Low Seating: How to Pull Off the Look and Make Guests Comfortable

Nothing quite completes a bohemian-styled room like low seating, hugging the floor and giving off some seriously casual vibes. But that’s not the only kind of room style that can rock short seating. No matter the style, though, there are some rules you want to stick to so that you and guests are comfortable in your low-to-the-floor seating.

Low seating is more than just tossing a few floor cushions in your living room (though floor cushions certainly play their part); curating low seating in your spaces is as important as how you arrange seating of other heights. It takes a bit of skill and thought, but the results can be spectacular.

(Pictured above) If you don’t want to go full bohemian in your space and want to design seating arrangements that any guest can enjoy, mix low seating like floor cushions or pillows along with your other normal height seating. Instead of tucking it in a corner or stacking it out of the way, encourage guests to use them (well those who want to sit low anyway) by placing them in the seating arrangement. This example spotted on Camille Styles.

Placing low seating around a low table, like a coffee table or ottoman, gives the low seating a purpose, anchors it to a styled vignette and makes it more comfortable to use by giving users the table to lean on and interact with. This example seen on Design Love Fest.

You can go on the hunt for low seating that comes with built-in backs, perhaps the most comfortable and supportive type of low seating. Contemporary seating that touches the floor directly works, but you can also look for seating with short legs that still feels a little lower than usual.

You can purchase mattresses that are usually made for things like daybeds or outdoor seating and use them directly on the floor, especially effective against a wall. This will seem more stable and permanent than a set of separate floor pillows. Seen on House to Home.

If you do decide to go for a slightly raised platform for your low seating, consider putting the platform on casters so you still retain the mobility and flexibility that is a hallmark of casual, low seating. Spotted on Centsational Girl.

Do you have low seating in your home? What tips do you use to pull it off?