How decisive are you? I’m the kind of person that pulled up into the car park of our wedding-venue-to-be and announced to Pete without even setting foot inside it that “this is the place”. I just knew. Yet I can’t possibly decide what DVD to watch out of 100 on a Friday evening. Less choice is definitely a winner with me, and especially when it comes to the home.
Enter DFS who last week launched their new brand, So Simple, with the help of a few influencers to showcase exactly how the new range works. I was delighted to go along to LABS House in Holborn to support the super-talented Medina from Grillo Designs, one of the creators who had been asked by DFS to style up her perfect space using furniture from the So Simple collection.
Firstly, there’s something very exciting about walking into a blank canvas and seeing several different room setups with different fabrics, colours, contexts. You could argue that every furniture showroom does this, but they’re missing one thing – personality. And it’s this, the personal sense of style, which is so important to us as homeowners. I’m familiar with Medina’s style being an avid Instagram follower and I didn’t need to be told which was her room layout because it was a space I could imagine as her own living room.
So what’s the concept behind the So Simple collection which sets it apart from the larger DFS brand? Over to them:
Inspired by the changing nature of urban living, with Brits increasingly living in smaller spaces that need to cater to multiple lifestyle needs, So Simple is a curated range of contemporary sofas, armchairs and footstools that are available to buy online and in-store, in three simple steps.
The So Simple range is a cleverly curated collection of eight contemporary styles, with five size options, designed to work for smaller spaces. The range includes a choice of four fabrics, including linen and leather look, and gorgeous colours like blush, vintage mustard and indigo blue.
Essentially it’s a three step process, choosing your style first of all, then the size and finally the fabric. Easy peasy! Even for a couple like us who probably have a larger living room space than some, we’re still restricted by size. First of all it has to fit down a 1930s hallway and be at such an angle to fit in through the door. Then there are only two walls in our living room that a sofa could go against because the third wall is basically the bay window and radiator and the fourth wall is the fireplace and alcove units.
I also LOVE the idea of having less choice, which by the way doesn’t feel at all restrictive in case that’s what you’re thinking. It’s also so reasonable, with an example of a three-seater sofa in blue velvet retailing at just £699 which is incredibly affordable when you’d be looking at easily over £1,000 for that with other retailers. All products are hand-made to order and guaranteed for 15 years – I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince here, you or me!
In terms of comfort, my favourite had to be the Viv which when I sat in it made me feel as though I was being swallowed and didn’t want to get up, ever. Luxurious squishy cushions are just so comfy. We bought a couple of very workhorse sofas when we moved into the house, one because Pete’s dark brown leather duo couldn’t fit through the door (I shed precisely zero tears about this happy circumstance) and because we knew we’d be getting a puppy and kitten and wanted to get them toilet trained and chewing/scratching trained before we invested in something a bit more stylish.
They’ve served us brilliantly but it’s now time I’m SURE for my velvet dream. DFS, I might just be coming for you – summer doesn’t look like it’s going to take off any time soon and I’m thinking some cosy comfort is definitely in order.
Thank you DFS for inviting me to the launch event for the So Simple range. All words are my own apart from italicised. Images tagged if DFS.
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