Sofa Legs: Types, Shapes and Best Materials

When buying a sofa, most of us focus on the colour, fabric and style of the piece. These are generally the most eye-catching elements of a sofa and are what define the look and feel of the furnishing. One thing that’s all too often overlooked is the sofa feet. An integral part of any sofa design, the feet help to support the rest of the piece and form the crucial meeting point between floor and seat.

Learning a little more about sofa feet will help you to find the perfect piece for your home and give you a new appreciation of this humble part of the sofa structure.

Wood, metal or plastic? What are sofa feet made from?

The material your sofa feet are made from will depend on its style and on the quality of the piece. Most good quality sofas have traditional wooden sofa legs. Wood is a naturally beautiful material and can be carved into almost any shape that’s required. Wood is also kind on your carpet, durable and hard-wearing.

Some sofas have rubber ends on their feet. These rubber additions are there to help prevent any damage to your carpet and to help prevent the furnishing from moving around. A great example of this is the feet of our Model 03 sofa. These turned wooden legs come with a specially designed rubber foot that uses suction to hold the sofa firmly in place. This unique feature ensures that your new sofa won’t move a millimetre once you’ve got it in the perfect position.

Showing a little sofa leg

The look of your settee feet will be more important if the design of the piece makes them clearly visible. This is especially common in beautiful mid-century modern designs like our Model 01 and Model 02 sofas.

Visible sofa legs raise the seat of the piece off of the ground and help to give sofas a lighter feel. This can be fantastic for smaller living spaces and homeowners that want to create an elegant, contemporary look.

If you opt for this style of sofa, try to ensure that the feet are made from high quality materials and are built to last. Poor quality legs will soon look tatty and bring down the appearance of the entire piece. In general, solid wood is the best choice for visible sofa legs as it’s attractive, long-lasting and classic.

Keeping your sofa feet flat to the floor

Another option is to choose a sofa that’s flat to the floor like our Model 03 designs. These types of sofas are perfect if you want your furnishing to appear grounded. Sofas that are almost flat to the floor often feel more like they’re part of the architecture of a room than a separate piece of furniture. This can be great if you’re going for a sculptural look in your living room or if you want the sofa to have a feel of permanence about it.

Sofas that are almost flat to the floor will still have small feet. These help to balance the piece and allow air to circulate more easily around your furnishing. Again, sofa feet in wood are probably the best choice, especially if they’re topped with a protective rubber end.

What colour should your wooden sofa feet be?

Even if you’ve opted for solid wood feet, you may well have a choice when it comes to colour. This is because wood comes in a variety of tones, with stains and oils available to enhance and alter natural shades.

In most cases, a dark colour is best for wooden sofa feet. This is because a deep, rich tone will hide any scuffs, dirt or other marks a lot more effectively than a lighter colour. Dark wood also works really well with most colour schemes and is good at fading into the background. This is a real bonus if you want your bright, bold fabric sofa to be the centrepiece of your room.

If you’re looking for a sofa with elegant legs and perfect poise, we can help. Find out more about our fabric sofas, and learn about the  traceable, sustainable timber materials that make up our sofa legs.