So, we decided to find ways to have the furniture we want and accommodate our cats' scratching behavior. Buy a BIG scratching post. Little ones do not hold their attention. The bigger the better. Make the scratching post smell attractive.
Scent is a powerful motivator for cats.
Catnip spray works best. Cats love to scratch corners of furniture, so try to arrange your rooms with the sofas and such against walls as much as possible. The added plus to this type of arrangement is, especially in our dinky apartment, it actually made the room appear larger because of the openness. It seemed like an odd layout at first to us, but what brought it together was a big colorful pillow in the middle, something that tied all the other colors together. Buy furniture with soft felt coverings instead of the usual tapestry-like weave.