Adding foto of full sofa. Was unable to attach on post.

I’m with @debrak6 - you need a lot of fabulous pillows. And more colorful too.

Most sofa sides aren’t that comfortable for putting one’s head against. Pillows are usually required on the ones I’ve owned.

Get pillows for the ends.

Thank you all so much. The matching pillows that came w it are very stiff. I can always remove & replace stuffing. I’m used to a Rowe slip covered loveseat I’ve had since ‘98! But it’s in my bedroom & has thick rolled arms to rest your head or even lean into it. The one I donated had thin arms but were more padded and not as low. It’s odd this sofa not only has thin but low arms & you can feel hard wood if you rest your arm on it. Since I need to start decorating I like the idea of the colorful down pillows. Also saw a foto online where man’s arm was resting on bolster, so variety of pillows & even bolsters by arms would help a lot. I’m short too so many down pillows would support me better. Will post sample of these 2 fotos I saw and sofa I donated. I agree it’s hard to rest your head on most sofas, and I’d put pillows over arms of donated one to lay down. I don’t feel so weird after what you’ve all shared. Hoisting sofa again would be a nightmare. Also I find the back cushions too “spongy” and may have them stuffed w something less soft than throw pillows but more soft than thick foam it feels like. Will start looking and post solution. Thanks so much again.

Not letting me access rest of fotos. But I wrote enough to explain!

I meant stuff back cushions w something not as soft as down pillows but softer than current spongy foam
I can’t sink into, tho bunches of soft pillows would also fix that too.

So I scrolled a bit & realize I need to start an album to find fotos but glad kept so many ideas I would’ve forgotten. The beige sofa is the one I just donated. And looking at ideas I saw, the low arms on this sofa make it harder to stand a pillow there but good options are bolster and lots of pillows in colors like same foto here. I just moved and nothing fits the way it fit in old apt. Seems every time you buy 1 thing you have to do 10 more things!

Maybe get some padded armrest covers?

Thank you beedneeds. I did comment on that about 1/2 way in my first comment. I had arm covers made (by a seamstress) for my ‘98 slip covered loveseat to keep arms clean. I just wonder if it’d be similar. It’d take an upholsterer to see what they’d come up with as draping would to have to blend in w thinness of arm, slipcover, & have padding where elbow rests on thin arm (boy that wood is hard! Under padded). I’ll post the old loveseat where you can see the covers I had made. Other than that anything called an armrest online doesn’t go over the arm but is rather a chunky modular to rest arm (bolsters would look better). Maybe the padded arm covers + soft pillows would do it. Thanks for bringing it up.

The arm covers on this are about out 15 yrs old. The fabric is thicker & textured so easier to blend/tuck in, but w right fabric & upholster it could work on problem sofa. Sorry for any xtra fotos as learning how to post on Houzz. I’m glad you’ve all thought of solutions vs returning sofa which not even sure would be up to owner of furniture store.

You might not need to have someone make you padded armrest covers. There are several websites that sell them. Some are more fitted, and some just drape over the arm.

Can you remove the slip cover on one side and take a picture of how the arms are constructed and whether they are just wood or have some padding on them? I'd be tempted to first see if you can attach any foam to them while allowing enough room for the slip cover to fit back on them.

Next I would purchase some lumbar pillows that are the length of the arms and then rest them along the arms. My grandma had an incredible sofa from the 60's that had "arm pillows" along the arms. It was great for propping your arm up and also for using underneath your head when you napped on the sofa. (Which I did quite often well into adulthood. We used to tease her that she could turn her apartment living room into a sleep clinic!)

Hi Beesneeds. I may not be searching properly online. If you know of websites could you share pls.? Part of my dilemma is I’d want them to match the fabric (I can order fabric from seller or find similar). I’d want covers to blend in like in the loveseat fotos, and when they drape I tuck excess into seat & hide w pillows. Also if I find ones you’re talking about seamstress or such could cover w a fabric that’s a good match for slipcover. Thank you.

Hi Kendrah. I will take foto of arm. I’d thought of that and maybe w Velcro or something they’d stay on under the slip cover if they fit and I’d just need find right thickness. Re. your grandmother’s lumbar pillows, I’ve been calling them “bolsters” although there’s also sm flatter pillows for sides by arm, also a foto above. Seems there’s been sofas out there w slim hard arms for years and I never noticed! Thank you for the ideas.

Hi Kendrah, there’s barely 1/2” on that top arm. The outside of arm
Is really hard wood (couldn’t get that foto on here). The long front of arm is barely padded. The good news to your suggestion is that while I thought slipcover was too slouchy, I see pulling it up on arm you can see the excess fabric would allow some padding to attach to arm & still fit slipcover,

Also fotos bit deceptive as to width of arm. You can tell by my thumb! So maybe 2.5” wide w so little padding and hard wood elbows hurt! That’s a thin arm and because it’s low hard to keep from resting arm on it. Learning to sit back and avoid arms. But am hopeful now about solutions. Everyone on here’s been really helpful.