Ordering a custom upholstered sofa isn’t like buying a floor model: there’s no easy return, the lead time is usually 4 to 10 weeks depending on the workshop, and any measuring mistake is costly. This checklist brings together the points worth verifying before signing the order, arranged the way an upholsterer would review them when receiving the commission.
1. Measurements: the step almost no one gets right
- The real gap, not the one you remember. Measure the space with a tape measure and also note the diagonal of the door and the hallway up to the living room. A 2.40 m sofa that won’t turn on the landing is a problem with no pretty solution.
- Leave room to maneuver. Between the sofa and the wall, a minimum of 5 cm is advisable if there’s a radiator or thick baseboard; if the sofa reclines, the backrest needs 10 to 15 cm of clearance.
- Check the seat height relative to your living room table. A seat at 45 cm with a 40 cm table forces you to lean forward; the comfortable setup is usually for the seat to sit 2-4 cm above the table.
- Verify the elevator’s passage width if you live on a high floor. Many workshops deliver in two modules precisely for this reason.
2. Structure: what lies beneath the fabric
- Ask what type of wood the frame is made of. Beech, pine or birch are common; particleboard in structural parts is a sign of a short service life.
- Ask about corner reinforcements. A frame that’s screwed together without brackets or glue tends to loosen with daily use.
- Ask about the suspension system: pocket springs, elastic webbing or sinuous springs. Webbing is cheaper, but it loses tension sooner.
- Confirm whether the seat cushion has a removable cover and what closure it uses (hidden zipper, velcro). It makes a difference for cleaning in the long run.
3. Fabric: the point where most mistakes happen
- Ask for a physical sample, not a photo. Color on screen is misleading, and the feel of the fabric matters too.
- Ask about abrasion resistance (expressed in Martindale cycles). For a family living room with children or pets, a fabric with good resistance is advisable; for occasional use, a lighter one is enough.
- Check whether the fabric is washable or only suitable for dry cleaning. A washable polyester velvet and a natural linen don’t hold up the same way.
- Consider the stain treatment, but with realistic expectations: it slows absorption, it doesn’t prevent it indefinitely.
- Ask about the composition. Blends with a high percentage of polyester usually resist wear better; natural fibers win on feel and lose on durability.
4. The workshop and the process
- Visit the workshop or ask for photos of previous work. An experienced upholsterer shows seams and corners without being asked.
- Insist on a signed plan or cutting list with measurements. It’s the only objective proof of what you’ve ordered.
- Ask about the real lead time, not the sales pitch. Always add two weeks of margin: most delays come from the fabric supplier, not the workshop.
- Review the return conditions. A custom sofa is usually considered a personalized order; confirm in writing what the warranty covers and what it doesn’t.
- Confirm who delivers and whether assembly is included. Some workshops deliver to the door and assembly is up to you.
5. A common mistake worth avoiding
A typical case: ordering the sofa with the fabric chosen from a small 10×10 cm sample and discovering, when it arrives, that the fabric has a repeating pattern that greatly changes the perception of color at a larger scale. Always ask for a large sample or, better, a meter of fabric from the batch before confirming. It’s also common to forget that removable covers shrink slightly after the first wash: if the sofa is going to be washed often, it’s worth factoring that adjustment into the pattern from the start.
6. When this option isn’t the right one
A custom sofa isn’t worth it if you’re looking for immediacy, if the budget is very tight, or if the space where it will go will change in less than a year (moving, renovation). Nor is it the best route for a sofa bed used daily: standard folding mechanisms are more proven and usually come out better priced. And if the living room has a very irregular shape, it’s sometimes better to solve the gap with two standard modular pieces rather than with a single custom-made piece.
No checklist replaces a face-to-face conversation with the upholsterer: ask about anything you don’t understand, get in writing whatever they promise you, and be wary of anyone who can’t show you a finished piece of work. With these checks done, the margin for error is greatly reduced, although no order is entirely free of surprises.