KAREN WIGHT -- No Place Like Home

KAREN WIGHT

Every profession has a language of its own. A lingo. Doctors may say

“stat,” which means don’t stop for a cup of coffee on your way down the

hall. A tile contractor may ask if you want your kitchen sink as an

“undermount.” A carpenter may want to know if your crown should “return

on itself.”

You wonder if you should laugh, cry or run. The same is true for

furniture. If you buy your furniture at the Labor Day department store

sale, lingo will not be a problem. The choices have been made for you.

But if you decide to conquer the world of custom furniture, you will need

to know a few insider descriptions.

First, select a style that suits your lifestyle. Comfort comes in a

variety of packages. If you are a contemporary aficionado, a shabby chic,

slipcovered sofa is not going to be a good choice. Start with pictures of

furniture that are appealing to you. Magazines are a great resource.

Buy a few of these idea guides and tear out pictures that you like.

Don’t wait for the perfect sofa.

Your perfect sofa may be a combination of several different pieces of

furniture. The fabric on one sofa, the legs on another, the cushions on

another choice -- the combination of all of these factors will help you

create the furniture you want in your home.

Slipcovers are sewn fabric shells that fit over an existing piece of

furniture and are easily cleaned. So if you want that pre-washed white

cotton sofa, a slipcover may be the best choice.

Upholstered furniture has fabric that is permanently stapled or glued

to the wood frame. Upholstered furniture has a tighter, more formal feel

than a slipcover.

Your furniture can have different finishing touches to give it a

certain style. A self-welt edge on the cushions describes fabric that is

sewn around a narrow cord and is sewn in between the seams of the fabric.

For a more informal look, you can use a flange, which is a narrow,

flat piece of fabric sewn in at the seams. For clean, contemporary lines,

a knife-edge means the fabric is sewn together with no line of

demarcation and has a smoother look.

Your sofa can be filled with a variety of materials to give it its

feel: soft and mushy or firm and tight. Foam cushions keep their shape,

are relatively inexpensive and come in a variety of densities. Down

cushions are soft and moldable. Down cushions and pillows don’t

automatically bounce back when you get up. They are extremely comfortable

but also a bit sloppy looking.

For the best of both worlds, there is down-wrapped foam -- a foam

pillow for the core with a sleeve of down feathers wrapped around it.

Another defining style characteristic is the skirt, or legs, of the sofa.

A straight skirt is a simple fabric panel that goes from the frame of

the sofa to the floor: no frills, ruffles, or details. A skirt with a

center pleat has one break in the fabric, which is folded over in the

center of the sofa. A center pleat is a nice detail that still has a

somewhat formal feeling.

Sofa legs come in all shapes and sizes. Upholsterers have catalogs

devoted exclusively to sofa legs, so you can have any style that appeals

to you: simple, carved, or curved. These legs are usually wooden, so they

can be stained any color or painted if you prefer.

Sofa size. If you are having your furniture custom-made, you can

choose any length, height and depth. This is a great option if you have

unusual requirements. A large room needs large furniture. A cozy room

will feel better with furniture to scale. Are you tall? You’ll love a

sofa with a deeper seat so you have more support for those long legs.

Sofa dimensions are more user-friendly than they used to be. Standard

industry sizes have grown over the years. Sofa depth and height make a

huge difference in the look of your furniture.

If you are having older furniture recovered and rebuilt, be sure to

have your upholsterer raise your sofa back to a minimum of 36 inches and

increase the depth of the sofa.

If your sofa has a tight back, meaning no loose pillows on the back of

the sofa, give yourself at least 36 inches front to back. If you have a

loose-back sofa with pillows that fit against the back of the frame,

treat yourself to 42 inches in depth. A deep loose-back sofa will give

you lots of room to curl up with a good book.

So, now that you know the lingo, kick back on your down-wrapped,

slipcovered, flange-edge sofa. Stat.

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* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column appears

Saturdays.