Puzzle Sectional Sofa Section A Price
Sectionals are equal parts comfortable and versatile, allowing you to create the perfect sofa configuration for your unique living space and lifestyle. They’re also typically the biggest pieces of furniture in a room, so how you style yours can help to make or break your aesthetic.
Fortunately, these expert-informed tips make styling this comfy piece of furniture a breeze, helping you determine everything from the right colors and upholstery material to the perfect placement.
To create this guide to sectional living room design ideas, we spoke to some interior design experts to get a professional opinion:
In a nutshell, sectional sofas consist of at least two sofa pieces, aka sections, that you can join together and use to create various configurations for your space. Below, professional interior designer and founder of Dōr Design House, Bri Ussery, shares easy tips for how to buy and style the perfect sectional sofa for your living space.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have a huge living space to enjoy a new sectional. If you have a small living room, you can often get sectionals to fit beautifully with the right furniture arrangement and sectional shape.
“If your living room is small, choose a configuration that doesn't take up too much floor space,” advises Rohr. “A good option is to place the sectional against a wall to save space; L-shaped and U-shaped sectionals are ideal for this purpose.”
Statement art is typically bigger, bolder, and/or more vibrant than other art pieces, making it a great fit for the large footprint of many sectionals. Placing a compelling piece of art above your sofa will create a strong focal point while helping to solidify your living room design.
“You can choose a big statement art piece to elevate the sectional, or you can opt for an asymmetrical art display to help balance the room,” recommends Rohr. And when it comes to art and design, there are no wrong answers so, “don't be afraid to get creative with your styling; mix and match different shapes and sizes.”
Throw pillows are an easy way to add texture and color to your sectional. They’re also relatively inexpensive compared to many other home decor pieces, so you can swap them out for new ones when a new season (or design mood) strikes.
But you don’t have to take our word for it. According to design expert Swanzy, “It is an absolute must to fill up the sectionals with pillows because sectionals tend to have a deeper seat than normal couches.”
Karen Rohr also shared some tips for styling sectionals with pillows:
Review: Check our Burrow Nomad review here
Leather upholstery never goes out of style, and it comes in nearly infinite colors, so you should have no trouble finding a leather sectional that perfectly aligns with your aesthetic.
High-quality leather sectionals are also highly resistant to peeling, sagging, and cracking. And cleaning them is often as easy as simply wiping them down. This means they tend to last longer than many other upholstery types, so it’s a great investment for your next living room makeover.
If you have an expansive living room you’re looking to fill or an awkwardly shaped living room, consider floating the sectional, aka placing the sectional at least a few feet from the wall. “In large rooms, we like to float sectionals in the center to create a buffer,” said Cutler. “Almost like a room within a room.”
Floating it off the wall also means you can add furniture pieces behind it to optimize your style. “If you are floating a sectional, you might want to consider adding a low console or bookcase to the back. Doing so can create a more attractive presentation, especially as you enter the room,” recommends Cutler.
We love a bold statement couch as much as the next person, but some spaces call for a more subtle sectional, especially since these sofas are often the largest pieces of furniture in a room. Grey is an amazing sectional color because it won’t overwhelm your look.
Grey sofas serve as sophisticated yet neutral foundations that will complement all kinds of color schemes and interior designs. You can pile on colorful throw pillows and blankets to give it a bolder look or more neutral pieces in rich textures to give it an organic, textural feel.
Have an open floor plan? Sectionals are awesome when it comes to framing and defining uncertain spaces. “In a recent Newport Beach, California, project we used sectional couches to frame the living room from the dining room,” said Swanzy.
And you can use thoughtful styling elements to further define the space. For instance, if you want to turn your sectional frame into a cozy reading nook, you can take advice from Swanzy, who “added lamps in the corner of the sectional so our client could cuddle up and dive into a great book.”
Speaking of defining spaces, placing a rug under your sectional is an easy way to do just that. Rugs also have a knack for making a room feel more complete, warm, and intentional. When pairing a sectional and a rug, you have a few options.
A popular option is to choose a small, vibrant rug that fits right in the middle of an L-shaped or U-shaped sectional. This is a fun way to add colors and patterns to your look without taking up too much visual real estate. You can also purchase a very large neutral rug that sits under all of your sectional’s legs. Doing so will help make your living space feel warm, cozy, and welcoming.
A sectional’s large size allows it to anchor your entire design. You can use it to soldifiy an already well-honed aesthetic or as a stylistic reference point that can inspire the rest of your look.
For instance, if you have a minimalist style sensibility, then a sectional featuring a pared-back silhouette and long airy legs can help punctuate your look. And if you’re at a loss for how to design a space, consider investing in a sectional that already has a strong design point of view, such as a luxe velvet sofa, that you can use to inform your aesthetic.
Review: Read our Bondi Modular Sofa review here
Modular sofas are customizable by design, allowing you to pick the perfect configuration for your space, whether you want an expansive U-shaped sectional or a smaller L-shaped couch. But the right configuration for you largely depends on your existing space and lifestyle.
“No matter what arrangement you choose, make sure the sectional fits well with your space, and avoid compromising the good flow or closing too much of the area,” advises Rohr. For example, if you have a sectional in a living room that connects to the kitchen, you probably don’t want to configure your sectional in such a way that it blocks the path between these two rooms, since people naturally tend to flow to and from them.