How to Identify Your Multiyork Sofa Model

If you’ve owned your Multiyork sofa for 10, 20 or even 30 years, there’s a fairly good chance you no longer remember its model name.

Perhaps you inherited it from a family member, bought it second-hand or simply didn’t think you’d ever need to know whether the sofa sitting in your living room was a Grosvenor, Verona, Classic, Hadleigh or one of the many other Multiyork designs.

Then, years later, you decide it’s time for new covers or cushion interiors and suddenly that information becomes rather useful.

The good news is that identifying an old Multiyork sofa is usually easier than you might think. Even if you no longer have the paperwork, can’t find a label or have absolutely no idea what model you own, there are several ways to work it out.

Here’s where to start.

Why do I need to know my Multiyork sofa model?

Multiyork produced a huge number of sofa, chair and footstool designs over the years, from the well-known Grosvenor and Classic ranges to models including Hadleigh, Verona, Long Island, Keswick, Mayfair, Trafalgar and many more.

Although some Multiyork sofas may look relatively similar at first glance, differences in their frame, arms, cushions, dimensions and construction mean their covers aren't necessarily interchangeable.

Knowing the model and size of your Multiyork furniture therefore is essential to order replacement covers or cushion interiors made for the correct piece.

And if you don't know either of those things, don't worry. You don't need to become a vintage furniture detective before you can ask us for help.

1. Check your original Multiyork paperwork

The easiest place to start is with any paperwork you still have from your original purchase.

If you kept your Multiyork receipt, invoice or other documentation, check it for the name and size of the furniture you bought.

For customers who have had their furniture for several decades, finding the paperwork may admittedly be easier said than done.

If yours disappeared during a house move sometime in 2003, all is not lost.

2. Look for the labels inside your Multiyork cushions

If you no longer have your original documents, the next place to look is the furniture itself.

Multiyork furniture was labelled with identifying information, and one of the most useful places to check is inside the cushions.

Remove the cover from one seat cushion and one back cushion, if your model has removable back cushions.

On the cushion interior, look for a label or handwritten code. These codes can help us establish the model and size of your furniture.

Don't worry if what you've found means absolutely nothing to you. You don't need to decipher it yourself.

Take a clear photograph of it and send it to us!

3. Take clear photographs of your sofa

Alongside photographs of any labels or codes you've found, take some clear pictures of the actual piece of furniture.

Try to photograph the whole sofa or chair, rather than sending close-up pictures of individual areas.

The shape of the arms, back, cushions, base and overall proportions can all provide useful clues when identifying a Multiyork model.

For the best chance of identifying your furniture quickly, send:

• a photograph showing the full piece of furniture
• a clear photograph of the seat-cushion label or code
• a clear photograph of the back-cushion label or code, where applicable
• any original paperwork or information you happen to have

You don't need professional photographs. We just need to be able to see the furniture and read the labels clearly.

4. What if my Multiyork sofa doesn't have a label?

Don't panic if you've taken the covers off and found no useful label underneath.

Labels can disappear over the lifetime of a sofa, particularly when furniture has changed hands, had replacement cushion interiors or been repaired in the past.

In some cases, there may simply be no readable identification information left.

That doesn't mean your Multiyork furniture can't be identified.

Send us clear photographs of the furniture and whatever information you do have. Our team can advise you on the next step and let you know if we need anything else from you.

5. Can you identify a Multiyork sofa just from a photograph?

In many cases, photographs can give us a great deal of useful information.

Multiyork produced many distinctive designs and our team has extensive experience with its different furniture models.

In fact, multiple members of the My Sofa Covers team previously worked for Multiyork, with experience spanning areas including product development, upholstery and sales. That first-hand knowledge is one of the reasons we're able to offer such a specialised service today. My Sofa Covers' existing service information explains that its team can identify Multiyork furniture remotely and, in most cases, make replacement covers without receiving either the furniture or its existing covers.

So if you've spent half an hour comparing photographs online and still can't decide which Multiyork sofa you own, you don't need to keep guessing.

Send the photographs to us instead.

6. What if I bought my Multiyork sofa second-hand?

The identification process is exactly the same.

In fact, buying second-hand is one of the most obvious situations in which you may have a beautiful piece of Multiyork furniture but no paperwork telling you precisely what it is.

Start by checking beneath the covers for labels and codes, then take photographs of those alongside photographs of the complete piece.

Can you still get covers for old Multiyork sofas?

Yes. The fact that Multiyork itself is no longer trading doesn't mean you have to part with a sofa you still love.

My Sofa Covers specialises in tailored replacement covers for Multiyork furniture, including discontinued models.

We can make covers for a wide range of Multiyork designs, including Alpine, Ambleside, Belgravia, Classic, Grosvenor, Hadleigh, Highgrove, Long Island, Mayfair, Oxford, Stratford, Suffolk, Trafalgar, Verona and every other model.

If your model isn't on a list you've found online, that doesn't necessarily mean we can't make covers for it.

Ask us.

Do you need my old Multiyork covers to make replacements?

This is another common concern, particularly if your existing covers have been damaged, disposed of or are simply too worn to be useful.

In most cases, we don't need your old covers or the furniture itself.

Once we've correctly identified your Multiyork model and size, our specialist knowledge allow us to make tailored replacement covers remotely. That means your sofa stays exactly where it is while your new covers are being made.

This is also an important difference between My Sofa Covers and some alternative replacement-cover services. Most other services will require your existing covers to be use as the template for a new set.

With My Sofa Covers, identifying the original Multiyork model allows us to take a different approach.

What happens once I know my Multiyork model?

Once your furniture has been identified, the much more enjoyable part begins: deciding what you want it to look like next.

If you know your model and size, you can request an instant quotation for replacement covers. If you don't know them, send us the photographs and information outlined above and we can help identify the furniture first.

From there, you can explore fabrics and order samples to see how different colours, textures and patterns actually look in your home.

You don't have to recreate the original sofa, either.

Some customers want their Multiyork furniture restored to something very close to the way they remember it. Others use replacement covers as an opportunity to take a sofa they've owned for decades and make it feel completely different.

The frame and comfort you love can stay. The dated fabric from 1997 doesn't have to.