Shopping for a sofa?

These are the 5 questions you need to ask your retailer if you want a sofa that will last:

1. Where are your sofas made? 

Bowerbirds is proud to support British furniture manufacturers and all of our sofas, chairs, footstools and Beds are made in England by skilled frame makers and upholsterers. We work with manufacturers who have been awarded the Manufacturing Guild Mark and are part of the Long Eaton Guild of furniture manufacturers, who use traditional manufacturing methods. So when you buy a Bowerbirds sofa, you can rest assured that you’re investing in a quality piece of furniture.

2. Does the sofa / chair have a solid wood frame? 

At Bowerbirds our sofas, chairs, footstools and bed frames are constructed from sustainable FSC accredited hardwoods, which are glued, screwed and doweled for longevity. Vulnerable areas like corners have solid blocks for extra strength and to withstand years of daily use. And because Bowerbirds bespoke sofas are made to order, our frame makers can use their skills to adjust the width, height or depth of your frame to make the perfect fit for you and your room.

3. What kind of suspension does it have?

The majority of Bowerbirds sofas and chairs are made using traditional coil springs in their base which provide a firm and supportive depth to your comfort. A few of our models have lower profiles and therefore use a strong serpentine spring base which offers a bit more of a bounce than the coil springs. These suspension options are far superior to both jute and elastic webbing options and won’t give way, meaning that you can expect your sofa to last for many years to come.

4. What’s inside the cushions?

At Bowerbirds you can select the cushion filling that suits you: full feather will give you total squidgyness but they will need plumping, so you might prefer a feather wrapped foam interior. Or if you’re allergic to feather you could have a full fibre or fibre wrapped foam for a similar feel but with less maintenance. A full foam cushion will provide a firmer sit, as will a sprung base or back. We’ve also got eco-friendly options for the environmentally conscious customer, that have been cleverly made from recycled plastic bottles. Some customers like to put one cushion type in the seat cushions and a different cushion type in the back cushions, it’s whatever works for you.

5. What are the fabric options?

We don’t limit your choices at Bowerbirds, we’ve got a huge collection of fabric books that are perfect for Upholstery, from Linwood, Weymss & Warwick to Designers Guild, GP&J Baker and Mulberry Home as well as others. We will always recommend that you pick a fabric that has over 30,000 on the Martindale rub test to ensure it will last because we believe in quality and suitability for purpose. There are plenty of stain resistant options as well as eco friendly recycled fabrics to choose from. Pop into our Bowerbirds showroom and have a look at our huge fabric selection including plain, patterned, woven & printed options.