We just sold our sectional because we never could get comfortable with the "cracks". Also, the pieces, being smaller, tended to move on both the HW floors on our last house and the tile floors in our current house.

The nice thing was the versatility; we ended up spreading the pieces amongst various rooms and using them as standalones. Functional, yes, but a bit odd looking to see the group scattered throughout the house...

Thanks for the comment! We have hardwood floors and I was wondering if it would come apart if someone sat down too fast?!

I personally like the kind of sectional that could double as a chaise lounger at one end. It does require more room and less flexible compared with separate sofas arrangement.

I miss my old sectional, gave us much more seating, but at that time we did have it on carpeting, so it did not move. The middle section was a sleeper, so it was heavy anyway.

Sectionals usually come with locking mechanisms under the seat frames, so they should not come apart. Sectionals are great, but the shape and size of the room is important. I would need picture and size of room to comment on whether one would work in your room. I do prefer fabric to leather if you are looking for comfort.

Yes there are clips that hold the pieces together.

I loved my previous sectional - and will be getting another soon. The pieces were attached. In fact, when I moved, it took 2 strong people to get it apart. Pottery Barn has some super comfortable ones on sale.

I'm with groveraxle. It totally depends on the space(s) in the home. But, mostly, sectionals are so limiting. And, and in reality sectionals do not seat more people comfortably. You're locked in to the way the sectional "works". It's a strange thing...in a really small space a sectional works, or a really large space a sectional works. So, most of the time, a sofa(s) with chair(s) s is best option. If you have a photo of the space, it would help in the decision. :)

We have a soft leather sectional with a chaise on one end. Love it! and will never go back to sofa/chairs. The whole family and dog can cozily watch TV. My living room only allows for one furniture configuration so I don't mind being "locked". I would agree with those that said it is limiting with regards to changing around a room. But for lots of seating and comfort you can't beat it. Just make sure it's stylish and not one of those awful poofy things. :-)

I'm with groveraxle and Darzy. The only exception to this is that I've seen a sectional done in modular pieces. All sides are upholstered and you can move parts around as you please.

onthefence...good idea. A sectional that you can "break apart"...more like a modular sofa would be a good option.

I am with the non-sectional route - (Darzy, onthefence,groveraxle).
I agree a compromise might be to have a sectional done in modular pieces, but despite best efforts, they do find away to display continental drift... and the stuff that gets lost between those cracks...

I resisted sectionals for years because I associated them with large, overstuffed La-Z-Boy style designs (what hockey, above, refers to as "those awful poofy things" LOL). But there are so many beautiful streamlined modern sectionals these days. We bought a small L-shaped one for our TV room and ADORE it. There is nothing nicer than cuddling up on the sofa with your kids (and in our case also our dogs) to watch a DVD together. Ours is built no differently than an ordinary sofa (i.e. no cracks). The two sections are held together underneath with heavy metal braces. On top it looks and functions as if it is all one piece.

A sectional is a great addition to a living room, accommodating any style desired. Our premium leather sectionals are finished on all sides, so individual pieces can be arranged however desired. Also available in any array of reclining, chaise lounge, modern low profile, or traditional seating, all pieces latch together to ensure they maintain their integrity. Color and seating can be customized to match most existing decor. Let us know if you have any further questions!
www.irisfurniture.com

We just got our first sectional (modern, L-shaped) and I would agree with the general consensus...it is very comfortable (we can all laze around on it for tv/movie viewing) but I am now limited in my furniture arrangement (i.e..there is really no other place to put it!)

I think you have to take into account your room's size and constraints (doors/traffic flow, etc) and go with what furniture arrangement works best for your situation!

Good luck~

Good discussion! I am in the process of deciding sectional vs. sofa/loveseat combo, and all these comments help! Thank you...

I do love the look of the sleek sectionals with the chaise. It would be nice if you could switch the left/right of the chaise if you wanted to.

I think the modular sofas are more versatile than the tradtional sectionals. They allow for a variety of configurations.

Try LOVESAC they are all sectionals/ modular units that are not only interchangeable but washable too!

I'm going to have to agree with those who have suggested to not get a sectional as it really is quite limiting in terms of how you would like to arrange the pieces.

We offer the option of arranging chaise orientation on our sectional at no extra cost. Factory direct allows for most customizations to be fulfilled at no additional expense! Any further inquiries please contact sales@irisfurniture.com.