I've had the two couch thing going for a while now and I've really enjoyed it. If I have a friend over and we're watching television, we each get a couch. Two couches fit a lot of people when I have a party. They double as beds if people need to crash. But lately I've been curious — perhaps a sectional and a chair, or maybe even a couch and two chairs — might be the way to go when I get around to redecorating.
A sectional and a chair (preferably with an ottoman): A sectional is certainly nice for cuddling. The long section almost invites a snuggle when you're curled up with your partner watching TV. It's good for sprawling. If there are two of you, you can each get your own space but still keep connected, someone's feet or head in someone else's lap. You can play a board game on the couch and still have room to stretch out. And its L-shape is a natural for inviting conversation. At a party, you can't help but get cozy when everyone dives for the same piece of furniture. And someone can always escape to the chair if they need a little alone time to snooze or knit or game or read.
A couch and two chairs: This is a more old-school, classic arrangement. It's particularly good if you like your space but still like company. Especially if your two chairs are nice big club chairs, you can sink into them, park a drink on the arms and dive into a book. Small children like them because they can curl up in them and feel safe. A friend of ours who has dogs particularly likes this arrangement. Each dog gets a chair and guests can sit on the couch without being covered with fur when they get up. This is also a good choice if you're a serious gamer. Somehow a good gaming chair beats a couch every time. You can bounce around without disturbing your gaming partner and if the chair lets you lean back, so much the better.
Four Chairs: I considered this arrangement and quickly tossed it. No options. No room for sprawling. Too formal. Too limited in the amount of people that can comfortably sit in your living room. Which, for me, defeats the purpose of a living room: having a space where your friends want to come and hang out.
What's the arrangement in your living room?
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I currently have a sectional and two armchairs around a large square coffee table.
As much as I enjoy sprawling out on the sectional, I'm thinking that I'd like a change when it comes time to redecorate - something a bit more formal and traditional - so I'm looking at replacing it all with an 8' long sofa, a wing chair and two armchairs around a pair of smaller tables in the center.
I have a matching couch and loveseat, both suitable for afternoon naps on the weekend.
I loved having a sectional with a former roommate, but would have experienced problems fitting one in to the new living room Our old living room was GINORMOUS so a sectional with a chaise fit very well; my new place? not so big. The couch/loveseat combo gives me more rearranging possibilities while still allowing nappage.
We've got a couch and a couple chairs. Two couches wasn't an option for us with such a small room, but I don't think I would go that road even if I could. I like how easy it is to move my furniture around, and that I'll be able to make everything work if we move to a new house.
I have a leather couch that reclines on each end, a leather recliner and a chair with an ottoman. I also have another ottoman stashed under a corner cabinet and my coffee table is a flat trunk that can double as seating. I'm amazed at how many people I can fit comfortably in my apartment.
We've done four armchairs w/ four storage ottomans (when we had a group of people over, the ottomans doubled as seating), two couches and the ottomans, and now we've got one couch and two armchairs (and the ottomans). Any way we slice it, we just love those ottomans: great for storing napping blankets, extra seating, stretching out our legs, eating off of while watching TV...
I think two couches feels too boxed in and rigid. I like a couch and two chairs.
I love a couch and chairs, but for me it's not practical. My living room is only used to tv/movie viewing, so it's much nicer to have two, comfy couches.
I've been debating on this one for quite sometime now. But for me the choice is couch and two chairs or couch and chaise.
I have a couch and loveseat, it works because it provides enough seating when I have a party and the way that I have it arranged right now it works for tv watching with just the two of us or if there is more.
I had a very traditional living room for a long time and that is what I enjoy. I changed because I moved from a large home to a one bdrm apt. I am just trying to make the most of the space I have it is a 900 sq. ft apt so it is not the smallest one bdrm but it requires careful planning to make it work.
two chairs. easier to move and lighter on the eyes.
We have a big living room, but we did a couch, coffee table, two slipper chairs (that are still pretty large with a nice pattern) and capped it off with a very modern recliner (although it doesn't look like a recliner at all) at the end. Classic, yet cozy, particularly since recliner faces the fireplace. We love it!
Ug, my front room needs arrangement help. Huge room, but with a wood burning stove/fireplace and large window. I'm thinking of the couch, two chairs and a chaise/loveseat/bench in front of the window, but I don't know!
LIKE:
---Pairs of chairs with a sofa. But only if the chairs are comfortable and substantial. I don't like spindly little chairs in main furniture groupings. (Unless the space is super tiny.)
---2 sofas in a room: Facing each other, back to back, or in different seating areas in the same room. Kinda decadent and luxe.
---Sofa + loveseat + 1 chair in a circular or angled arrangement.
DON'T LIKE:
---Sectionals. Too matchy.
---Matching sofa / loveseat or chair combinations. In any combination.
---Lotsa chairs in a living room. Fine in a den, but not a living room.
currently, 1 chair and a coffee table (we sold our old couch last night on craigslist)
tonight, 1 convertible sofa (with storage underneath) and a vintage rocking swivel chair.
my plan is to purchased an ottoman to sit across from the couch next to the coffee table for extra seating when guests stop by...and still leave it low enough that we can see the tv on the far wall.
good post though, got me thinking of a few other options.
I really like the couch & loveseat combo or a couch and two chairs. You can still get comfy and they usually open up several arrangement options in the room. I hate sectionals. They take up the whole room and you usually have no options of you want to rearrange things. My last roommate bought an overpriced leather sectional for his basement game room, and when he got divorced and bought his house he had one option for where it could go, which placed the television directly in front of the only window in the living room. We lived with it, but I hated it.
If I had the space, I would probably prefer the two-couch option, facing each other, like the photo above, for comfort.
couch + chair, definitely. I have a couch + loveseat now and sometimes (most times) I just want to sit upright in a chair... there's something to be said for that, trust me.
More importantly - do we have a resource for that purple couch? I'm in love...
It is usually based size and configuration of the room. Square family that can fit a two couches is great. You can never have too much seating. A couch and two recliners separated by a small lamp table is another option, because their always people that feel more comfortable sitting by themselves.
http://www.dimensionbuildlv.com
I like the couch with two chairs set up. Currently I only have a couch with one chair because there isn't room for a second.
The only thought I have on the sectional plus a chair would be if the person sitting in the chair would almost feel disconnected from the group and the conversation. They would be the only person not sitting on the couch and near the group.
Currently, I have a couch, its matching chair and ottoman, and a slipper chair. the ottoman that matches the chair serves as a side table when not in use, and there's a large ottoman that serves as the coffee table. I have a smallish living room, and the dining chairs from the kitchen (plus 2 extras I keep there) come into the living room when I'm entertaining. So in a pinch, all the living room furniture can also be used as seating. The smaller, movable pieces help keep as much floor space clear as possible. I moved a large sectional I'd had in there to the basement instead, just for that reason.
We have (and like) a "sectional" that consists of a chaise (my seat), a single plank seat, and a recliner (his seat!), plus two upholstered (midcentury) arm chairs.
I think the sofa and two chairs combo works most universally because it offers better traffic flow around and between seating, and feels less closed in. Some rooms can support 2 sofas, but not all.
I wouldn't want only hard seating for the chairs, though, as the top photo suggests. Our breakfast nook is just off the living room, so the 4 R&B "Jake" chairs are at hand to pull in for extra seating if needed. Usually we have only one or two guests at a time, and we are all comfortable on the "soft" furniture.
I have a small couch and 4 chairs. I find no more than two people ever sit on the couch anyway... the chairs are mobile and personal. Plus I have a chair thing...