How to order a custom sofa: sizes, shapes and the right questions

A standard size suits most rooms. A custom sofa is worth it when it does not:

• An alcove, a bay or a wall between two doors that needs an exact length.
• A large villa living room or majlis where a standard corner looks lost.
• A run of seating longer than our standard shapes, for a family that gathers every evening.
• A longer chaise, for a tall person who loves to stretch out.
• A seat depth or height that standard sofas do not offer.

If your room is close to a standard size, look at our five sofas first, since a standard model is quicker to choose. Comfo, our fully modular sofa, already comes in six shapes, from a 2-seater to a U-shape of six modules, and its modules can be rearranged whenever you like. If none of them suits your room, custom is how you get a sofa that fits rather than one that nearly fits.

1. The wall or walls: the full length, and where doors, windows, sockets and switches sit along it.
2. The depth you can give: from the wall to where people walk, keeping about 60 cm free, plus 40 to 45 cm to a coffee table if you want one.
3. The way in: the width and height of the front door, and of the narrowest corridor or turn on the route to the room.
4. Your body: the seat depth and height of a sofa or chair you already find comfortable.

Not sure about every number? The length of your wall is enough to start; the rest can be worked out together. Photos of the room, taken from the doorway and from the opposite corner, help the maker see the light, the windows and the way people move through the space.

For a majlis, think about how guests sit: often upright, for hours, talking across the room. A medium seat, a depth near 55 to 60 cm and a seat height of about 40 to 45 cm is a common starting point. See how to arrange a majlis with sofas for layouts that work.

Start from the people: about 60 cm of seat width per person, plus the arms. A run of seating for eight guests needs close to 5 metres of seat, which is why majlis seating usually wraps around two or three walls.

Then check the proportions. A sofa that fills about two thirds of a wall usually looks balanced, while a corner that runs the full length of two walls feels built-in. Depth deserves as much thought as width. A seat depth of 53 to 56 cm keeps people upright, 61 cm or more invites lounging, and the overall depth is usually 30 to 40 cm more than the seat depth once the back cushions and frame are added.

For reference, the Comfo corner measures 343 by 229 cm, the Comfo U-shape with six modules 457 by 229 cm, and the Doudou corner 352 cm wide with a 210 cm chaise. You can start a custom request from one of our five sofas, or from something completely new.

The same choices apply as for a standard sofa, with more at stake, because a large custom piece uses a lot of fabric and will be in your home for years. Choose the texture you love: bouclé is cloud-soft and warm to the touch, and fine corduroy has soft velvet ribs with a gentle sheen. In sunny rooms, look for light fastness of grade 6.

Then choose the seat feel: very soft to sink into, or medium to sit on and get up easily. For a majlis or a room where guests sit for hours, a medium seat is usually the more comfortable choice over a long evening. Our sofa fabric comparison helps you choose.

• Designing for the biggest night of the year. A sofa sized for Eid with forty guests crowds the room for the rest of the year. Plan for daily life and add armchairs or poufs for big gatherings.
• Forgetting doors and walkways. Check every door that opens into the room, and keep about 60 cm to walk past the sofa and its chaise.
• Going as deep as possible. A very deep seat feels generous for lounging, but upright guests will need cushions behind their backs.
• Choosing the fabric for looks alone. A busy family room with sand and strong sun is happiest with a hard-wearing fabric and good light fastness.
• Forgetting the way in. A long sofa in one piece must still turn through your front door and corridor.

1. Will I receive a drawing with every dimension, including seat depth and height, before you start?
2. What is the frame made of, and how are the joints fixed?
3. Which springs do you use, and what is the seat foam density?
4. What are the fabric's Martindale, pilling and light fastness grades?
5. Is the price final, and does it include delivery and installation?
6. When will it be delivered, as a day rather than a range of weeks?
7. How will a large piece come into my home: in one piece or in sections?
8. What are the after-sales terms, in writing?

Good answers are specific. Kiln-dried hardwood or quality plywood, glued and screwed with corner blocks; sinuous springs; high-resilience seat foam of 35 kg/m³ or more; fabric over 30,000 Martindale cycles: these are fair benchmarks for any maker.

To order a custom sofa in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE, you tell us about the project on our custom sofa page in a few minutes:

• where to start: one of our five sofas, or something new;
• the shape and the room, from a 2-seater to a U-shape or a majlis;
• the sizes you know, even if it is only the length of the wall;
• the comfort, fabric and colours you like;
• your budget and when you need it;
• up to five photos of the room, a sketch or a sofa you love.

The team replies within 48 hours with a drawing and a price. Like every Pufflo sofa, a custom piece is made to European quality, handmade locally by our workshop, and it is delivered and installed across the seven emirates. Questions before you start? Ask us on WhatsApp.