Sofas Made to Order

How to choose a sofa in four decisions

Buying a sofa gets easier when you stop looking at hundreds of photos and answer four questions in order: how many seats, which shape, how deep, and which fabric. Each answer narrows the choice, and by the end you are usually picking between three or four designs instead of three hundred.

1. Seats. Count the people who sit together on a normal evening, not the number at a Diwali party. Guests can use an accent chair or a pouffe.
2. Shape. A straight sofa suits most rooms. An L shape uses a corner well. A U shape or a large sectional suits a big room or a joint family.
3. Depth. Shallow seats (50 to 55 cm) suit upright sitting and shorter legs. Deep seats (58 to 65 cm) suit lounging and tall people.
4. Fabric. Think about who uses the sofa: children, pets, a sunny window, the monsoon. Then think about colour.

The sections below go through each decision with measurements, and link to the collections and guides that go deeper.

Start with the number of seats

Seat count decides the length, and length decides whether the sofa fits your wall. These are typical lengths for our straight sofas. Made-to-order sizes can go a little shorter or longer.

A good rule: the sofa should take up about two thirds of the wall it sits against. On a 3 metre wall, that is roughly 200 cm, which leaves space for a side table or a lamp. Our guide to choosing the right sofa size walks through the full method with masking tape on the floor.

If you are torn between two sizes, read 2 seater vs 3 seater. In many flats, two 2 seaters facing each other work better than one long sofa, because conversation is easier and the walkway stays open.

Pick a shape that suits the room

Shape is about how the sofa meets the walls and the walkways. Here is what each one is good at.

Straight sofas

The simplest and most flexible. A straight sofa moves easily from one home to the next, fits through doors more easily and pairs with almost anything. If you rent or expect to move, start here.

L shape and corner sofas

An L shape sofa seats more people on the same floor area by using the corner. The long side usually runs along the main wall and the short side (or chaise) creates a natural edge to the seating area. A corner sofa has a true corner seat, which is comfortable for one person but can feel tight for two. Our corner vs L shape comparison explains when each one wastes or saves space.

U shape sofas

A U shape sofa wraps around three sides of a coffee table. It is the most sociable layout and the best for big families, but it needs a room of at least 14 by 16 feet to avoid feeling boxed in.

Sectional and modular sofas

A sectional sofa is made of separate pieces that join together. You can rearrange the pieces, add one later, or split the sofa between two rooms when you move. This is useful in Mumbai, where many families shift homes during redevelopment.

Curved sofas

A curved or C shape sofa softens a square room and looks good floating in the middle of a space. It suits conversation more than TV watching, because people at the ends face each other.

Get the depth and height right

Two sofas with the same length can feel completely different because of depth and seat height.

• Overall depth: most sofas are 85 to 100 cm deep. In a small room, every 10 cm matters for the walkway in front.
• Seat depth: 50–55 cm for upright sitting, 58–65 cm for lounging. Tall people usually prefer deeper seats; shorter people and older family members find shallow seats easier to get out of.
• Seat height: 42–46 cm suits most adults. Lower seats feel relaxed but are harder to stand up from.
• Back height: a low back keeps a room open; a high back gives head support.

We explain all of this, with a diagram, in how deep should a sofa be and sofa dimensions explained.

Choose the fabric for how you live

Fabric is where most regret happens, usually because the choice was made on colour alone. Think about use first.

For a full comparison, read the best sofa fabric for Indian weather and leather vs fabric. If you have children or a dog, look at pet-friendly fabrics before you fall in love with a pale boucle.

Sofas by style

Style is the last decision, not the first, because comfort and size matter more over ten years than a trend does. Still, a sofa sets the tone of a room, so it is worth choosing one you will like for a long time.

• Modern sofas have clean lines, slim arms and raised legs. They make a small room feel lighter.
• Chesterfield sofas have deep button tufting and rolled arms. They suit classic or mixed interiors and look best in velvet or leather.
• Luxury sofas use generous proportions, feather-blend cushions and premium fabrics.
• Wooden sofas show their frame and pair well with Indian and mid-century homes.

Sofas that do more than one job

Many homes need a sofa that also works as something else. A sofa cum bed turns a study into a guest room. A recliner sofa gives proper leg support for film nights and for older parents. A sofa with storage underneath hides bedding and board games. Our guide to choosing a sofa cum bed covers mechanisms and mattress thickness.

What made to order means for you

Because nothing is built until you order, you can change things that a showroom sofa cannot: the length to fit between a pillar and a door, the depth for a tall partner, a fabric from another design, the leg finish to match your floor. We confirm every detail with you, including how the sofa will reach your flat, before production starts.

The trade-off is time. A made-to-order sofa takes a few weeks instead of a few days. The expected time is shown on each product page. If you are planning around a house move or a family event, tell us the date when you order. Read more in made to order vs ready-made sofas.

What changes the price of a sofa

Two sofas that look alike in a photo can be far apart in price. The difference is usually inside, where you cannot see it, so it helps to know what you are paying for.

• Size and seat count. More length means more frame, foam and fabric. An L shape costs more than a straight sofa with the same number of seats because of the corner joinery.
• Frame. Solid hardwood and good plywood with proper joints cost more than thin board, and they last much longer.
• Cushion filling. High-density foam wrapped in fibre keeps its shape for years. Feather blends feel softer and cost more. Cheap foam is the most common reason a sofa sags early. See what sofa cushions should be filled with.
• Fabric. Performance weaves, velvet, boucle and leather each sit at different price points. A fabric with a high rub count costs more but survives family use.
• Details. Button tufting, piping, exposed wooden bases, recliner mechanisms and storage all add work hours.

Every product page shows a starting price for the standard size and fabric. If you change either, we send the revised price before anything is made, so there are no surprises later. Our guide to sofa prices in India explains typical ranges and where it is worth spending more.

Measure before you order

Most delivery problems in apartment buildings are about the route, not the room. Before ordering, measure:

• the main door width and height
• any tight corridor turns
• the lift cabin, including the diagonal from the bottom of the door to the top back corner
• staircase width and the landing turns if the sofa will not fit in the lift

The sofa's depth or height, whichever is smaller, must pass through each of these. Many of our designs have removable legs and some have removable arms, which helps a lot. Our step-by-step guide on how to measure for a sofa includes the lift diagonal method.

Sofas for Mumbai and other humid cities

Coastal humidity is hard on furniture. Damp air settles into foam, wood swells slightly through the monsoon and dark corners can turn musty. A few choices help: a frame made from seasoned, treated wood; raised legs so air moves underneath; fabrics that breathe instead of trapping moisture; and a gap of a few centimetres between the sofa back and an outside wall. If your flat faces the sea, avoid placing a leather or dark velvet sofa in strong afternoon sun, which fades colour and dries out leather. Our guide to sofas for humid weather has more detail.

Looking after your sofa

A good sofa lasts well over a decade if you rotate the cushions, vacuum it every week or two, keep it out of harsh afternoon sun and give it some air during the monsoon. Read how to clean a fabric sofa and protecting your sofa during the monsoon for simple routines that work in humid cities.