How to Arrange an L-Shaped Sectional Sofa in a Small Room

An L-shaped sectional streamlines the seating arrangement for a small room. This shape uses space efficiently and can give the room a more spacious appearance than using chairs and sofas for the same number of seats. Your room's configuration and the size of the sectional determine the best ways to arrange the room. Arrange a small room to use the its limited space to create a warm, welcoming effect.


To prevent the hassle of having to position the sectional more than once, measure it and the room before bringing in the sectional. Draw a plan of the room, including the width of doorways, the clearance from the floor to the window ledges, heater vents and the location and size of the fireplace and any features that might influence where you can put the sectional, such as a wall-mounted TV. Accurate measurements reduce the risk of finding out in the middle of moving it that one sofa-arm will block the doorway or you'll have to climb over the chaise to get to the window unless you turn it the other direction.

Measure the L-Shaped Sectional

Measure from the outside of one arm to the outside of the other arm, or to the outside edge if one or both ends are armless. The sectional's depth is the measurement from the back of the short end of the "L" to the front, which is generally the end of a chaise longue or the end of the shortest sofa section, depending on the sectional's configuration. If it has a pullout bed, measure the width of the bed and its length, from the end of the bed to the back of the sectional. It's usually easiest to take this measurement on the floor -- just line up the end of a heavy-duty tape measure with the end of the bed and extend the tape to the sectional's rear leg, or until it's directly below the sectional's back.

Corner Placement

A corner position gives you the most floor space, because you don't have to allow room for a walkway behind and around the L-shaped sectional. This makes it an ideal position for many small rooms. To decide which corner, consider the room's focal point, such as a picture window or TV and allowing enough room for using the pullout bed if the sectional has one. A tall vase with a floral arrangement, a sculpture or a plant lends a decorative touch to the corner behind the sectional.


Other options include positioning the sectional so it's centered in front of a fireplace, entertainment center or wall-mounted TV. Arrange the sectional so there's room to walk behind it and so it's near enough to enjoy the fire's warmth or comfortable TV-viewing. In the case of a small living room in a home without an entry, you might be able to use the L-shaped sectional to define the space. For example, position the back of the L-shaped sectional next to the door to create the effect of an entryway. For a convenient arrangement that saves space, use a pair of small storage ottomans on casters centered in front of the sectional. The ottomans can serve as extra seats, hold serving trays, conceal guest bedding and roll out of the way.

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Gryphon Adams


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