A sofa's style is settled before the leather goes on: by the ratio of seat to back, the shape of the arm, the way the body meets the floor and the finish of the cover. This article walks through those four decisions as they appear across the Sitdesign sofa range, with models you can look up as examples. For what sits under the upholstery (frame, foam and springs), see The Anatomy of a Sofa.
Every Sitdesign sofa is handmade in our own factory in Büyükçekmece, Istanbul, and the catalogue has standard models in standard sizes. Custom dimensions are available on request, so it helps to know which proportions carry a model's character and which can change without losing it.
Proportions: the numbers that set the mood
Three measurements shape how a sofa reads in a room: overall height, seat depth and the height of the arm relative to the back. A low back, around 75 cm overall, keeps the sofa below eye level and lets a room feel wider. A back near 90 cm frames the person sitting and gives support for the head.
- Low and long: Agatha is a clear example. The 3-seater measures 280 × 91 × 75 cm, a quiet horizontal line that suits open-plan rooms where the sofa should not block the view.
- Tall back: Chelsea stands at 90 cm, for people who like to rest their head when reading or watching a screen.
- Deep seat: Eros sits in between in height, but its 3-seater is 102 cm deep and 80 cm high, which favours lounging over upright sitting.
A common rule is that a usable seat depth of 55–60 cm (the cushion, not the overall depth) suits upright sitting, while more than 60 cm invites you to tuck your legs up. When the length of a standard model changes on request, keeping its original height and depth is usually what keeps the profile recognisable.
Arm and back profiles
The arm is often the first thing you see from the door, so it carries much of a sofa's character. Across our sofas you will find three broad families:
- Rolled and buttoned. The Edward sofa follows the Chesterfield line: in this style the arms typically rise to the same height as the back and the surface is deep-buttoned. The rest of the family is in our Chesterfield collection.
- Curved. The Julia sofa and Janette Curved use a continuous curve in which arm and back read as one line. A curved sofa works well floated in the middle of a room, because its back is seen as much as its front.
- Straight and tailored. Square arms and a flat back plane give a crisp outline that lines up with walls, rugs and coffee tables; this is the natural choice for rooms with strong straight lines.
A practical point: wide arms look generous but take seat width away. On a 220 cm sofa, two 20 cm arms leave 180 cm of seat; two 10 cm arms leave 200 cm. If the wall length is fixed, the arm profile decides how many people actually fit.
Legs and base: how the sofa meets the floor
The base changes the visual weight of a sofa more than its colour does. As general guidance:
- Visible legs. Legs of roughly 12–18 cm lift the body and show the floor underneath, so the sofa looks lighter. They suit smaller rooms and make cleaning underneath easier.
- Low or upholstered base. A base that runs almost to the floor makes the sofa read as one solid block. It suits large rooms and more formal settings.
- Balance. Slim, taller legs pair well with a low back; a heavier base balances a tall back and wide arms.
Each model has its own base as standard. If you would like a different leg height or finish, mention it when you ask for a quote; what is possible depends on the model.
Leather finishes and colour
Our leather upholstery is always genuine leather. There are 76 leather colours in 12 colour families, and Italian leathers form our top leather group. The finish matters as much as the colour:
- Natural, open finishes show the grain and change gently with use; they suit relaxed rooms and owners who like a cover with character.
- Semi-aniline and pigmented finishes have a more even surface and resist marks better, a practical choice for families and busy living rooms.
- Tone and shape: darker colours emphasise the outline of the sofa, while lighter colours make curves and buttoning easier to read.
The Platon sofa, shown in leather with armchairs in the cover photo, is a good example of a sofa planned as a set: one leather across sofa and armchairs keeps the room calm. Fabric upholstery is also possible, and we accept customer's own material (COM).
Matching a profile to a room
- Open-plan room seen from the kitchen or dining area: a low back and visible legs, as in Agatha's proportions.
- Reading and watching a screen: a back around 90 cm or a deeper seat, as with Chelsea or Eros.
- A sofa floating in the middle of a large room: a curved profile such as Julia or Janette Curved.
- A study or a classic interior: the Chesterfield profile of Edward.
To compare more models side by side, browse our sofa collection; many models come in more than one size, and upholstered pieces are made in 3–4 weeks.
If you have a room in mind, send us the wall length, the size of the room and a photo. We can send leather samples and prepare a quote for the model and size that fit. Contact us here.
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