Guide to Italian Sofas

France may be the world's fashion capital, but in terms of non-fashion design, it could be argued that Italy takes the top honors for great design. From espresso machines to the Lamborghini, some of the most sleek and stylish looking creations have emerged from this European nation. The same goes for the Italian sofa, which has been consistently beautiful through the ages and now takes its place as one of the greatest looking contemporary sofas money can buy. The most "classic" of the new Italian leather sofa designs are those with clean, low horizontal lines. The horizontal is emphasized to a large degree and seats too, are usually deeper. In contrast to the overstuffed sofas so popular with Americans, modern Italian sofas maintain hard edges (visually hard) to make use of the effect of angularity in contrasting with the round parts of the sofa. If you think about a Lamborghini, which has both curves and sharp angles in its design, you'll realize that this contrast makes for some very compelling design.

Keep in mind that we are talking about Italian sofas in terms of design only. Sofas actually made in Italy will not necessarily be of Italian design, and a Italian-designed sofa made in China may be of excellent quality. Buying an Italian sofa is almost guaranteed to put an attractive piece of living room furniture in your home, but it doesn't mean the sofa will be well built. As with virtually all furniture, it is necessary to determine whether the sofa is well made and utilizes good materials. This can be impossible for someone who is not a sofa expert, and let's face it, most of us aren't! The best way to see how well a sofa is made is to look for reviews of that sofa online. Chances are, a lousy sofa with wide distribution will inspire many negative reviews which will allow you to decide whether or not to buy a sofa. Good reviews are a plus, and the absence of reviews may indicate normal quality. These are not hard and fast rules, however, so use your discretion when it comes to reviews. One area where it's easier to learn the quality is the leather. Leather may be cowhide, but it could just as easily be pigskin, a leather and pvc blend, or even completely synthetic vinyl. The best quality and the most durable leather is full grain cowhide. This should be worth the higher cost because of its durability and attractiveness.