Brands release new products all the time. But this autumn season, it feels like there has been a deluge of good sofa launches and new sofa companies launching in the UK. And many of those new sofa launches have seriously impressed me.
I’m notorious around the Ideal Home office and among my friends alike for always trying out new sofas in pursuit of finding the best of the best sofas available on the market. I’ve been in my element discovering, trying and testing out all these new sofa brands and fresh sofa designs over the last few months.
So without further ado, these are the latest sofa releases that I think should be on your radar – they’re certainly on mine.
1. Castlery
Originally a Singaporean brand, Castlery also has a huge presence in Australia, Asia and the US. And this September, the company officially launched in the UK, too, which I’m so excited about as it has some great innovative designs and some of the best modular sofas on offer I’ve seen – and a whole host of them as well.
It was the uniquely shaped Solari sofa that really caught my eye with a slightly different approach to the curved sofa trend inspired by the currently popular 70s look. It looks sculptural and it feels super comfortable which is largely down to the enveloping, extra-padded, ‘inflated’ armrests.
2. Schplendid
Schplendid is a brand new British sofa brand created by Rohan Blacker, the founder of Sofa.com and Pooky lighting as well. There are a few things that set this brand apart from other mid range-priced sofa companies but it all boils down to sustainability and good design.
Each of the six fairly priced sofas is made to last a lifetime, crafted from natural, plastic-free materials, including the likes of the foam that covers the super soft, padded armrests of the bestselling and modular Wee Bonnie and (deeper seated) Big Bonnie sofas that I had the pleasure of trying out earlier this week, as well as the super cool and contemporary Lionel sofa. Instead of going for synthetics, Schplendid opted for foam made of soy and castor oil making it fully biodegradable and recyclable.
But in terms of my comfort-level preferences, I was really attracted to the Vesper which has a slight bounce to it in addition to pillowy softness and chic loose-cover style.
3. Pottery Barn
We all know Pottery Barn thanks to the apothecary table featured in the Friends episode literally called 'The One with the Apothecary Table'. But Pottery Barn is a cult favourite homeware brand back in the US that finally landed in the UK this September.
If you’re local to London, you can see the company’s range, including a few of their sofas, in its new pop up on Tottenham Court Road, adjacent to the West Elm store. I was particularly impressed with the Westwood sofa (despite my odd facial expression in the photo above) which is a deep-seated sectional perfect for a cinema room.
4. Next Crosby sofa
I’m a big fan of modular sofas as they are flexible and easy to manoeuvre when moving into and out of city flats. But I also love storage sofas as they make for a great small living room storage idea. Or at least I like the idea of a storage sofa as they are rather hard to find, especially if you’re after one that also looks aesthetically pleasing and is comfy.
But Next’s new Crosby sofa ticks all the boxes. On top of it all, it’s also modular which is a huge plus and it’s reasonably priced. So it’s no wonder that I’ve been singing its praises since trying it out at the recent Next press preview.
5. Sofa.com Sloane sofa
I was already a fan of Sofa.com and several of its sofa designs, be it the modular Ren sofa which actually won in the Ideal Home Awards in 2024 in the best sofa category. And this autumn, Sofa.com expanded its existing modular sofa range - which also included the Long Island and Slim Long Island sofas - with the launch of the Sloane sofa.
The Sloane is the brand’s largest and most luxurious sofa yet – another great model for a sizable living room or a cinema room with the generous seat depth and that amazingly spacious corner section.
6. La Redoute
La Redoute is one of my favourite places where to buy rugs, bed linen and home decor in general. But its furniture range is also very strong – I’m actually planning on buying this side table from La Redoute for my living space. The one thing the brand was lacking was its own range of sofas, at least in the UK that is.
La Redoute is originally a French company and back in France, it offers a whole range of its own sofas. But as of last month, La Redoute is bringing its sofas to the UK, starting with the debut Pieta sofa. The quilted, retro-inspired design is a real statement. And there are two other styles set to drop very soon too, one of which I had the opportunity to try out at La Redoute’s press preview, called the Nuria. And I can’t wait for that one to become available, too.
7. Aurelo
Also launched this September (there were a lot of new releases during that month), Aurelo is a bit of an honorary mention as I haven’t actually had the opportunity to try out this new brand’s sofas in person yet. But I truly hope that I will be able to at some point as all of its four sofa styles look and sound great. They’re built to last, focusing on sculptural shapes and interesting textures.
My favourite is the Curve sofa which - as the name suggests - champions the curved sofa trend which is becoming less of a fleeting trend and more a look that’s here to stay. And apparently, existing customers agree as the Curve range has seen the most popularity, both online and in partner showrooms.
Which one is your favourite?
