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laurel_mcfatridge

Reclining Sofa? Thoughts? Yay? Nay?

We are purchasing new furniture for our family room. The TV is above the fireplace. Most of the time, it is just my husband and I at home.

Need sofa to be comfy ...Looking at something like this...https://goo.gl/images/QEj1H8






There are not many post that discuss reclining sofas, so that makes me nervous.


I was planning to have the sofa face the fireplace, then add accent chairs??



Comments (33)

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Positioned as you have your sofa now, there is no problem with a wall interfering with the recline. The sofa you are considereding has a much better look than most. So, do it.

    The width of your room and new sofa: can the sofa be positioned so it is in line with the center of the fireplace wall?

    Accent chairs on either side of fireplace partnered with floor lamps/trays and art or mirrors on walls would work.



    For tables on either side of sofa something in this style needs takes up little space and provides tables, as your recliner can’t have a coffee table.



    How about some panels for the slider?




    Laurel McFatridge thanked JudyG Designs
  • 7 years ago
    Thank you! Love your suggestions,
    Need new decor as well. First wanted to tackle furniture.
    Should I just choose accent chairs I like or should they be a certain “style”?

    Also, thinking of a shaggy area rug, might be trendy??
  • 7 years ago

    We tend to avoid reclining sofas on Houzz because they generally are gawdawful ugly, but the one you chose isn't bad.


    I would lower the TV though, so it's no more than 8" above the mantel. It will look a lot better.

    Laurel McFatridge thanked groveraxle
  • 7 years ago
    I know, that’s why I hesitated looking at them, this one is fairly streamlined. Honestly, I just want something comfortable! Shouldn’t be that hard! Lol

    Thank about the TV. I will make the adjustment!!!
  • 7 years ago

    For a recliner your choice looks good to me... make sure to post some "after" photos once you have finished the decore`

    Laurel McFatridge thanked Cheryl Hannebauer
  • 7 years ago

    And I'd find a better place for your electronic picture frame, one where it can be seen and the cord can be hidden.


  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Oh I know, it won’t stay there. We are int he process of painting, its only there temporarily. I have not chosen any decor for the room yet....

  • 7 years ago
    I agree with everyone the recliner sofa is one of the most stylish I’ve seen -can you tell us the manufacturer?
  • 7 years ago

    few ideas to amp up your space near the fireplace.


    bring in some shelving/bookcases, or consoles. as you can see (and this one is very similar to what you have in your room) it really makes a difference in overall look.


    since you have your vents on the floor, you could do something like this to hide them from view


    similar layout like yours






    This is my favorite built-in look.

    your recliner would be in this same position, coffee table and a chair or two

    I like the back painted bookcases like this. (you would leave yours open at the very bottom). Also like how the played off the rug color. very easy for you to try something like this


    if leaving open, try a plant and a chair like they've done here


    pair of tables and lamps. maybe some artwork


  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I will strongly dissent. Buy a regular sofa for the long wall, adjacent to hearth and and TWO great reclining chairs to face the tv. You won't have a "wall" of furniture, providing a more open and inviting look into the space. You can put a drink/snack table between table between. It will be easier to furnish the room to consider others, a cocktail table easier to add. Thus.....my vote is a serious NO to the recline sofa.

    To be very honest, any repair to a mechanism, will be a royal pain. Truthfully a reclining anything is best purchased as best you can afford. Below? Arhaus, Taylor King, West Elm. Taylor King or Arhaus? You will thank me !!! Taylor King is a literal WOMB. : ) You might be asleep in six minutes.

    Politely stated, the guts and mechanisms are not inexpensive and are more manufacturing labor in motion seating. Limit your "exposure" with quality and SEPARATE seating.

    In your words........it's " most of the time"















  • 7 years ago

    We nixed the three person sofa years ago. Our leather love seat has two reclining features in it. It is much appreciated when we have family movie night. All our chairs have recliners and foot rests that pop up. Why does one get what another doesn't, was how we made our choices. We wanted a space where all five members had equal comfort and no reason to fight over a certain spot. No one wants to be the one stuck in the middle of a couch when watching a movie. The downside even with a zero clearance recline I cannot put a sofa table behind. Your room needs to be functional first. Once you decide what you need it to be with a bit of searching you can find stylish too.

    Laurel McFatridge thanked arcy_gw
  • 7 years ago

    I like club chairs with an ottoman, where I can put my feet up. You can also move them around to rearrange and use the ottoman for additional seating. I live in a state plush with those recliners and they are always brown. I just can't bring myself to like them.

  • 7 years ago

    Cheryl, try lowering all of those pics behind the chair, about 6" or so. It will look much better. none of them should be higher than your speakers.



  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Seems someone had a REALLY REALLY bad cold? ! LOL....... Someday...... someone is going to put all these pics in a time capsule. Titled: " How we lived" The ET"s are gonna die laughing,!!!!! ?? Who among us has not done this, although this cold looks like it was off the charts."Bankie? check! Tissues? Check! Trash can Check!

    Where in hell is the hot water bottle and Nyquil?

  • 7 years ago
    Haha!! Thank you all..... any suggestions on a different sofa? Jan, love the idea, just don’t know what sofa to add if we do 2 recliners?
  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Your sofa need NOT recline. When you are not IN those chairs and kicked back? They are chairs. Meaning any nice sofa. That is comfy, and not lump of brown. Draw your ROOM and add dimensions. Why do dumb guesswork ?

  • 7 years ago

    I am going out shopping this week for a new reclining love seat. The fabric is shot on ours. I never had problems with any of the mechanisms. There is also just the two of us most of the time. We also have a three person sofa and two other chairs. In the past we have had two separate recliners and we prefer the reclining love seat. It doesn't take up as much space as two recliners and we each get our own end table. Yet there is enough room for a grandchild, our cat, or just the two of us to snuggle. And you can't beat them for comfort while watching TV, The reclining love seat is the first seat grabbed when our gang comes over.

  • 7 years ago
    Had a reclining sofa - you have to move the coffee table to use it.
  • 7 years ago

    I don't think the sofa you posted looks attractive. All of the seams where the pillows split just seem unappealing. I would get a firm, attractive sofa and have a nice ottoman in front of it that you can prop your feet up on if you wish.



  • 7 years ago

    A friend has one of those. they love it. must admit is i comfy. face their tv. gotta not mind the barcalounger look.

  • 7 years ago

    Quick question:


    i have ordered a light gray sofa, and 2 darker gray accent chairs:



    With the rest of the room being so neutral (BM Revere Pewter walls), I didn’t know if a: I should add an area rug? And if so, B: gray tones to pull grays together? Ivory? Add pop of color?



    Thank you!

  • 7 years ago

    My friend has a reclining love and a reclining 3-seater - all real leather. Husband's side of the love has worn out (he lives there) while her side still looks new after 15 years! the 3-seater is nearly new looking. You get what you pay for. For my money, I'd prefer reclining chairs for the householders and a sofa for the guests.

    Laurel McFatridge thanked decoenthusiaste
  • 7 years ago

    I don’t disagree however, I had to compromise

  • 7 years ago

    Your room will be very nice...I like the grey and if you get a rug that ties in the grey and a brighter color you will be all set. Now to get some end tables and lamps....I have chair side size tables and really like them....saves a lot of space. A floor lamp with built in table, works also. I see you have the baseboard heat...we have it also and I love it....but hard to put furniture against it, so shelving with cupboards below will not work unless it stands above the baseboard. In the winter I have a wrought iron table in front of the baseboard heat and in the summer I have a carved chest from Guatemala....Show us a finished product of your room if you can.

    Laurel McFatridge thanked erinsean
  • 7 years ago

    Love the furniture you got. I seen a similar couch just yesterday at a store and thought it was pretty. I also have neutral furniture , carpet, and walls. Grays,creams and browns. I personally don't like area rugs. To me they make the room look smaller. I then use pops of color, textures and patterns in pillows, curtains and decorative items. With neutrals you can change colors up also depending on the season.

    Laurel McFatridge thanked functionthenlook
  • 7 years ago

    Laurel, do you want a gray monotone look or would you like some color? (i hope you don't live in Seattle because that's a whole lot of gray in that room)


    Let me post a grip of pics to give you a few ideas. I may need to continue them w/the next comment.

    as for your chair choice,,,,any way of getting those in a diff color or maybe w/a pattern? With the gray sofa, gray chairs, gray walls, gray tile,,,it's all so similar.

    a pattern or something like warm leather, would go a long ways

    Here are two. you have nice light so see if you can do a tall tree in the space closest to the window. that will draw up the eye to your tall ceilings.

    Ditto w/that fireplace. have you thought about doing something w/the wall the tv is actually on? either darker paint color, some trim work, maybe continuing the tile? I'd love to see that mantel stained a bit darker and warmer. Right now that focal point(the fireplace) sort of dies out once you hit the mantel. Some ideas to consider, warm wood shelving on each side, or some other type of chest, artwork to finish off that main wall.

    look at the diff in this fireplace just by continuing the tile and using the warm wood shelving. this is a very gray room (take away the wood and the aqua accents, and you have total gray) but look at how a few colorful pieces/warm wood, give it life

    same idea.


    This is basically your room w/o the bookcases or the dark wood table. very monotone. Is this the look you want? if so, then keep everything gray and white and bring in texture w/natural fabric rug.

    same neutral, but the bling light and nice artwork, glass table and patterned chairs, keep it from being boring.

    ditto w/this one.


    another idea for the sides of your FP. this would allow your floor vents plenty of room if you did floating shelving.

    I also like the look of the tongue/groove and the bordering trim work above the mantel on both these pics. It might be a nice addition to your fireplace if you did something like this (instead of the tile).

    notice the colorful rug and greenery, plus the artwork, that gives all the neutrals some oomph.


    you could easily do a console like this, with key pieces, or some art hung above it.

    or mirrors. Again, very neutral. but look at how the wood consoles, wood framed mirrors really warm up all the white/grays.


    the other pics I can't fit on this comment show floating white shelving and some other rug ideas. if you want to see more I can post those and rug suggestions.

    just let me know if you like any of these ideas for your space.

  • 7 years ago

    Do you have any art for this room? If so, let that inform your rug and the rest of your accessories. If not, then get some.

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Alas. You can lead a horse to water, ya can't make him drink. So. Where will your popcorn and drink go? The "compromise" here, was a big one. Can't put a cocktail in front of that sofa can you? Nope. You have a long wall adjacent to it, that was actually perfectly suited to a non recline sofa, allowing you a nice table between two reclining chairs. . ................Oh Well : ) And darn it.

    Measure and draw that space, and what is the floral rug in your foreground pic?? Staying, going?

  • 7 years ago
    Ignore the actual pieces I used, but this would be the idea?

    .. and yes, floral rug going
  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Yes, exactly Laurel : )..........that would be the "idea" . With a more open and inviting entrance to your room.......and room for a table between the two of you......and room for a cocktail table in front of the sofa, even end tables at the sides of that sofa, yes, lamps too....a view out the window for guests...

    And the run on sentence was intentional.

    That WAS my point, when I said "get two comfy reclining chairs and a normal sofa", lol

    That is not only a more comfortable room, but one that better suits your actual space. Don't YOU feel more invited into the space without a wall of sofa in your view? Start the popcorn.

    Laurel McFatridge thanked JAN MOYER
  • PRO
    7 years ago

    To that point? You even have room in the right corner near hearth for an accent chair. Make a room.