Sofas that make us want to stay in this fall

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Not simply a place to sit, sofas are for morning coffee, Sunday papers, movie nights, friends dropping in and those magic evenings when staying in feels like the best plan.

For Fall/Winter 2026, top designers are releasing sofas that feel generous without becoming cumbersome, sculptural but not precious and individual without shouting for attention.

Comfort is back, but it’s grown up.

Softer, deeper and more inviting

Toronto designer Paolo Ferrari sees a move toward furniture with more physical generosity, but not visual heaviness.

“Sofas are becoming lower, deeper and more enveloping, while their external silhouette remains quite controlled,” he says.

That balance is captured in Ferrari’s MC72 for Poltrona Frau, a low, sweeping sofa inspired conceptually by the aerodynamic language of the Macchi M. C. 72 seaplane.

Ferrari describes the collection as an exploration of “precision, movement and comfort,” with a streamlined form that feels at once grounded and light.

His palette for the season is equally warm and enveloping.

“I’m drawn to warm, mineral and earthy tones, or materials that have depth of colour. Deep browns, oxbloods, tobacco, butter creams.”

More than colour alone, Ferrari is interested in upholstery that changes how a sofa is experienced.

“The material should reinforce the form,” he says.

Comfort with a little personality

At Vancouver design studio Marrimor, the Notch sofa takes another approach to comfort: sleek, playful and deliberately unexpected.

“There’s this idea that more is more comfortable, especially right now. We think it’s a real sign of the times that everyone really wants to sink in and get comfortable,” says Marrimor designer Lauren Bugliarisi, who designs alongside Tanja Breadner.

The studio began by playing with a clean silhouette, enlarging its proportions and then quite literally cutting pieces away.

“We even highlighted those really intentional gaps and notches with piping to challenge typical expectations and draw attention to the subversion,” she says.

The surprise comes when people actually sit down, says Bugliarisi.

“Even with the sleek frame and contrarian details, it just sits so well and people really melt into it!”

She is also seeing the return of what might be called the personality sofa — a piece that establishes the mood of the room rather than quietly disappearing into it.

“We are excited to see the return of a statement sofa, with new understandings of personal tailoring.”

Among the pieces catching Marrimor’s attention beyond its own collection is Faye Toogood’s Butter sofa for Tacchini.

“The first time we saw it presented in person we looked at one another and said ‘I need to crawl into that sofa immediately’,” says Bugliarisi.

The sofa that changes with you

Flexibility is another important idea this season.

Designer Yves Béhar developed his Peaks modular sofa for Moooi around play and adaptability, allowing the arrangement to shift according to how a space is being used.

Peaks can move between lounging, movie seating and a flat platform, with indoor and outdoor configurations possible.

“It gives sunken living room vibes, but expands the possibilities to so many different uses,” says Béhar.

He is also noticing a refinement in sofa proportions:

“Large scale and plenty of depth is still important, but less of the pachydermic look and more elegant and refined lines.”

Buy for your life, not the trend

Perhaps the strongest theme running through all these designers is longevity.

At Australian furniture company King Living, Head of Design Chris Cooke points to the Jasper sofa, introduced in 2003 and still the company’s bestseller.

“Its staying power comes from a combination that’s difficult to get right: a distinctive architectural form, genuine everyday comfort and the ability to make the sofa your own.”

King’s new Delta sofa takes a similarly long view. Its softer, curved silhouette can work alongside earlier Delta pieces rather than forcing owners to start again.

“We don’t design a sofa around a seasonal look. Proportion, material, comfort and function all need to hold their own long after autumn or winter has passed,” says Cooke.

That may be the best advice for anyone sofa shopping this fall.

Ferrari says scale and the architecture of the room should come first. Bugliarisi warns against choosing a sofa in isolation: “We always say, ‘the composition should sing’ — so don’t shop for a sofa in a vacuum!”

“I hope people are considering uniqueness and the right fit for their lives rather than matching trends,” says Béhar.