Welcome to my “sectional confessional” where I’ll be sharing some sectional secrets that the advertising world doesn’t want you to know, but this designer does!
Advertisers have done a great job of making people believe that a sectional is an ideal piece of living room furniture. So much so that many people default to a sectional without thinking twice.
This is where the problem lies. Designers have a very much love/hate relationship with sectionals because in many ways they cause more problems than they solve.
We created this series to help you think through the questions you should ask yourself in order to determine IF a sectional is the right choice for you.
WARNING - You may be rethinking your sectional purchase after this.
#1. Sectionals Don’t Grow Well with You
When you purchase a sectional you select it based on the size of your current space.
The chances of your current sectional properly fitting a different space in your home of in another home all together are unlikely. Costing you more money in the long run.
Fun Fact - Millennials move more frequently than any other previous generation. Out of 1,000 people surveyed millennials were found to move once every two years. Even more interesting, 73% of millennials surveyed said they planned on moving in the next 10 years. Life is full of transitions and you’ll want to make the right investment in furniture for today and tomorrow.
Things to consider before you buy a sectional:
Are you likely to move in the next 5-7 years?
If the answer is “yes” you may want to rethink paying up for a sectional that won’t grow well with you.
#2 Sectionals Are Not Practical for Guests
Gasp!
But what do you mean? But I thought… It seems so…
I know, I know, it’s counterintuitive to everything you’ve ever believed to be true about sectionals. Deep breaths, let me explain. People don’t like to sit next to people, they prefer to sit across from one another to allow easier communication.
Think about dining out at a restaurant. Wouldn’t it be strange if people who didn’t know each other that well sat on the same side of the booth versus across from each other?
Things to consider before you buy a sectional:
Do you like to have friends and family over? Are you considering having a sectional in your main living space?
If the answer is “yes” you may want to choose a furniture combination that creates a more guest-friendly environment that will make it easier and more comfortable for people to have conversations.
#3 - No place to easily put your food or drinks
This is probably the single biggest practical issue I see with most sectionals.
Typically the shape and size of a sectional will limit the size and accessibility of your coffee/ side table, making it impractical for most people sitting on the sectional to use.
So during the big game, everyone is trying not to hold their food and drinks uncomfortably in their laps.
Things to consider before you buy a sectional
Do you frequently eat or drink while relaxing and enjoying your living space?
If the answer is “yes” you may want to select a furniture combination that gives you easier access to a coffee table and side tables.
#4 Sectionals Make Your Room Feel Smaller
This too may seem counterintuitive at first, but a large sectional will actually make it feel smaller not bigger. Sectionals are often lined up against a wall(s). This makes the middle of the room feel disconnected, cavernous, and less inviting. In large spaces, the sofa height blocks off the room visually, tricking the eye to make the room appear smaller.
Things to consider before you buy a sectional:
Is your sectional lined up against a wall or two walls?
If the answer is “yes” pull out your sofa 6 - 12” from the wall. This will help your space feel more inviting, cozy, and believe it or not bigger!
#5 They Become the Focal Point of Any Room
Because they are such large pieces of furniture they tend to become THE focal point in any room. This is less than ideal from a design standpoint.
It’s much more ideal to have a unique architectural feature, special to you piece of wall art, or a beautifully detailed piece of wood furniture make a statement in your space.
Things to consider before you buy a sectional
If you have a sectional in your space, it’s likely the focal point in your room.
Consider finding ways to counterbalance your sectional’s attention-grabbing size by finding ways to draw the eye up higher in the room.
#6 Sectionals Limit the Way You Move Around the Space
Sectionals create pre-defined pathways limiting how you navigate a space. Not only does this cut off traffic flow, but it is also visually stifling to the design flow. This is especially true in open concept spaces where it’s important to be able to easily transition from one space into another.
Things to consider before you buy a sectional
Are you thinking about having a sectional in your main living space that is also open concept?
If “yes” you’ll want to consider a furniture combination that allows for more design flow. We always want your space to feel like it’s opening up, inviting, and easy to navigate through.
#7 Sectionals Are No More Durable Than a Regular Sofa
This is the magic of marketing. I imagine when you think of a sectional one of the first things that comes to mind is “family friendly”. We automatically make the jump from “family friendly” to mean durability. However this just isn’t the case.
The durability of any piece of furniture has to do with two things:
The quality of the construction
Your ability to take care of it.
True durability has far less to do with “performance fabric” and much more to do with the people that live on it. Your less expensive sectional may be expected to last 5-7 years but could last 10 - 15 years if you take care of it, in the same manner your more expensive sectional that should last you 10-15 years could last only 5-7 if you are rough on it.
Things to consider before you buy a sectional
Know how you and your family live.
If your family is at the stage or entering the stage where kids may be jumping around on the furniture, see frequent spills, and there is overall heavy use. Don’t waste your money, get something that doesn’t cost as much.
Let’s check-in. You’ve gone through each of the considerations and have decided a sectional is the right choice for you and are wanting to pick the right one. Here are some things you’ll want to consider.
What room is best for a sectional sofa?
Ideally, I would recommend putting a sectional in a kids’ space or non-main living space family room. Any space that isn’t going to be frequented by guests. Sectionals are “family-friendly” in the sense that they are more ideal for kids who are not as disrupted by the difficulties of a sectional. When choosing a sectional, know your family so that you can choose a price point that makes sense for how you live.
What type of sectional should I get?
First, let me share the type of sectional I would never recommend and that is a u-shaped sectional. They are the worst option if you want any kind of table to put your drink on because nothing fits that you can also easily access.
With that, what I would recommend for a “sectional” would actually be a sofa with a chaise. This is the best option for a few reasons.
Because both sides of the sofa are arm height, not back height, keeping visibility open and allowing access to side tables on both sides of the sofa.
Because it still allows two people to “lay down” on the sofa keeping the “cozy” nature still intact.
Things to consider before you buy a sectional?
If you do opt for a sofa w/ chaise option for your sectional, go with an option that will allow you to switch the side that the chaise is on giving you more flexibility. For added flexibility choose a sofa with an oversized ottoman that can function as a chaise but doesn’t restrict you in the slightest.
Have I convinced you not to buy a sectional sofa?
Are you now thinking a sectional isn’t the best choice for you and your family but you need something and are no longer sure what?
I’ve got your back!
Here are four of my go-to soft-seating furniture arrangements both for smaller living spaces and larger ones.
Go- To Furniture Arrangements
#1. Sofa and Two Accent Chairs
This classic combination will work in the majority of living spaces. This is a great combination because of its flexibility, ability to maintain the flow throughout a space, and it’s an ideal environment for guests.
This eliminates the need for an L-shaped sectional and gives you more options to add side tables for easy drink access.
#2 Sofa and Accent Chair with Ottoman
This option is great for long narrow spaces. The accent chair could even be a chair and a half if you have the room. Adding the ottoman gives you the “loungy” couch feel without the boundary of a sectional. This also opens up easy access to side tables to put your drink on while maintaining design flow.
#1 Two Sofas
For a larger living room instead of going with an extra-large L-shaped sectional break it up into two substantial sized sofas. What this does more than anything is opens the space up and allow there to be more flow. It will also give guests the ability to communicate more comfortably and gives easy access to side tables.
#2 Two sofas and two chairs
If maximizing seating is important to you and how you use your space consider this classic seating arrangement. This gives you maximum flexibility and allows you to rearrange your space in multiple ways. The two sofas and two chairs combination are great for open concept living spaces that will frequently entertain guests but still need to maintain open flow into the other open-concept spaces.
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Anna Davidson
