Q: I've narrowed down my dream sofa to two options: One has a single long seat cushion, the other has three conventional seat cushions. 
Is there any real advantage to one over the other?
— D.W., Calgary

A: The continuous, clean lines can make a small, single-cushion sofa (less than 
78 inches long) look bigger, which makes it a great option for a condo or small living room. It can also be more comfortable for lying down (no cracks between cushions!), and it tends to look modern.

If you go with the single cushion,
choose a soft fill material like feather (or a comparable synthetic); firm foam can curl if you sit on one end of the sofa more than the other. You also need to consider that the fabric you choose must be railroaded (applied sideways) to 
eliminate seams across the cushion's surface.

If you're choosing a large-scale sofa (more than 78 inches long), I always suggest traditional multiple-seat cushions. Sure, you'll drop remotes and pocket change down the cracks, but individual cushions define seating space (great for fending off couch hogs!), and they work equally well with firm or soft cushion fill.

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