[AD – In collaboration with Loaf]

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I love the turn of the seasons, all of them. Both the awakening and the slowing, the first shards of sunlight and the days that fade faster. But autumn particularly. The burnt hues of autumn leaves and foliage, the softness of candle light in daytime, crisp/dewy mornings, warming soup, the return to slippers, winter festivals, nature at its most stark, and above all getting cosy earlier during the darker evenings. I see autumn as a time to be indoors and love the opportunity to slow down during the months of fall. Nothing sets you up for lounging in the colder months better than a new, super comfy, sofa, and this year we have the perfect (and very stylish) accompaniment in the form of the Slow-Mo sofa from Loaf – the most comfortable sofa we’ve ever owned. Ever. Period.

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I probably shouldn’t be surprised it’s so comfy as Loaf is so synonymous with modern comfort, it is an absolutely gorgeous piece, but this is the first time I’ve felt evangelical about kicking back in comfort on a new piece, it’s my perfect sofa.  I will ‘fess up, traditionally comfort may have come secondary to style for me with sofa choices (as my long suffering husband will attest). Several times I have chosen a very chic piece that has felt a little like an endurance test I won’t admit to, is it just me that often finds the line between comfort and style so hard with sofas? This time we have struck the perfect balance of something that is both absolutely beautiful and super comfy – in fact it’s so comfortable that I have fallen asleep snuggled into it at some unplanned point every single day since we received it (oops, don’t tell!).

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Choosing a sofa is one of the big interior decisions, it’s clearly an investment, but also if you are a natural lounger (definitely me, I’m either running around at high pace or completely snuggled with a cat-like determination not to move) choosing one that feels just right is paramount. Which is why the Loaf Shack in Battersea is the only store I’ve ventured to outside of greengrocers since lockdown. I made the exception because I knew that I needed to test my favourites out before committing (no more quick decisions based solely on aesthetics for me – maybe I’m growing up!).  I had a shortlist in my mind from perusing the Loaf site. So many stylish pieces. I knew I wanted something that was more modern than previous sofas, and that felt quite clean and Scandinavian. I loved the mid-century lines of the Slim Jim, and the pared back Squishmeister & Squisharoo, but the sofa I had my beady eyes most firmly narrowed on was the Slow-Mo.

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When choosing a sofa, I know that one thing is completely non-negotiable for me – it has to have legs, not only do we have a small living room (all the better for feeling cosy), but I have never met a sofa that I liked which didn’t have legs (or at least feet). I love how they open up a space, they feel elegant and don’t intrude on the eye line. And if you, like me, like your sofa’s with legs then Loaf is your answer, the vast majority of their pieces come with legs (or feet) and are all the more stylish for it.

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Aesthetically I wanted something that looked elegant, simple and pared back, but I also wanted the added luxury of side cushions to sink into (this is why I’ve fallen asleep on it so often!). I went along to the shack with a very definite view of what it should look like, but it was so invaluable to spend time with James the store manager who is a font of knowledge on aspects of sofa comfort and practicality I’d never considered. Although I plumped for my first choice in the end, it was so helpful to use the service in store especially when the surroundings are so easy –  incredible air-con on boiling hot summer days, drinks, pinball machines, it’s a fab place to hang out (and the sofas are so comfy I didn’t want to leave!). 

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For the longest time I’ve wanted a wool sofa, I love how they look and had imagined them to feel super soft. However with a cat I was slightly nervous that this beautiful fabric would have zero chance of survival in our home where the feline rules the roost (look at her squished on below!). There are over 150 fabric options on this model and James introduced me to something called Clever Wooly fabric which has a lot of of the textured classic look I wanted, but none of the practicality drawbacks, it is in fact the second hardest wearing option by Loaf. We spent a long time looking at the fabric options for colour composition – Loaf has a fabulous array which you can really explore in store, after piecing together two separate palettes, (with the aid of Loafs Farrow & Ball colour boards to help contextualise the fabrics against my Dead Salmon and Ammonite living room), I decided on the prettiest soft toned palette of colours and textures.

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This is the perfect colour combination for creating a warm, relaxed and inviting space. The sofa is Clever Woolly Sailcloth Grey, with a footstool in Birch Wool (I had to get wool in somewhere!), two birch wool cushions that link back to the footstool, a bamboo softie in Alabaster as a crisp contrast to the natural tones, and two velvet cushions in new season shades Plaster Pink (a beautiful shade that mirrors the soft colour on the walls) and Blackboard for a bit of punch and contrast within the scheme. Loaf’s selection of fabrics are so comprehensive and inviting, so many chic colourways and honest fabrics to choose from, I was very impressed and a little spoilt for choice (hence so many cushions!). 

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I could not be happier with this sofa set, it is both incredibly chic and ridiculously comfortable. As we are tall we tend to naturally lean towards deeper sofas (which the Slow-Mo affords) but I also like to really curl up on a sofa, legs up, completely relaxed, blankets and a magazine or something I’m working on to hand. This sofa has become my own private island and sanctuary downstairs, I love to curl on it in quiet times (and occasionally, fall asleep!). It’s so lovely to squish into and in the daytime I find I’m working from here as much as the office. It has passed the cat’s seal of approval, and all the family love lounging on it. I love that the covers can be removed, I’ve never had a stylish sofa that was so practical. 

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The Slow-Mo has proved to be the perfect tonic as the seasons change and we spend more time relaxing in here, it’s the perfect piece to kick back and relax on (especially with the added luxury of a wool footstool to perch feet on), in front of films and box sets as the nights draw in. Particularly with the likelihood that, even if we don’t experience actual lockdowns, we will be spending a lot more time indoors this year than usual, this extra cosiness for loafing feels a real treat. When I went to the Loaf Shack in Battersea I shared my experience on Instagram stories, immediately I received messages from people who had bought sofas from Loaf telling me how comfortable they were (which was reassuring!). My expectations were set high, and the sofa we chose has absolutely met them. I am over the moon with our choice, it looks and feels perfect, I am now a full convert to the comfortable sofa, especially one that affords such style for the eyes too. What do you think of our piece? And can you recommend a good box set to watch this winter?

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