Although we've gone for fabric in this poll, we know that for most of us this very much comes down to a choice between comfort and aesthetic. Leather is a bit more of an acquired taste when you're talking about comfort, whereas the right fabric sofa comes with comfort built in. If like us you love great textile design, a sumptuous fabric sofa is definitely an opportunity to explore the work of some well established textile designers like Margo Selby or new breed upholstery & textile design houses like Native Flok in Edinburgh. Okay, so you may just be looking for a lovely, comfortable sofa you can curl up on and watch Strictly, but even then, if approached with a sense of adventure, navigating the brave new world of textile design can still be very exciting stuff!

Thank you all for voting! We went with a charcoal velvet sofa in the end, very squishy and comfortable - great for the library! Green velvet would have also looked great but as ever, budgets aren’t unlimited so we went with something that would hopefully fit in if the decor changed in the future!

would be careful about the type of leather, as there are different treatments which applied and can make a difference to longevity. we bought analine leather couch, very expensive but didn't know that although soft and comfortable it didn't take too well to every day use and hot body! it was our only couch and we had a his and hers side.......his side the leather darkened and after 5-7 years cracked, now ripped. only resolution, cotton blanket over the seat and back cushions. Recovering both seat and back cushions will be as expensive as buying again.... 3 years after quote we are no closer to deciding as it is a damned comfy couch and styles have moved away from classic to stiff and angular! Hint - do some reading on the leather types....

Brighton based (BN9 0DP) we make Chesterfield sofas and sofa beds for the contract trade. Currently making 10 sofa per day we have extensive showrooms for the trade to visit offering high end Linwood fabrics, Mobus, Warwick & John Brown. Retail prices are £2,400 and trading to you for £990, we can deliver direct to your project with a turnaround time of 7 days.. Please email for more details gfshove@gmail.com