How to assemble a boxed sofa

• Allen key (supplied)
• Cross-head screwdriver
• Scissors or a blunt box opener
• Work gloves

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• Seat base
• Back section
• Left and right arms
• Feet and their bolts or screw-in studs
• Connecting brackets and bolts, cushions

1. 1

   Step 1: Open the boxes carefully with a blunt tool or scissors held flat, so you do not cut the upholstery underneath.

2. 2

   Step 2: Tip the seat base onto its back or front on a clean surface and screw in the feet by hand until they sit tight against the frame.

3. 3

   Step 3: Stand the base on its feet in roughly its final place, so you do not have to move the finished sofa far.

4. 4

   Step 4: Slide or bolt the back section onto the base, with your helper holding it upright while you line up the brackets.

5. 5

   Step 5: Fit each arm the same way: line up the metal plates or bolt holes and push down or bolt until the arm sits flush with the base.

6. 6

   Step 6: Tighten all the bolts firmly, then check that the arms and back do not move when you push on them.

7. 7

   Step 7: Put the seat and back cushions in place. Compressed foam can take a day or two to reach its full shape.

• Cutting into the box with a sharp knife and slicing the fabric.
• Building the sofa in one room and finding it no longer fits through the door.
• Forcing an arm down when the brackets are not lined up, which bends the plates.