April 17, 2012, 4:54 pm -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- With spring now well underway, the question on the lips of proud home owners everywhere is “which spring sofa styles are hot this year?” The consensus from furniture blogs and news sites seems to be that bright coloured, leather, curvy sofas are in, and if a French-aesthetic with tufts can be incorporated into the design, even better.
While brown and black leather sofas have long stood the test of time, it seems that brighter colours are becoming increasingly favoured, with sofa manufactures now extending their colour options to include red, cream and white shades. Lighter shades reflect natural light and make rooms look bigger, which is very welcome in the UK's often dreary and cramped living environments.
Curves are also regaining popularity this year. While modern sofas have recently often exhibited perfectly symmetrical lines, sofa designers in 2012 are steering away from the “boxie” look. Subtle curves are being reintroduced into armrests and back-cushions this spring, in arguably the year's biggest trend.
Tufted sofas are also making a big comeback this spring, with tufts not merely limited to the old style chesterfield sofas of the past. Even sleek modern sofas are now beginning to incorporate tufts into the backrest – see this Woburn three seater leather sofa by UK retailer SofaSofa, for example.
The French have long been at the forefront of sofa trends, and their renaissance-era sofa styles are also enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Romantic, sophisticated and very chic, many French period pieces historically included the curves and tufts that inform so many of 2012's sofa designs.
Consumers still can't go wrong with a sofa bed or corner sofa – the massive popularity of these space-saving styles will almost certainly continue this year. Many of the trends listed above will also be incorporated into sofa beds and l-shaped sofas, so those seeking innovation and utility can still keep up with the latest in sofa fashion.
The overarching theme of this year's sofa styles is simplicity, so regardless of which 2012 design trends consumers choose to embrace, understated designs will likely reign the most popular.
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