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Sectional vs. Sofa in this Space?

5 years ago

I live in an apartment and we need more seating. We currently have a leather sofa and that’s it. I can’t decide if I should add a loveseat (as I don’t think my space would fit the same size sofa as the one I have) or should I just sell the current sofa we have and purchase a sectional? The only issue is, is that we like our Christmas tree in the window at Christmas, but perhaps it’s for that to be the deciding factor.

Comments (9)

  • 5 years ago

    *perhaps it’s silly for that to be the deciding factor. Please excuse the currently messy living room. We got a puppy and had to roll up the rug until he’s done potty training. 😄 I added a photo so you can see the entire space.

  • 5 years ago

    It's definitely something to think about! Nothing prettier than driving by and seeing a Christmas tree in someone's front window. What if you did a sectional with one side where your current leather sofa is, and the other side between the living and kitchen? You'd have to remove the leaning shelving unit. Or if you want to keep that hallway space totally open, could you have the sectional one way, with a side in front of the window, most of the year, and then rotate the it at Christmas so you can have your tree there?


    Ballard has lots of sizes and configurations of sectionals: https://www.ballarddesigns.com/furniture/living-room/sectionals/? 

  • 5 years ago

    What’s the measurements of the area? What’s the measurements of a sectional you might purchase?

    I find sectionals to be problematic - very large and limiting in the way you can use your room. I won’t sit on one unless I can have an end seat.

  • 5 years ago

    How much more seating do you need? I’m not a fan of sectionals either. Maybe a nice comfy chair to the right of the couch. You could consider two chairs with a little table in the middle of there’s room

  • 5 years ago

    I would push the couch a little closer to that end wall and get two nice cushioned swivel chairs. Put a little table between them and call it a day! :)

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    I would keep your in-line sofa and add two accent chairs.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Here are multiple suggestions for dealing with your entire space so that it works for you.

    Budget friendly:

    --Avoid a loveseat as usually only one person sits on them and visuall take up a lot of room. You already have a dark brown sofa, so you want something lighter in chairs.

    --Instead get two comfortable arm chairs up on legs that will eventually coordinate with a rug you might think about getting to anchor your living room space--in a layout like this, or one chair facing window and one facing kitchen near a real coffee table to create a conversational grouping.


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    I have a whole Ideabook of photos called "Brown Black Sofa Dilemmas" that show how to balance out bulky or dark sofas with light armchairs, coffee tables, rugs, art. This one shows a round coffee table with legs in same color as sofa. Not light pillow, rug.

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    Less budget friendly sectional option if you sell the brown sofa:

    --Get a small scale (low arms and back but cushy) but very comfortable sectional in a camel color, not black or brown, and add one color coordinated chair like the ones in the above photos.


    Place the short end of the sectional facing the window and the long end where you have it already. What you're doing is creating a "path" from the doorway and another down the left side of the room. Place or resell your ladder display and maybe do some shelves around your TV for a gallery/art wall.

    Layout with sectional but you would only have one armchair. Note that if you could get a narrow console behind sofa (replace ladder as suggestion), you could put store small ottomans for group seating to pull out as needed)


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  • 5 years ago

    Would chairs like this be okay for accent chairs? Probably in a different color but would the same style chair be okay (made by the same company as the sofa).

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    They seem to have fairy low proportions which is good in a small room. But the critical thing is take measurements. Put blue tape down on floor to see how much space the chairs would occupy. It's good that they're light colored since you need to balance out the sofa. Here are some chairs with the same shape though they look a little too large for your space. They're up on legs the same color as sofa. Notice how the art over the sofa sets a beautiful mood in the room and adds more color.

    Get an ivory tray to put on your ottoman, which I just noticed. That will lighten it up, make it more functional, and make it stand out. Don't add any more dark leather pieces.


    Down the road, think about adding a great piece of art on the wall above the sofa even if you move the sofa. Your room would really come together with some patterns, accent colors, art work, etc.

    Wide piece:

    Or a pairing:

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