Framing
When buying a sofa one of the most important aspects is the frame. Our sofas are built using beech frames. There are many benefits to using beech, here are some of them that are important to us; it is relatively easy to work against the grain and this makes it very favourable especially for curved pieces because of its relatively malleable qualities. It’s a very hard wearing wood which can take a lot of pressure over time, so perfect for sofas that will get a lot of use and are required to last a very long time. Frames that are made of beech tend to be very durable and stand up to bearing weight or receiving high impact force. Beech frames can be reupholstered many times over. All of the above makes beech the perfect option for us as it means our sofas will stand the tests of time and this investment in organic materials will add value to a room.
Getting furniture through tight spaces can be overcome as each piece is a bespoke manufacture we can make high quality bolt together frames. This is very useful when making large traditional furniture fit into cottages with small passageways.
Springs
We feel to make our sofas as comfortable as possible we combine using traditional methods with modern.
When buying a sofa always check the presence and quality of springs. Springs are always necessary to provide optimum comfort and support and to help the life span of the interiors. Springs can be fully coiled or serpentine springs. Again where space allows fully coil springs are more desirable as this method offers more comfort and evens the weight distribution; this is the way our quality antique sofas would have been upholstered, so this is why we like to use coil springs where possible.
The use of webbing only (ie no springs) is inferior and some lesser quality sofas may use this method. All of our backs and seats are sprung. See our full range of sofas here, however, bespoke sofas also available.
Cushions
Cushions can be feather or feather and down, the latter being more luxurious and comfortable. They need to be ‘plumped regularly’ and can be heavy. We like the hollowfibre filled cushions which offer the natural look of feather but little maintenance. They are super comfy too. All of our sofas come with feather and down or a hollow fibre filling as standard. We also offer a feather foam wrap filling which is like a feather duvet with a foam insert to give it shape and a fibre and feather mix. Often the design of the sofa dictates the best filling and we can advise on this when you’re buying a sofa. Here’s some of Whiteheads information on cushion fillings.
Fabric
When buying a sofa, most people will give great thought to the fabric it us upholstered in. The cost of a fabric, or how heavy or substantial it feels, does not indicate whether it will be suitable for upholstery. Fabric manufacturers suggest that a fabric is suitable for upholstery, by giving a rub test figure to show the durability of the fabric. Anything upwards of 21,000 rubs would suit a sofa. If these ratings are not shown on the pattern book, we would check with the manufacturer first. Always make sure fabrics have a rub test certificate. There are many fabrics to choose from, it can feel overwhelming, however, check out our useful guide to upholstery fabrics.
Clients are very welcome to supply their own fabric, providing it meets the required fire regulations.
Whiteheads designs make most of our sofas and other upholstery pieces. When our clients are looking at buying a sofa we know that Whiteheads always offer high quality. Read here to discover their process in the build.
