So you have a new home with a large and inviting living room, family room, or open-concept space and you want to create the space of your dreams. Right now the room might be empty, or you may have a few pieces of unmatched or not very appealing furniture that you picked up for a song or inherited from family.

If it’s time to make that room beautiful but you’re not sure where to start, let’s take a look at your options. As the largest piece of furniture, a sofa helps define your space and provides a sound basis for developing a room to match your vision for your home. When choosing your sofa, here are some of the things to consider.

Style: Sofas can be formal, casual, classic or contemporary. Your sofa will set the style for your space, so it’s a good time to make those decisions.

Construction: Perceptions of comfort vary from one person to another. Would you like a tightly-constructed piece with springs in the cushions so that your sofa provides a lot of support, or are you drawn to a comfy down-stuffed choice that is better for sprawling than sitting? Take a look at your family’s lifestyle and be sure to try out a number of choices to see what suits you.

Size: Be careful to check to make sure a sofa fits well into your space. Too large and the room will immediately look crowded. Too small and it won’t have the presence you want.

Fabric: Issues such as the probability of spills and the amount of usage can help you define your best choices. This is one place where a good furniture salesperson can be extremely helpful.

Color: Since your new sofa will be with you for a long time, choose a color you can live with comfortably. This may be a neutral tone, or a color choice that can almost play as a neutral such as dark green or denim blue.

Whichever sofa you select, be sure to take your time and shop all of your choices Spend as much as you can easily afford. You may have this sofa for a long time so think of it as an investment in your home.