The Ultimate Guide to
Custom Sofas
Learn how to turn your
ideas into real life
designs. You are unique..
Your custom upholstery
should be too!
Meet the Authors
Brielle Pastore is the Digital
Marketing Specialist, focusing on
blogging, marketing and social
media. Before Kensington
Furniture, Brielle attended Penn
State University studying
telecommunications. She graduated
in 2013.
Carolyn Wood is the Store
Stylist, focusing on interior
design, merchandising and
creating in-store displays.
Before Kensington
Furniture, Carolyn worked
in Atlantic City casinos and
restaurants, designing their
holiday décor and interior
plantscaping.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Questions to ask before you
buy.
page 4
Chapter 2: Designing your own custom
sofa.
page 11
Chapter 3: How to pick a fabric for your
custom sofa.
page 18
Chapter 1: Questions to
ask before you buy.
The Brentwood Sectional by Rowe features loose back
cushions and rolled and padded arms. Plush cushions and
soft fabrics give this sectional a clean, comfortable look and
feel.
4
5 Questions to ask yourself
before you buy a sofa.
• Most people sit on
their sofa at least
once a day. The wife
relaxes on the sofa.
The children play
games on the sofa.
The husband watches
television on the sofa.
A sofa is the staple
of the living room
and buying one is an
important task! Do
some research before
you buy. Express
yourself and show
your character and
creativity by
customizing a sofa
that is perfect for you.
Thornton Sofa by Flexsteel
Viceroy Sectional by Palliser
5
Clanton Sectional by Klaussner
Kempner Sofa by Rowe
• Question 1: What
type of sofa is right for
my family and our
lifestyle? When
choosing a sofa for
your main living room,
you want to go with a
more functional piece.
Make sure you
consider all aspects of
the sofa before you
decide. If you have a
family member that is
very tall, choose a sofa
with deep seating. For
someone with an
injury (such as bad
knees), shallow seating
and a sofa with a tight
back will make it easier
for them to get up
from sitting down. It is
important to think
about your family and
their needs before you
decide which is best
for you.
6
• Question 2: What
style speaks to me? If
you are going to do a
lot of relaxing on your
sofa, go with a deep
and cushioned sofa
with lots of pillows. If
you would like a more
formal look, choose a
modern sofa with a
sleek frame. Are you
looking for a comfy,
cozy, casual movie
night sofa? Are you
searching for a
sophisticated,
supportive and more
tailored sofa? Or are
you looking for
something in
between? The style of
your sofa should
reflect your lifestyle
and personality.
Bryant Sectional by Flexsteel
Brae Sofa by Bernhardt
7
New Traditions Sofa by Craftmaster
Click here to learn how to properly
measure your space.
• Question 3: What
size sofa fits my space?
The size of your room
is the main guide when
you are choosing the
size of your sofa. If you
have a large room, go
for a larger sofa that
will fill out your space!
You must decide
whether or not you
want a sofa, loveseat or
sectional. Consider the
size of your room and
how many seating
options you need
before you settle on a
frame. Additionally,
sectionals are great for
larger spaces because
they provide more
seating options than a
traditional sofa. If you
have a small space to
work with, a smaller
sofa will fit more
proportionately in the
room.
8
• Question 4: What
fabric fits my
lifestyle? Microfibers
and leathers are more
durable fabrics and
are great for sofas
that will be used daily
by a busy family.
How is the room
going to be used?
Who is going to use
the room? You must
think of the answers
to these questions
before you decide on
a fabric type. Make
sure your fabric
choice compliments
the look that you are
trying to achieve.
• For more information
about choosing a
fabric, check out
chapter 3!
Grove Park Sectional by Klaussner
Crosby Sofa by Bernhardt
9
• Question 5: How
can I bring style and
color to my sofa? Get
creative with your
fabric options! Neutral
colored fabrics look
great in any room and
you can easily dress up
your frame and get
artistic with the pillow
colors and patterns
you choose. Make your
room come alive by
creating an exciting
Le Marias Sofa by Fairmont Designs custom sofa! If you are
obsessed with a
certain fabric but
know it won’t look
good on your sofa,
choose it for the pillow
fabric instead. If your
sofa will be set in a
heavily used area of
your home, patterned
fabrics will work
better to hide minor
stains. Patterned
fabrics and distressed
leathers are best for a
home with pets!
Tarleton Sofa by Bernhardt
10
Chapter 2: Designing your
own custom sofa.
The Loomis Sofa by Klaussner features sharp and
clean welted arms, T-style cushions and wood block
legs.
11
Designing your own custom
sofa.
• Every day, we have
tons of customers
that come in to our
store wanting to pick
out a sofa and
customize it
themselves. This is
becoming more and
more of a trend! The
days of “what you see
is what you get”
furniture is long
gone. You can now
customize many
different aspects of
your furniture. Set
aside some time out
of your day because
customizing your sofa
could take some time.
Normally, it takes about
two hours to complete
the process. You want to
make sure that you are
absolutely IN LOVE
with your custom piece
before you finalize your
order!
Phoebe Sectional by Fairmont Designs
12
• Step 1: Pick a frame.
Frames come in many
different shapes and
sizes. Look past what
you see on the floor
because you can have
many different options
on different frames.
You can customize a
sofa, loveseat and/or a
sectional. You can also
customize chairs!
Sofas, loveseats and
chairs are a bit selfexplanatory but
sectionals have more
customization
available when it
comes to frames. You
can add length to your
sectional and add a
chaise lounge or a
cuddler piece.
Depending on the
space you are working
with in your home, you
can maximize seating
by
customizing the frame
of your sectional. Once
you are in store, sit on
the different frames to
feel which one you think
is most comfortable.
Don’t be afraid to ask
about your options! Like
your mother said, “you
don’t ask, you won’t
know!” The frame is all
about functionality and
comfort. Would you like
a stationary or reclining
sofa? Think about what
you and your family
want most.
Sandy Ridge by Klaussner
13
• Step 2: Pick a
general color group.
Do you want to stick
with the current
colors of your room
or build an entirely
new design around
your new custom
furniture? If you are
looking to save time
or are shopping on a
budget, we can help
you select items that
will be a nice fit with
your current home
design. If starting
fresh, the opportunity
of your new look can
be endless. Having a
color in mind before
you come in to the
store will also save
you time. Once you
pick a color group, a
design consultant will
help you build your
dream sofa around it! If
you would like
additional help before
you come into the store,
click here to learn more
about our free in home
design consultation
service!
Dorset Sectional by Rowe
14
• Step 3: Pick a fabric.
Picking a fabric can
be the most daunting
aspect of your
customization
experience. Do you
want fabric or
leather? What exact
color would you like
for the body of the
sofa? Would you like
a pattern or a solid
color? With the help
and guidance of one
of our educated
design consultants,
we can work with you
to pick out the best
option that is suitable
for you and your
home. If you know
that your kids, pets or
friends will be using
your sofa every day,
pick a stronger fabric
so that it will hold up
to your expectations.
Don’t be afraid to be
bold and use colorful,
designer prints and
patterns. Get creative
and show off your
personality!
Lahoya Sofa by Klaussner
Sky Sofa by England
15
• Step 4: Pick a
coordinating fabric.
Coordinating fabric
can be just as
important as your
main fabric choice.
The coordinating
fabric can be used for
your pillows or even a
chair to accompany
your new piece.
Having the option for
pillows and chairs
allows you to add on
to your piece without
having the stress of
trying to find
something that
matches with your
customized piece.
Most sofa, sectional
and loveseat frames
come with pillows.
Match the
coordinating fabric to
your main fabric
accordingly. If you
choose a solid color
sofa, pick a
coordinating fabric
with designs to add
contrast to your piece.
Forest Hill Sectional by Palliser
Loewy Sofa by Klaussner
16
• Step 5: Place your
order. Once your
custom sofa is
ordered, our vendors
create the piece
especially for you!
Shortly after, you can
expect your dream
furniture to be
delivered to your
home. Buying a sofa
is not a task to take
lightly. It is one of the
largest and most used
piece of furniture in
your home. You want
comfort, style and
durability in your
design. A custom
piece will fulfill all of
your needs and
dreams. Design
consultants will guide
you through the fun
and exciting journey
until you are 110%
satisfied with your new,
specially designed living
room furniture!
Dusk Sectional by Flexsteel
Cantor Sofa by Bernhardt
17
Chapter 3: How to pick a
fabric for your custom sofa.
The Thornton Collection by Flexsteel features
plush seating, rolled arms and exposed wooden legs.
18
How to pick a fabric for your
custom sofa.
• You found the sofa
that you fell in love
with. Now what? It is
time to pick your
fabrics.
• The sofa frame itself
provides comfort but
what really makes the
sofa is the fabric that
is put on it. Picking a
fabric must be a
decision that you can
live with for a long
time.
Flexsteel Fabric
Bernhardt Fabric
19
England Fabrics
• The first step for
picking out fabric
begins with deciding
how the room is
going to be used. Is it
a family room or a
living room? Will
your children be
constantly climbing
on the furniture or
will it only be used
for entertaining
friends and family? If
it will endure a lot of
use, go for a heavier,
stronger fabric. You
want to protect your
furniture so it will be
long lasting. If it will
endure light wear, go
with a natural fabric.
Natural fabrics will
provide great comfort
but may not be as
durable when it
comes to a lot of
wear.
Rowe Fabrics
20
• We must also look at
what is currently in
the room. What is the
color in your room?
Are you going to
build your furniture
around the room? We
then move to colored
fabrics that will
match and flow
correctly. If you wish
to start from scratch,
you will have more
room for imagination
because you could go
with any color you
like! Think of your
new redesign as your
blank canvas.
• Envision something
first to get to the next
step! Some people
pick their primary
sofa color first.
Others fall in love
with a fabric that will
only look
great on a pillow. You
can always pick a pillow
fabric and build around
it. It is all up to the
customer. You are totally
in control! Think of your
sofa as your little black
dress. Accessorize it to
give it flair and make the
design fabulous!
Klaussner Fabrics
21
• What style do you
like best?
Contemporary?
Modern? Eclectic?
Traditional? Pick and
choose but don’t
forget to have some
fun while doing so.
Have some creative
fun with different
pillow fabrics. Don’t
be afraid to step
outside of your
comfort zone.
• Are you the type of
person that has a
hard time making a
decision? If you are
trying to pick out a
fabric and don’t
really like the way
things are
progressing, ask a
design consultant to
suggest a few options
so you can choose
which one you like best.
You (the customer!) will
still be in control of the
design process but your
choice will be laid out
for you so you can better
visualize your sofa.
Comfort Design Fabrics
22
Thank you for reading!
If you’re interested in
learning more about how to
customize your new living
room furniture, make an
appointment with one of
our design consultants
today!