One of the big decisions when considering living room seating is the choice between a sectional and a sofa. Size, comfort, and aesthetics all come in to play. And, while it's always going to come down to individual style and the room dimensions, the wonderful Apartment Therapy readers have had some words of wisdom to impart (as always!) on the topic. Here are some of the best bits of advice:
PRO-SECTIONAL:
• From patrick (the other one)
The best seat in the house is the chaise section of my sofa. And it creates a sense of a room and enclosure without "eating space" in this apartment as successfully as it did in my last. I think if you have the room, including the chaise section is a no brainer. And a sectional couch moves a million times easier than a solid one.
• From amiencc
I personally find a sofa and two chairs kind of awkward for interaction..a sectional has always felt more intimate to me, and the little corner curve lets you pull your feet up and interact at a comfortable angle, rather than being right smack dab parallel to the other person.
• From 212gretchen
It's true, a sectional is a big commitment-- but I love my mine. I got it specifically so two people can lounge on the sofa. And you know, it works for those non-lounging guest situations, too. But I do think you need to have a separate chair diagonally across from the corner to balance it out. And I did get a streamlined modern, raised off the floor, chaise-type. So what I give up in flexibility, I gained in general overall loveliness.
• From Renata
We have a 2-piece sectional. When we have enough people to plausibly fill it, we solve the awkward corner issue by simply pulling the two apart just a bit. Even a few inches of space between translates to a lot of psychological room; it's much more comfortable.
• From jojo
One of my favorite little joys is to push the ottoman into the "L" formed by the chaise on my leather sofa, create a double bed-like area, and snuggle up on it to watch TV with my boyfriend. A plain sofa and ottoman wouldn't be the same.
PRO-SOFA:
• From LilyC
There are attractive sectionals out there, but as I enjoy personal space in my seating choices, they are sort of limiting - especially the chaise trend. Unless you are a psychiatrist seeing patients at home or one of your guests is sleepy and requires a cat nap, the chaise thing is a two-seater at best. And on a regular sectional, no one wants to be Baby, put in the corner. So in my opinion they give the illusion of lots of seating space, but you are better off with a sofa and chairs you can move around.
• From Jackie F
I considered getting a sectional for a long time, but ultimately bought a sofa with a matching ottoman. I'm VERY happy with this choice, since I get the comfort of a chaise and the flexibility of being able to move the ottoman around.
• From Michael
Buy yourself a good 3 seater sofa and one or two co-ordinating (not matching) chairs. Trust me: waaay more flexible if you ever move house...and you will.
• From Tse Moana
Depends on your space I think. But I personally go for separate seating things. That way you can mix sofas, chairs, stools, seating cushions (like fatboys and such) or whatever you want in a way that fits you and your house best. And I second the sentiment about sitting in the corner, you really can't get out of it anymore, especially when there's a lot of folks on the sectional. Makes getting up to go to the loo quite a job.
• From JosieDaisy
A sectional commits you to almost a whole room of furniture in one style. I like to have a sofa and two chairs all in different styles or fabrics or something.
Have an opinion on the sectional vs. subject to share? Please let us know in the comments below …
Image: Blake Sectional at West Elm
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No thoughts on Sofa and matching Love Seat? That's what I have and it's great!
I currently have a sectional - and as Patrick stated, the corner is my prime spot for stretching out after a long day at the office with the laptop or remote control...
...and the sectional works well as a place for naps or a space to sleep when I have guests over as well.
However, when it comes time to replace I'm leaning towards a long sofa and a pair of chairs. Somehow the formality is becoming more appealing, and when/if I ever move I'll have far more flexibility - not only in furniture arrangements but where I'll be able to live.
Does anyone know who makes the sectional in the photo?
myboys,
It's the Blake sectional at West Elm and is credited/linked above in the post.
It looks like a Crate and Barrel that's been discontinued. I can't remember the name. It might have been called Delaney.
Who makes that sectional?
I've had both and I find the sectional more comfortable but I do like at least one chair that is a different style and fabric to add character.
Living in a place like I currently do where there are three entries ways beside the front door just to get to the back living room its very hard to have a standard size sofa and a loveseat is just not functional for me. The one in the picture appears to be a good all around apartment size.
I am intrigued with this saw it in a magazine and could not believe it was fro JC Penney - you can break up the two ends, make one loveseat, make a chaise-
http://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=1615295&DeptID=70752&CatID=70827&SO=0&SelDim=4294957900%7e&CatSel=4294953305%7cottomans&Ne=4294957900 5 586 1031 877 580 838 966 8 18 904 949 833&pagesize=1&x5view=1&shopperType=G&N=4294953305&Nao=0&PSO=0&CmCatId=70752|70827
I didn't want to commit to a right- or left-hand chaise, so I went modular.
5 pieces (1 corner, 3 seat-backs, 1 ottoman) can be arranged in several contiguous and/or separated configurations.
The room isn't huge, so I chose a solid upholstery color to match the dark wood floors - which opens up the visual space for additional furniture that isn't so "massive" (like the bertoia diamond chair and saarinen tulip side table that I've been coveting!).
I like using pillows and throws for pattern/texture.
I bought a great CB2 sectional secondhand. It's great for lounging with a roommate - you each get your own couch. However, it really limits the way we can re-arrange the room. In retrospect I wish I had gotten the CB2 movie sofa to pair with two chairs.
i love that sectional but very disappointed its only available with left or chaise. My apartment has a strange layout and i need a sectional with a corner piece and left/right sofa, with arms - which seems to be less common in that configuration.
My husband and I had this debate when we moved into our current place, and we decided on a separate chaise and sofa in the same fabric, plus two wood chairs - because, while we liked all the seating that a sectional provides, we preferred the more open, less massive look of two separate pieces - and hope they will be more versatile if/when we move to a different space.
I have the best of both worlds! My sectional has a removable piece that allows you to swap which side the chaise is on as well as remove the chaise completely and just use it as a regular couch. It's a great piece of furniture if you like to rearrange or if you happen to move and your new living room isn't so flexible :)
Sofa and/or loveseats. More flexible in a variety of spaces. Having moved out sofa and loveseat into three different spaces now, I really appreciate that. Our last house was old (125 years) and our current house is old (81 years) and sectionals just would not work.
I like the sectionals, but I'd rather have a sofa and ottoman so I can move the ottoman around if I want to sit on a different part of the sofa or have extra seating for guests. As far as conversation, I definitely prefer seating perpendicular to each other instead of everyone sitting next to each other on a sectional.
Sectionals require so much space, but don't offer any more seating than separate seating pieces. And, don't shoot me but, I've never seen an attractive sectional.
We prefer a sofa (that reclines) and reclining chairs. Everyone can put their feet up, if desired, without intrusive ottomans.
I don't like being cramped with everyone on one large piece of furniture. I want my own chair/seat.
We currently have a sofa and a chair. We also just recently had twin girls. I'm already wishing I had more seating. I think a small sectional plus a larger comfy chair is in our future.
Either is fine - it all depends on your space. Though I must admit I have a weird dislike of the chaise built into a sofa or sectional. Something about it just looks really strange to me. I don't remember even seeing this type of design until the late 90s...
So the debate in my head would be more about the chaise return or the ottoman? I cast my vote for ottoman.
love the sectional in the pic..donde esta??
I fell in love with the 3/4 round sectional shown on AT a month or two ago and am now thinking that would be just the thing when I re-do my apartment.
Until then, I'll stay with the 3 piece sectional I have - I love the intimacy it gives conversations. I have a separate recliner, which adds seating and is my "go to" place for relaxing. I don't really get lounge pieces on sectionals.
If you're planning to buy a sectional with the thought of moving the sections apart when you have guests, check first to make sure that you can. Mine has metal rods that lock the pieces together, so they don't slide. It is pretty high end (I got it at a warehouse sale) but something to ask about.
Sectionals are my pet peeve. I never like the way they look, personally, and you can make a chaise out of any kind of sofa by pushing around matching ottomans that double as extra seating or a coffee table, even.
I just think they look bulky and there's not as much room to improvise with them if you move into another place that isn't the exact dimensions of your old one.
I don't have a preference for either but I have a vintage sectional and some small ottomans and a couple chairs that "blend in out in the open" I chose this mix because the sectional is amazing but I don't always want to be sitting right next to everyone either.
We kind of want a sectional when we buy a new sofa. The thought of us both being able to lay out sounds amazing (and I love the idea of pulling the ottoman up to make a "bed")! Of course right now we just have a love seat, so it makes it difficult for even one person to lay out on. I'm also leaning towards an extra long sofa. They always look so elegant! Although the last place we lived in had a tiny living room, so nothing larger then our love seat would fit in there, so I don't want to commit to anything to big until we're settled down somewhere, which won't be for a long time!
I really pondered the sofa or sectional question and ended up buying a sofa a few years ago. I ended up moving three times since I bought it and I haven't had problems fitting it into different spaces. I think finding new a place to live would have been more stressful for me if I had to worry about having to fit a sectional in every potential space I looked at. In retrospect, I sometimes wish I had gotten a sectional because there would have been more room for me and my two medium sized dogs to sit on it all at once. But for my sometimes mobile lifestyle, I think the sofa has worked out well.
Not a sectional fan... but some of you amaze me with how well you can use them.
I have decided to sell the two Room and Board JASPER sectional pieces (the left arm and the right arm 68" sofas) I just bought, but it seems everyone wants a chaise right now.
I thought having the flexibility to push them together, and set them at an "L" shape made sense and people would jump to by my jaspers!
I tend to prefer sofa since it has more options when someone moves - there is not always room for a sectional.
I made a mistake buying a sectional that always seemed to be turned the wrong way...and it was way too big. The other thing I hated was that the chaise section's cushion got dirty so fast and I couldn't flip it...I ended up washing in and it got all these loose threads going crazy all over it. It looked terrible.
In the end, I cut the arms off the sofa section (yeah, with a reciprocating saw) and recovered it in grey velvet, so it's an armless loveseat now. The original loveseat (with hide-a-bed) got recovered and put in the guest room, and the chaise cushion got hacked up to make a mini sofa for my 5 year old. Still haven't figured out what to do with the chaise frame, but I think I might cover it in something weather proof and use it outside...
I like the look and function of a sectional but don't like the limitations of a sectional. My preference is the Crate and Barrel Clark "sectional" which is actually a full sofa and an armless loveseat. Paired together, they become a tony sectional and the armless loveseat can be positioned left or right. Separately, they can be used in the same space as a classic sofa and loveseat, or used in separate spaces with the armless sofa serving a role as a foyer bench, dining seating, bedroom seating. It's the best of all possible worlds.
Also prefer West Elm's Tillary modular sectional. Now there's a sectional with real flexibility and options. Peerless.
We bought a modular 15 months ago and it's been great for our family of 5. 3 corners, 3 middles and a large matching ottoman. Usually it is together as a sectional, but the middles can serve as individual chairs when we want to change it up. You can also slide the ottoman up and have a huge bed for a family movie night.
We have a sofa loveseat combo and its alright. We're in the market for a new set of some sort and are leaning towards a sectional. I really like the one pictured from WestElm. Does anyone know the quality of it? There is a similar one from LaZBoy which is REALLY comfortable, my friend has it, and it's slightly less expensive. Since this will be our first time purchasing a sofa, I would like recommendations for good quality options.
Thanks!
Neither, get a Sactional from LoveSac and you can configure it with as many pieces in whatever colors you want!
I just did the huge mistake of buying a HUGE sectional for my first home, my place itself is no bigger then 500 sq ft....my living space area measures to about 120" in depth and 143" in depth...help!! what do I do. I only have one wall as it's open concept with kitchen, the other two sides is the floor to ceiling windows and the glass doors to the bedroom....
length of the couch is 80" , 36" seat depth
and 65" chaise length...
I can't refund either cause it's custom made order...
:-(
help!
I have a 3-piece sectional: corner piece attached to a pair of left and right armed love seats. I just moved one of the love seats to a different room where I needed seating. I now have one 3 seat sofa in two sections. It is asymmetric in that one arm is low and sofa-like whereas the other "arm" matches the sofa back and is higher. All this to explain the realization that buying and joining together two sectional pieces to make one long sofa, would make it so much easier to move. I actually prefer the higher-backed sofa back as an "arm", much cozier.