Sectional sofas are a perfect foundation for designing a space that is perfectly suited for your life and decorating style. Use them to define space in an open floorplan home without blocking light and sightlines, or use them to provide ample, comfortable seating for your family and friends. At one time, sectional sofas were considered to belong in the rumpus room or basement for the kids, but today’s sectionals offer more sophisticated styles and a nearly unlimited array of upholstery choices, so there’s a sectional sofa to perfectly suit whatever room and use your creative mind can dream up!
Design With Your Lifestyle In Mind
Before you start choosing the sectional sofa for your space, it’s a good idea to make a list of how you want to use the room you’re putting it in. Do you have kids? Will they and their friends be using this space often? If so, think about upholstery that’s stain-resistant and easy to surface-clean. Microfiber is a good choice for easy cleaning, while offering a comfortable, homey feel everyone will enjoy. Sofas with bare legs are easier to clean underneath, but they also offer places for toys to disappear.
If pets are part of your family, you should also consider how your upholstery fabric will stand up to paws, claws, and pet hair removal. Removable cushions make cleaning easier, and so will choosing a style that doesn’t feature a lot of folds or tufts, which can trap pet hair. Mid-tone colors are a good choice for households with either kids or pets, because they help to disguise the odd hand- or paw-print, and they don’t highlight pet fur the way very dark and very light upholstery colors can.
If your home is the entertaining hub for your friends, your kids’ friends, or your extended family, think about the balance between available table space and places for people to put their feet up. One smart solution is a large, matching or contrasting ottoman with a flat top, or a reversible top, so it can do double-duty as a coffee table when you have company. Think about how many people you typically entertain at once. For larger groups, sectional sofas with chaises or deep right-angle seats may not provide the most comfortable seating arrangements. Sectionals with curved seats or clipped corners offer more seats that are easy for guests to get in and out of, and sit comfortably.
If the room you’re creating is primarily for your household members to relax and hang out, a sectional sofa with recliners or deep seats makes an incredibly comfortable place for everyone to spend time together.
Consider Your Space And The Mood You Want To Create
Once you have a good idea of how you want to use the space, think about the space itself. How big is it? How high are the ceilings? Is the space open and in need of definition? Is it already walled-in? What kind of mood do you want to create in this room? The size, height, color, and visual weight of the sectional sofa you choose, and the position you choose for it will make a dramatic difference in your finished room. Think about what focal point(s) you want to highlight. If the fireplace is important to you, make sure the sectional sofa you’re considering will fit comfortably in a place where people can see the fireplace. If you’ve got a view window, the best design would involve placing the sofa so you can sit and enjoy that view.
Open-concept floorplans are popular today, but decorating them in a way that gives a sense of defined spaces can be a challenge. Sectional sofas are an easy way to create a cohesive family room, great room, or living room without sacrificing the airy, bright environment. Place a sectional sofa with its back to another part of the space to create the perception of a boundary. Darker colored upholstery can add a sense of drama and make the space you’re creating feel more intimate, which can be helpful if you have vaulted ceilings. Lighter colors give the area a more organic, flowing sense of space, which can help compensate for lower ceiling height, or make your high ceilings feel like they meet the sky.
Higher-backed sectional sofas and those that have a more plump shape have greater visual weight than ones with lower backs and cleaner lines; they appear to take up more space, even when they actually don’t. Sofas with covered legs typically have greater visual weight than those with exposed legs, especially when the exposed legs are tall. If you want a more cozy space, consider short or covered legs, pillow arms, darker upholstery tones, and a higher back. If you want to maximize the open feel of your space, stick with lower back height, clean lines, lighter upholstery colors, and taller, exposed legs.
Sectional Sofas For Every Style, Space, And Budget
We invite you to visit your nearest Value City Furniture, NJ location for the inspiration and information you need to create the space you’ve been dreaming of in your home. Our friendly staff will help you choose the sectional sofa that will be a perfect foundation for the design you want and functionality you need, and any other pieces you need to achieve your ideal design.
