keep clean, for example. 

Here are some options to consider when deciding on the best material to cover your custom couch:

• Performance: Top choice for homes with kids or pets because this material is often treated to prevent stains and resist water or oil damages. 
• Wool Blend: Durable and stain resistant while also minimizing pilling due to the additional synthetic blend.
• Linen: An aesthetics-first option that looks fantastic but can be difficult to clean and maintain. 
• Leather: Great choice for families and pets because it is both durable and stain resistant.
• Velvet: A luxurious aesthetic that can be made from natural fibers that are smooth and silky or synthetics that are more durable and affordable. 
• Natural Fibers: Silk and cotton are commonly used natural fibers. Silk is delicate, so not best for an everyday furniture piece. Comparatively, cotton is more durable, especially when used in a blend.
• Synthetics: An affordable and durable material that mimics the textures and appearances of natural fibers. These are optimal as performance pieces that can withstand lots of use, spills, and pets.

Complete your custom design with special details.

Finally, you can embellish your bespoke couch with details that add flare and interest. The small details can bring an entire design together. Pay attention to the couch designs that catch your eye for some inspiration in detailing your custom couch. Different interior design themes may call for specific details in furniture. Complement your personalized couch by garnishing with simple buttons, elegant trims, or crafted leg designs. 

Here are a few details to think about when embellishing your custom couch:

• Trim: Stretch your creativity and explore a wide variety of trims to decorate your custom couch. From cords to fringes to ribbons and everything in between, there are seemingly endless possibilities.
• Leg Design: You will probably discover couch leg designs that you never knew existed. Some couch leg examples are the arrow foot, block foot, bracket foot, bun foot, or a saber leg, and many more. 
• Cushions: Finalize your custom couch with the perfect accent cushions. Different shapes, sizes, and colours can pull the entire living room together.

Speak with our professional interior designers to help you design the perfect custom couch for your living space. Our showroom is always stocked and offers brands you won’t find anywhere else in the Okanagan.