The furniture manufacturer and retailer – bought by House of Fraser owner Mike Ashley in June - has expanded its commercial offer by launching its first-ever contract collection, with a view to meeting demand from the growing trade and contract market.

Sofa.com explained that the launch, which comprises a wide range of styles and fabrics, has been developed as a direct response to requests from leading designers for a collection that is suitable for use in commercial projects.

The range, which is handmade to order in eight to 10 weeks, comprises nine best-selling sofa designs with matching chairs and footstools, including one exclusive model, Zeppelin, which is low maintenance and has fixed cushions, so it is well suited to commercial projects. Complementing the sofas are two bed designs, which are available as single, double, king and superking.

As well as selling online, Sofa.com operates nine showrooms across the UK in London’s Chelsea and Islington, Bankside, Bath, Harrogate, Guildford, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow, plus concessions in 15 House of Fraser stores, including its flagship Oxford Street branch. The business was put up for sale in January this year, as it was potentially impacted by House of Fraser store closures, which led to a number of its own branches being shut down. The business was snapped up by businessman Mike Ashley, who said the acquisition was part of his wider plans for House of Fraser.

Sofa.com senior trade manager Joseph Ball said of the new launch: “We are continuously asked by specifiers and designers to develop a range for their commercial projects so are thrilled to be able to announce that we can now accommodate these requests. We’ve collaborated closely with the in-house buying and merchandising team to ensure that the collection offers a complete range of designs worthy of any project.”