Duresta: A Beginner’s Guide to the Perfect Sofa

Duresta has long been renowned as the innovators of English upholstery dating back to 1938 when their first piece of luxurious furniture was created.

Keeping up with ever-changing trends over such a long period is no easy task and one that many other furniture manufacturers of yesteryear have failed at.

So, what is their secret? Let’s deep dive into the 2022 Duresta sofa and chair collections and see for ourselves.

English Luxury

Taking it back to where it all began, the Duresta English Luxury collection embodies some of Duresta’s most classic styles, formed from traditional techniques creating timeless pieces of upholstery that can be celebrated for years to come.  Here are our top 3:

1. Duresta Waldorf Sofa

The most classic sofa shape of them all must be the Duresta Waldorf.  A design that simply does not age and has been skilfully kept up to date for many years by using a wide variety of on-trend Duresta fabric colours that give it a new lease of life.  Our favourite feature of the Duresta Waldorf is its beautiful sweeping scroll arm detail, a true celebration of expert English upholstering.

2. Duresta Southsea Sofa

The Duresta Southsea has made it into our top 3 not just because of its classic sofa style and appeal but also because of its versatility. Available in 21 sizes, this once modest sofa collection has grown to offer a high back, low back and compact version of each piece. While the Waldorf is a commanding range, the Southsea is much more refined and adds a touch of class to any space in the home.

3. Duresta Trafalgar Sofa

Possibly one of the most design led sofas from the English Luxury collection is the Duresta Trafalgar.  The Trafalgar sofa is characterised by its finial detailing, bespoke tie backs, deep seats and arched arms. The Duresta Trafalgar will bring with it the opulence of an old English manor house.

Duresta Modern Classics

The Duresta Modern Classics collection has been developed to deliver iconic designs that will effortlessly last the test of time.  Some of the ranges within this collection are new in comparison to the English Luxury models, however we can already see that they will be relevant for many years to come. Here are our top 3:

1. Duresta Coco Sofa

The Duresta Coco sofa defines what we view a modern classic sofa to be. The Coco sofa is iconic in every way, with lavish proportions that pair beautifully with its classic styling details. Including generous scroll arms, contrast studding and sofa fabrics that give an art-deco appeal. The Duresta Coco Sofa is an undeniable showstopper.

2. Duresta Connaught Sofa

The Duresta Connaught sofa has taken the design of a Chesterfield sofa with its distinctive button back details and brought it right up to date with modern velvets and eye-catching colour statements.  Chesterfields have long been celebrated as a hero of design in the upholstery world and they are as relevant today as they’ve ever been, so this version by Duresta simply had to make it into our top 3.

3. Duresta Amelia Sofa

So far in this exploration of all things Duresta, we have highlighted upholstery which is larger in size so it felt only right to include the Duresta Amelia in our top 3 as the first compact sofa range. Refined and tasteful the Amelia has slim arms with curved features. We also like the use of chrome capped feet to give each piece a modern twist.

Contemporary Living

A collection built upon modern-day standards, Duresta say that each range of Contemporary Living upholstery is characterised by understated glamour, effortless comfort and clean lines, so let’s take a look for ourselves. Here are our top 3:

1. Duresta Haywood Sofa

The Haywood is Duresta’s most popular corner sofa group and it’s easy to see why. Consisting of 9 components, this attractive range allows flexibility and style which can be configured to complement most living spaces.  The Duresta Haywood sofa definitely meets the criteria for Contemporary Living and this can be seen in its understated yet sophisticated design.

2. Duresta Soho Sofa

When we think of contemporary living, the Duresta Soho sofa fits the bill in just about every way. At home in a modern city centre apartment this chic, casual sofa range offers an abundance of charisma with deep seats, metal feature legs and the ability to have a straight or corner sofa configuration.

3. Duresta Brooklyn Sofa

The last sofa to make our top 3 is the Duresta Brooklyn. Carrying on the theme of the Haywood and Soho the Brooklyn sofa has flexibility at its heart with 11 size configurations.  We particularly like how this range has been styled by using a mixture of fabric with leather contrast piping and bolster cushions to make a real style statement.  The Duresta Brooklyn is slim in profile to give a modern look but generous in its seating and oversized scatter cushions for added comfort.

Final Word

Rounding up everything we have looked at it is clear to see that Duresta has struck up a perfect balance of old and new.  Blending time honoured collections that are as popular today as ever before with new cutting-edge designs that are sure to inspire your next home revival.