I don't regret the sectional in my family room because its quite comfortable. But I do regret the sectional in my living room. Although it is a beautiful half circular sofa and made of a soft microfiber, now I am having second thoughts as to how I want my living room designed.

I'm so glad to finally see a post about this, I've been talking for years about the "sectional sofa", it just seems like they are always too big for a space. I think we're going to look back and laugh at this huge pieces of furniture, kinda like avocado appliances!

Very funny. I have always wanted a sectional and never had the room for one in any of the places I have lived. I guess I should be glad!

ours fit really well in out last apartment, but its really way too big for this one!

Can't afford a new sofa right now, either...

I would NEVER consider a sectional for that very reason. We've moved around a lot and we have to have smaller furniture. It's just so limiting.

You can always purchase a sectional that comes apart, or attaches. In fact, many of them use that design these days. Mine fits perfectly in the TV room at my house, but I rent with a few other roommates. In a couple years, it could be my boyfriend and I in a smaller apartment, which I kept in mind while purchasing. If you take out the hitch underneath, our sectional can be separated to form a chaise and a two seat couch.

In the past, I've made templates out of newspaper to give me a better sense of what to expect in the room. That way, I can also "rearrange" my furniture, even before I decide to buy.

It's also important to remember not to simply reference the footprint -- rather measure at its greatest girth.

@ Laurie615 - the problem is, sectionals have been around for close to 40 years. This isn't a fad color or what-have-you, definitely not a trend. They are here to stay for at least another 10-20 years I think.

That said, I can't stand sectionals. We had one in when I was growing up and while it was comfortable (it really was very comfortable), it really limited the space. The living room had a basic sofa as well as in the TV room. Both sofas allowed for my parents to recreate those rooms easily without the expense of new furniture. The room (I don't even know what to call it) stayed the same from 1979 to 1995 when they moved to a new house.

Suffice it to say, the sectional did not go with my parents to the new place.

I can see sectionals in very large loft areas being doable but in the average suburban home or small urban home, they rarely look good.

Also, we're always having friends over for football and movies, so I wanted a large couch for that very reason....we can pile tons of people on it, and everyone is comfortable!

I love my sectional and it will only work in 'that' room!

go in with realistic expectations.... can never be an impulsive buy, play around with different configurations and don't expect it to be transitional. just love it for what it is.

I loved mine until we moved and had to leave it behind because it just wouldn't fit. I would buy one again, but only when i purchase a home -as opposed to renting- so I know it'll be around for a good while.

SSRS: I like it. We need more acronyms on AT.

I love my sectional from Room and Board. It's not a huge one. It's two small sections- one piece that's about the size of a love seat, one that's a chaise. Maybe it's a tiny bit big for the room. The thing is, my building's staircase is really narrow and twisting. We couldn't have gotten a sofa long enough for my husband to lay out on up those stairs and that was his one requirement when we were buying a new sofa.

It's this sectional, with custom blue upholstery

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=20150&catalog=filter&menuCatalog=room&menuSubcategory=201195

rose, i barely consider that a sectional. =P

I really like my sectional, but it's tiny. The proportions are much smaller, and I have three pieces (two chairs and a chaise) to make an L-shaped couch. I like it a lot, but sometimes I wish I had gotten a normal sofa with an ottoman.

^ Agreed, Sarah.

When I think of a sectional, I think of a much larger piece of furniture that is very layout limiting. And I've never found a sectional to be any more comfortable than a comfy sofa and ottoman.

I recall our family getting a sectional in the 1970's. Except it wasn't called a sectional, it was a "pit group." My mother later got half of it in a divorce.

I couldn't agree more..

I almost had SSRS but luckily I just bought a stand alone chaise. I think most sectionals are way too big.

Sectionals always seem to be the ugliest sofas on the market. I think they're just designed for people who live in those suburbs where all the houses look exactly the same.

Love my modern sectional in my not-so-big urban home.

UGH, I looove our sectional.... but the room is ridiculous. There isn't a single way to arrange it other than having the couch awkwardly in the center of the room. And what's worse !! no matter WHAT I do it slides all across the floor. No rug or "non glide" object, can hinder this wild beast.

I wouldn't want one now, but I loved my parent's sectional as a kid. It made the best forts!

I have a small sectional that actually works very well in my smallish living room. It's low, very low, and it only has a curved corner piece and loveseat-sized side. One ottoman is attached to the side by the wall, in order to make seating if necessary, and the other sits in the middle of the "L" as a coffee table.

A sectional was the best way to maximize seating in our small room with two walls of windows. There's something to be said for the joy of my whole family (husband and two kids) being able to fit on one piece of furniture...We love our Ikea Ektorp sectional that we bought off Craigslist for $300! It wasn't a huge investment, so I won't feel terrible about having to get new living room furniture if the sectional doesn't fit in the next place we rent.

I loooove my sectional. In fact it's the 2nd one we've bought. We have a large living room but it's more long than wide so sectionals work best in the room. We needed more seating and this was the best option w/out blocking any walkways. I was very afraid that it would crowd the room when we sectioned off a part of the living room to make a nursery but it looks great.

I have a Neo Sectional (sold at DWR) in a small room that is largely used to watch movies (I have a projector which shows movies on the opposite wall). I ignored the advice of everyone who told me you needed a big room to make a sectional work. I'm glad I did as it was the perfect small space seating solution.

I just don't like the look of sectionals in general!

i love my sectional but i do agree it can be limiting

I love my sectional if only because it suits the space it occupies perfectly. Yes, there's only one way to arrange the room, but I don't need to waste my time & energy fixing what isn't broken. (Nap time on the sofa is far more important)

I'm completely unconcerned whether it will fit in the next place I might move to eventually - I doubt I'd choose to furnish a new space in the same manner anyway, so when I do eventually move the sofa will likely end up on Craigslist with a whole load of other furnishings.

I fought my husband tooth and nail against the sectional and I am glad I won. The sectional is a very limiting piece of furniture. You have to build the whole room around it and I like to move things about too much. Even those that come apart don't suit reorganizing a room the way a good regular sofa and two chairs does. Unfortunately I must agree that the sectional is not a fad soon to fade away especially in this economy. People seem to think they get more bang for their buck from these huge monsters. I think opposite because there is nothing like being able to swap out furniture from different rooms in the house to give yourself a quick little update!

I never wanted a sectional until the right sectional came along for the right price! We just purchased a sectional from Havertys! It's great and will last for years!

i comfort myself by thinking that, like acid-washed jeans and hair sprayed bangs, this too shall pass

Yeah, sectionals have been around for 40 years - but they were really IN in the 70s, and then they went way, way OUT for 30 years or so. When they started popping up again, I thought, "Ugh... another 70s fad, brought back by people too young to remember it." (Add to the list: built-in dining "booths" in the kitchen, where you have to ask 3 people to slide out if you have to go to the bathroom, plus orange avocado - not called avocado this time, but definitely back! - and goofy gigantic geometric wallpaper... Ugh.)

Sectionals are just too giant.

Mary BC