The sofa is the centerpiece of the living room. It’s the crown jewel. Some Americans might argue that the television is the most important part of the living room, but to them we ask, “Would you watch television if you didn’t have a couch to sit on?” The point is that choosing the right sofa for your living room is an important process that has a direct effect on how you enjoy your home — and yes, sofa size matters. Choosing your sofa is about more than simply choosing your favorite color and style preferences. It also requires close attention to detail when it comes to size.
A sense of scale, the shape of your space, how traffic flows through the room and the intended use of your furniture are all factors that you’ll need to consider before deciding on your dream sofa and its appropriate size. Here’s a rundown on those considerations with insights and tips on sofa size and more from the pros at Apt2B Modern Furniture.
Scale vs. Size
It might feel great to drive around town in an SUV, but as soon as you need to parallel park it, you’re going to run into some problems. In this analogy, your Hummer is the sofa and the parking spot is your living room. Buying a large, three-piece chaise sectional might maximize your comfort, but if you live in a studio apartment, it’s going to devour all your space. The couch might be cozy, but you won’t be so comfortable when you need to pole vault to get across the room. Plus, it’s likely to look out of place in a room with limited square footage.
This might seem obvious, but many people still choose sofas that are too big or too small for their space. A good starting point to avoid this common pitfall is to measure the wall that will run along the back of the couch. Your sofa should not occupy the entire length of a wall and there should be at least 18 inches of space on either side of the sofa. Use this handy rule to use when figuring out if a sofa or sectional couch will suit your space.
If you want a sectional with a chaise, then the long chaise portion should not extend more than halfway across the room. This provides extra seating or room for you to kick back and relax without the chaise taking up too much space. Your ultimate decision should take your space and its potential into account and should leave some extra room.
Shape of Your Space
All living rooms are not created equal. Nowadays, there’s more variation than ever in our living spaces. A renovated loft might have exposed pipes and load-bearing pillars getting in the way of furniture, while open floor plan homes have huge expanses to fill without clearly defined borders between rooms. An apartment might have a simple square area or a long, narrow room to work with. Finding a sofa that fits the shape of your space is as essential as determining the best sofa size.
A sectional sofa is great for homes with open floor plans because it can help give shape to the space. It can also provide a little separation for open areas, like if a living room, dining room and kitchen all flow together. A strategically placed sectional can help define the living room zone versus the dining room zone, for example.
Take a look at any unique architectural features in your space like windows, fireplaces or built-in shelving. Work with those pre-existing features to decide on the right sofa size for your space, ensuring that your furniture never blocks off any of these features. Your couch size should complement the room as it is, not become the only focal point.
Traffic Flow
People typically forget to consider traffic flow when they shop for a new sofa. When you ask yourself, “What size couch should I get,” think about the way people will move through your space. Pathways and empty spaces can have a drastic impact on the energy of the room. That statement may sound a bit New Age, but it’s true both in the philosophical and the practical sense. Energy and movement should be able to flow freely in and out of the living room, and couch dimensions that impede the flow can kill the vibe of a space. You want to feel relaxed in your living room, not like you’re being held prisoner by your furniture.
It’s also important not to have your furniture physically block entryways or other paths that people use to get around. If you find yourself shuffling past your sofa like you’re shimmying along the edge of a cliff, then you might want to consider downsizing your pieces. Likewise, if there’s ample room for ballroom dancing between the couch and recliner, you may need something larger than the standard couch size.
Measure your sofa for width (side to side), depth (back to front) and height (bottom to top). Take a look at your space to make sure that you’ll have at least 30 to 36 inches for walkways between all furniture pieces, plus three to five inches between your sofa and the wall.
Intended Use
When deciding on sofa dimensions, consider how you’ll be using it in your space. Be honest and practical, not idealistic. You might love the idea that you’ll use the sofa as a spot to read or as a place to entertain your friend for tea, but the truth might be that you and the kids will be sprawled out on it while binge-watching Netflix. If you like to have lots of people over to watch television with you, it might be worthwhile to get a bigger sectional. If you like to think that you’ll have tons of people over, but never actually do, then you’ll be happier buying a smaller sofa that’s just right for your space or sticking to typical couch dimensions for your purchase.
Think about how many people will sit on the sofa at once. If it’s more than two, you might consider a longer sofa with three seats or a bench-seat couch. On the other hand, a two-seater is cozy for a couple. The standard sofa length usually fits three people, but keep in mind that the fit might be slightly on the snug side if all three individuals are adults (as opposed to an adult with two kids, for example).
You should also consider how you like to sit on a couch: are you a lounger or do you sit upright on the sofa? This will be important when you look at seat depth, which you can read more about here. If depends on the day and your mood, take a look at our motion furniture for stylish reclining at will.
Finding furniture that’s the right size for your space isn’t always easy. That’s why Apt2b Furniture features a variety of sofas in all shapes and sizes, including the standard couch size for living rooms, compact sofas and roomy sectionals. No matter what kind of space you’re working with, we have a sofa that’s right for you. We have sectionals, reversible sectionals, sofas, apartment-size sofas and even standalone armchairs. Check them out today to find the best fit for your space.
