"Tell me which sofa you choose for your home and I'll tell you who you are!"
Here, my star is the SOFA, the centerpiece of the living room!
In the course of a search, I unearthed a great deal of information on the significance of furniture in a home. Most of it is pure commentary, very rarely "scientifically" backed up and often irredeemably reductive. But they can be interesting when they're the fruit of observations by professionals interacting with customers. So I thought it would be a shame not to share some of these thoughts with those who are passionate about interior design and decoration.
The living room is a particularly fascinating place in a home, because of its dual role: it's our opening to the world, to visitors, but also the focal point of household life, with all that this entails in terms of relaxation and intimacy. The sofa shares this dual role. When choosing a sofa, we may favor the "entertainment" aspect to the detriment of the "family" aspect, or vice-versa. So it's only natural that your sofa should reveal something of your personality, or the image you want to project, through the clues provided by its style, shape, colors or materials.
You're refined!
In terms of style or shapewe offer a special place to the Chesterfield sofa (especially in leather), synonymous with quality, luxury and elegance! A Chesterfield in the living room reveals your taste for refined and valuable objects, and perhaps also your desire for friends to take notice... Its classic style offers a serene setting that reinforces the owner's "noble", poised and graceful attitude.
You've kept a youthful spirit!
At the other end of the spectrum, futons offer a certain harmony between practicality, price and design. If you're leaning towards this choice, it's probably because you're still young at heart and full of common sense. Your welcoming nature tends to prolong evenings with friends...
You're rational!
One of the shapes we often find is the corner or L-shaped sofa, with its ample design, which can even evolve into a U-shaped sofa with two corners. This is a functional configuration for our contemporary spaces. It tells the story of a rational, dynamic owner, seeking a balance between his desire to welcome and listen to visitors and his need to offer a "cosy" place to those around him.
It's said that love partners don't want these corner sofas, because they encourage them to keep their distance. They'd rather share so-called love seats, whose size and enveloping shape allow little movement and force them to snuggle up together. Strange...
You have a prosaic personality!
Perhaps less aesthetically pleasing, as they feature a more solid frame, reclining sofas provide undeniable comfort for those who place a high value on their need to relax, whether it's for a little nap during a busy day, or for seclusion with a good book in hand. Far from being the prerogative of grandpas, they can also suit more prosaic personalities.
You're pragmatic and trendy!
And then, what can we say about all those straight sofas, more or less uncluttered, contemporary-sounding but without a well-defined identity? They may remind us of our dentist's waiting room, or their design may seem conventional, but they are also evidence of the personality of the person who chose them. Let's leave aside cases where the choice was imposed by a constraining space to furnish! These sofas will reveal your commitment to pragmatism and a need for simplicity that can't be distracted by purely "trendy" considerations. You have little time to devote to prospecting a hundred decorating or furnishing sites, you prefer comfort, your career absorbs you and you manage your money without eccentricity.
From what we read in the literature, the materials are also linked to certain characteristics of the owners. Nature lovers, for example, are more likely to opt for rural materials such as wood and leather, while city dwellers are more likely to prefer metal, plastic and even (washable!) textiles.
If the style of your sofa says a lot about your personality, the colours colors can be even more revealing of your world. Here, we won't go too far into this slippery slope, so popular with psychologists and, more recently, neuroscientists... However, it seems to me that saying that a sofa in bright, rather light colors is more suited to an open, sociable personality, while dark, matte tones suggest a certain amount of introversion, or observing that white or black will appeal to people who like a simple, minimalist interior, is pure common sense. On the other hand, other "expert" assertions seem a little far-fetched! So, for example, when parallels are drawn between certain temperaments and sofa colors: red, if you're warm and full of panache; yellow, if you're resolute and love life; green, if you listen to others; blue, if you're rather distant and analytical; and so on.
It's important to add that it's not only the shade of the sofa itself that will bring a "color message" to your subject, but also how you dress it. You can choose a purely white sofa, or traditionally black, or a "passe-partout" color, precisely to make it a neutral support for reckless adventures with accessories (cushions, plaids, etc.). On the other hand, what you place on the sofa (and how you place it) can serve to emphasize the style of your furniture.
Just a few examples to illustrate the role of these accessories in expressing your personal aesthetic!
Let's start with a sofa that seems to be lacking something. Its clean lines suit you perfectly, but you think it looks sad as it is; it doesn't catch the eye, not even yours. You don't want to stand out too much, either! It's a safe bet that you'll opt for a minimalist approach, placing cushions at the ends in tones close to the color of the sofa, and perhaps adding a pair of small, expressive cushions in brighter colors. The whole thing will remain a tad formal and chic.
For the more energetic, accessorizing the sofa will look more like a daring journey of contrasts, with eclectic cushions in bright hues, unexpected patterns and a variety of sizes and shapes. It's the perfect way to express your free spirit graphically!
