A sectional couch is a piece of furniture that is sure to make a statement and set the mood in your living room. However, you may be wondering where the best place is to station your beloved sectional. We took the time to research the best placements for a sectional couch that is both visually pleasing and practical.
It may be tempting, but you want to avoid placing a sectional sofa against a wall. Instead, here are the best placements for your sectional couch in a living room:
- Nestled with a console in an open-loft
- Across from a fireplace or mantel
- Across from a window
- In front of a window
- Centered in a room
- Across from a complementing sofa
Use a sectional couch to create a cozy, welcoming gathering space that brings your room's look together. Continue reading to discover how to make your sectional couch the star of your living room.
A Sectional Couch Sensation
It's no wonder why sectional couches are a popular choice of furniture for sitting, lounging, and napping in living rooms. People love sectional couches for their versatility and their ability to create a cozy space that has plenty of visual interest. When placing a sectional couch in a living room you want to create intriguing focal points, unite design elements in your room, and create visual balance.
Move away from the idea of keeping a sectional couch against a wall, and instead, choose to explore a variety of tasteful arrangements for your living room. Remember, the couch should be placed first in a living room, and preferably in a centered position. Use area rugs, coffee tables, accent chairs, and a console table to help create a united look that complements your couch. Make sure people can easily move around and about your living room furniture, feel at ease, and it suits your aesthetic sensibility.
Measure your space, work with your room's layout, and don't fear pairing a large sectional couch in a small room. Many furniture arrangements can work surprisingly well when done with care. Whether you have a chaise, L-shaped, U-shaped, or sleeper sectional couch, you can create the perfect living room vibe for entertaining or relaxing at home. Let's look at the best places for your sectional.
1. Floating In An Open Space
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In an open layout, go bold by adding a complementing style sofa or couch across from the sectional for an amazing nook. Opt for a sectional with lots of architectural structure, such as an L-shaped or U-shaped couch for the best visual results. Visually designate the living room area with a sectional couch.
Create movement and allow your home to breathe by centering your sectional or placing it to a specific side of the room. Place an area rug, ottoman, or coffee table to increase the sense of flow. A console table can be placed at the couch's back.
2. Across From The Fireplace Or Mantel
Make your living room the "it" spot to gather by pairing an L-shaped sectional sofa so it sits across the fireplace or mantel. The fireplace or mantel is an instant focal spot, so it makes perfect sense to have the sectional placed across from this point in a living room. Also, this arrangement works if you have a large television, which is often placed above the mantel.
3. Across From A Window
Offer houseguests a beautiful place to sit and bask in the view from an opposing window when you place a sectional across from a window. Choose this placement when you live in a home with a stunning view of a city skyline, mountains, nature park, or the ocean. As an added plus, the natural light streaming from the window will spotlight your couch and accent furniture in the room.
4. In Front Of A Window
Instead of placing a sectional couch against a wall, move it in front of a large window. Choose this arrangement for an L-shaped or U-shaped sectional couch. And if you have a large living room, pair your sectional with armchairs, a love seat, or a lounge chaise.
5. Front And Center
Since the couch or sofa is the largest piece of furniture in your living room, your sectional couch should be the star. Go bold and place your sectional right in the center of a living room.
Use properly sized area rugs, ottomans, floor cushions, and additional seating to bolster and complement your sectional. Add tasteful artwork, plants, and use any lighting to keep the focus on your sectional as the place to be and gather.
6. Pair With Another Couch Or Sofa
When you have a large living room, sometimes having a single sectional couch is not enough. Add another couch or sofa with a traditional look to complement your sectional. Choose an arrangement where your sectional is opposite your couch or create a U or circle with additional seating for a cozy feeling.
Can You Place A Sectional In A Formal Living Room?
Your living room should reflect your lifestyle, aesthetic taste, and suit your everyday needs. If you use your formal living room for entertaining or have a large family, there is nothing wrong with placing a sectional in a formal living room.
Larger living rooms can comfortably accommodate a sophisticated leather or fabric sectional. Then it can be paired with a loveseat, smaller sofa, or armchairs. You can create an inviting living room with accent furniture that has traditional fabrics, style, embellishments, and structure to complement a sectional.
Which Way Should A Sectional Face?
A sectional couch should be placed so its access point faces the entrance to a living room, sits across a dramatic view from a window, or faces a television or fireplace. You can also have a sectional face an opposing couch, pair of accent chairs, or a love seat.
Make sure to unite your pieces of furniture and create a warm, gathering space using a centered area rug, coffee table, or both. A sectional should have an orientation that makes it easy to sit down, get up, and move about the living room without interference.
Check out this modern L-shaped sectional on Amazon.
Is A Sectional Better Than A Couch?
Two things determine whether a sectional or couch is best. It depends on how much space you have or need and your love of casual or formal styles. Sectional couches have a casual look but offer more seating than a traditional two or three-seater sofa. You can get away with an oversized sectional in a smaller living room, so long as it doesn't make foot traffic impossible.
Choose a couch for a formal living room that is modest in size, or for a household that doesn't need a huge sectional with a large chaise. Homes that enjoy frequently entertaining guests, love family get-togethers, have pets, or kids might fare better with a sectional.
Check out this versatile jewel-tone sectional on Amazon.
Does A Sectional Make A Room Look Bigger?
If you are looking for a fast way to make a room seem larger and grander, add a sectional couch. Not only can a smaller living room appear bigger with a sectional couch, but you can seat more people. Plus, if anyone wants to sleep over, many sectionals have a large chaise section or can convert into a guest bed.
In Closing
Make your living room the ultimate place to gather, cozy up with a good book, or enjoy a serene moment. Depending on your living room's layout, size, and focal points, you can create a visually impressive space with a sectional couch. There is plenty of versatility with a modular sectional with an oversize chaise, an architecturally structured L-shaped sectional, or a commanding U-shaped couch.
No matter your personal sense of style or budget, you can find a comfortable, elegant sectional couch to create a desirable living room you'll fall in love with over and over again. Check out the following articles to read about more living room seating:
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