Which is why, when we saw this playful print of our neighbouring tower block, the World’s End Estate, by Baines & Fricker, we were starry eyed with high rise community spirit. Just one of the many groovy designs from husband and wife creative team, Eliza Fricker and Steve Baines, World’s End is in memory of Eliza’s Granny – or ‘Goldie Nanny’, as she was known – who lived on the sixth floor of the red brick building. You can read more about Goldie Nannie on the Baines & Fricker blog; and if you’re anything like us, with a keen curiosity and a magpie eye, you’ll no doubt be drawn to discover all the other jewels on the design duo’s site.

We love their simple, clear and often childlike style of drawing – from zig-zagged lightning bolts and grey thunderclouds to elegant linear drawings of chimney pots and rooftops silhouetted against the sky. We particularly like the dog print wallpaper – ever a sucker for a cute pooch!

We’re particularly keen on the boldest of the collection, Lavaliers. Two colourways of this iconic 1970s paper are known to have existed in a French book from 1975. Both originals were neutral in colour and printed on an embossed paper, giving the effect of linen. Whilst several of the contemporary interpretations are bolder in colour, one of the reproductions in this collection is completely faithful to the original paper’s textured effect.

We reckon our Slangevar sofa would look pretty fabulous and on-trend against a 60′s or 70s inspired paper.

And we couldn’t resist bringing you this pop of yellow to brighten up these dull February days. Again, our Slangevar.

You may have guessed by now that we like scatter cushions. A lot. Plump-perfect and pretty too, they’re ideal for adding a dash of colour and cosiness to your sofa, armchair or bed. The cherry on your sofa-shaped cake, you might say.

Recently, our scatter cushions crush has reached a whole new level, as we’ve etched, sketched, printed, patterned, buttoned, stitched and sewn through the night to create no less than ten new styles and expand our range.

Already available in any of our house fabrics, from zig-zagged herringbone to luxurious velvet, the new cushion designs offer a veritable riot of pattern and texture for scatter brained home-makers.

Inspired by the vibrant colours and exotic designs of Turkish fashion designer turned interiors guru, Rafit Ozbeck, the Samarkand, Hunza and Scarlett cushions feature elaborate prints in lively colour combinations; whilst the fringed edges of the Nevada, multi-striped Lotti and ornately bordered Alabama offer a more subtle dalliance with pattern.

There’s also a cosy collection of Italian velvet-covered cushions within the new litter, featuring silky soft stripes, squares and buttons – and even full velvet frontal.

Our scatter cushions come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Mosey through the new range here.

Lately, we’ve been spending a lot of time pootling around our whereabouts on the World Wide Web, finding virtual treasures to tack onto our ever-expanding collection of mood boards on the site. Its official, we’re addicted.

This week, one thing in particular caught our eye: the colourful street art of Juliana Santacruz Herrera, the artist behind the latest guerrilla trend to hit the streets (quite literally). Herrera has been busy knitting multicoloured pothole covers in an attempt to prettify the otherwise decrepit pavements of Paris.

By randomly placing cheerful yarns and vivid wools into the nooks and crannies of the French capital, Herrera brightens the gloomy grey cement and adds a touch of cosy charm. Perfect for getting rid of those winter blues!

Use it almost anywhere

A living room is the most obvious place to situate your sofa but with many people looking to make the most of the space they have, corner sofas can work very well in a spare room or study. Our massive comfy sofas can be converted into a great temporary bed for overnight guests by flinging a sheet over the cushions – and when being used for slumbering purposes – the spare room can be easily used to relax in as an alternative to the living room. Many corner sofas also come with a detachable footstools or chaise sections, such as our Stellar Corner, which can be used for additional seating in other rooms when required.

Maximising your space

Now, we would never speak ill of our more “conventional” sofas – they are indeed things of beauty – however, the corner sofa’s hybrid nature has the advantage of combing a couple of sofas into one lovingly assembled unit. Pretty much every room will have a corner, so take a good look at your intended space and visualise the best fit for a corner sofa. People are often amazed at the myriad ways in which it can be incorporated into a room. Whether a small room requires as much comfy seating as possible or a larger room needs to be split up – the corner sofa is a handy piece of kit.

Fashionable floral fabrics

Well, it doesn’t just have to be floral (it helped with the alliteration) but the finishing touch of any sofa is its fabric. From leather to Florentine velvet or cotton to Belgian linen, there is a lot of choice when it comes to fabric. Many people have to take into account what is affordable but here at sofa.com we not only have some amazing in-house designs, but can turn our hand to pretty much any look you desire. While this doesn’t just apply to corner sofas, it is well worth trying out several colours and patterns by spreading free samples around your house for a few days to see if there’s something you really like.

With that much corner sofa love, we’re certain you’re just about to rush out and buy one of ours! In any case, if you need more temptation or fancy a spot of the highest quality browsing in South West London – come and visit our friendly showroom.

Beautifully soft and devastatingly cool, the new range is a far cry from the garish knits and itchy woollens that your Gran made you (hence the ‘soft’ part).

It’s made from pressed dyed wool, which adds a lightly speckled texture to the fabric and guarantees cosiness. Soft Wool comes in five subtle tones that are all inspired by nature, from earthy Turf and smoky Ash to flinty Granite, pastel Sky and pale Pebble.

Order a free swatch pack of our new Soft Wool range here.

This snug new fabric got us thinking about our beloved flock of Soay sheep at the Saving Rare Breeds rescue farm in Lancashire. Our friends at the farm tell us that soon enough they hope to hear the pitter patter of tiny Soay lambs’ feet, which we can’t wait for. In the meantime, the Sofa.com flock seems happy enough huddling together and enjoying the winter sun.

Adding a splash of colour to our ripening palette, Rose brings a subtle burst of summer to the home, with contrasting bright pink and muted beige woven together in textured viscose linen.

Rose is available now for all beds, sofas, armchairs and footstools. Cosy up with one of Diptyque‘s delicious floral scented candles. Bloomin’ marvellous.

For a full range of our fabrics, click here

With the cold snap looming over us, spring seems a million miles away. But, don’t despair, there is one tiny ray of hope to see you through to sunnier days: we’ve noticed the odd clutch of Snowdrops rearing their delicate heads above the icy ground. And we’re not the only ones…

It seems that Britain is in the grips of a Snowdrop frenzy, as the number of ‘galanthophiles’ (that’s Snowdrop geeks and gurus to you and me) are on the up, with one enthusiastic collector of the first flower of spring recently paying £360 for a single bulb!

Here at Sofa.com, we’ve got our own Snowdrop crush. See our range of snowdrop sofas here.

And with spring trends on the brain, we’re predicting the next bonkers botanical fancy to sweep the nation: Bluebell Mania. Aha! Luckily for us, we’ve got that one covered too with our cosy Bluebell range of sofas. We wonder if it’ll catch on…

Marimekko, established in 1951, is a Finnish textile and clothing design company renowned for its original prints and colours. The company designs and manufactures high-quality clothing, interior decoration textiles, bags and other accessories.

The textiles are a bit beyond my budget, the mugs aren’t. I snapped up two and now take great pleasure every morning in getting really comfy and enjoying a cup of coffee from one of my Marimekko mugs. It’s the little things in life that make us all really happy.

We thought we’d share this photo of one of our vans delivering sofas to Mistral Bay in Cornwall. They really get about our drivers, so if you pass one of our vans on the roads near you, give them a wave – they’re a friendly bunch! Find out more about our deliveries all over the UK here