The living room is one of the main rooms of an apartment or private house. As a rule, all relatives, friends and guests gather in the living room, so the sofa is the main piece of furniture in such a room.
On the Internet and design magazines there are a lot of different photos of a sofa in a living room of different sizes and styles.
Brief overview of the article
Tips for choosing a sofa for the living room
To make it easier and simpler to choose a good sofa for the living room, it is worth considering some recommendations from experts:
- The sofa in the living room interior should not stand out too much, so you should select its design according to the style of the room.
- For a small living room, you should choose a small-sized sofa model.
- Corner or U-shaped sofas are well suited for a spacious living room.
- If there are pets in the house, then special attention should be paid to the upholstery of the sofa.
- A warm-colored sofa will add extra coziness to the living room.
- In a small living room, it is best to place a sofa by the window.
- The sofa with spring blocks is very durable and practical to use.
Upholstery
Depending on the decor and style of your home, you can choose upholstery material and color. Generally, a classic style home will require a leather sofa, whereas if you are looking for something more casual, you can opt for a fabric one. Remember that furniture wears out much faster if you have children or pets. In this case, you should choose durable upholstery in a practical color. Our blog has reviews of some popular materials; you can read more about velor, eco-leather and matting.
Many manufacturers usually offer a wide range of upholstery materials. All kinds of colors, plain, with patterns, different textures and whatever density you want. Colors complement the style and play on the appearance. For example, the choice of fabric is from only one manufacturer.
The main types of sofa designs
One of the main aspects of choosing a sofa for your living room is the type of construction. The most popular and practical:
- modular. Modular sofas for the living room are a good option, they allow you to easily and quickly arrange furniture, very convenient when you need to seat a significant number of people;
- straight design is a traditional type of sofa. This type of sofa is perfect for any size and living room design;
- a sleeping sofa in the living room is one of the popular sofa designs for both small and large areas;
- transformer - this type of sofa is characterized by the fact that when unfolded, the sofa becomes an orthopedic mattress for sleeping.
Price
The cost of upholstered furniture starts from 50 thousand rubles, and depends on both the size and the upholstery, make and brand.
Models of upholstered furniture made from fabric are also in demand today. In the photo of upholstered furniture for the living room you can see the advantageous arrangement of such models in the interior.
Sofa shapes
There are a significant number of different forms of sofas, the most popular and which have proven themselves to be good:
- classic leather sofa;
- a sofa with curved legs and smooth lines;
- sofa with back cushions and rounded armrests;
- the sofa with back and armrests is made as one whole element;
- sofa with a smoothly curved back;
- transformable sofa.
Also very popular are corner sofas in the living room and English sofas in country style.
Basic rules for placement
Purchasing a stylish upholstered and cabinet furniture group, and then arranging it using one of the methods described above, will not be enough to create a comfortable, cozy and convenient interior of a living space. To make the room as comfortable as possible for living, it is necessary to take into account the rules for arranging furniture in the living room.
Firstly, it is necessary to maintain the distance between individual objects so that there are no obstacles to movement around the room:
- the distance between the coffee table and the sofa should be within 50 cm;
- the width of the passage should not be less than 60 cm;
- the television system should be within 1.8-3 meters from the sofa;
- the distance between armchairs or sofas located nearby should be sufficient to maintain a comfortable conversation, but not to make the guests feel cramped;
- the height of tables and stands should be at the level of the armrests;
- The dimensions of the furniture group must correspond to the size of the living space: for a spacious room you can choose large items, a small room should be furnished with compact armchairs, cabinets, and soft corners.
If you have a small living room, but prefer large furniture, place a minimum number of items in it; on the contrary, you should do the opposite if the living room is spacious
In addition, there are a number of rules that are important to remember:
- in order to know how to properly arrange furniture, it is necessary to take into account the presence and number of windows and balcony doors: furniture must be positioned so that it does not interfere with free movement and unhindered penetration of daylight;
- so that the large area of the guest room does not seem empty, it is recommended to divide its space into several zones;
- to ensure freedom of movement around the room, you do not need to move objects close to each other, you should leave some space around each of them;
- you should not place sofas and armchairs with their backs facing the entrance door to the room; firstly, this position creates psychological discomfort for the person sitting, and secondly, upholstered furniture should be open;
- if the room is too small, you should not place sofas and wardrobes along one wall, it is better to distribute them in small groups along with other items;
- When decorating two zones in the living room, you need to strictly delimit them with the help of furniture so that the objects do not intersect. In this case, for the recreation area you should choose the least illuminated place in the room, and for the dining or working area - a place by the window, where there is a lot of daylight;
- Large items should be placed away from windows and doors.
If you are not sure what furniture to place exactly and how, you should intuitively feel the general atmosphere of the room - if it is comfortable to be in, you can breathe freely, you feel the freedom of space, then the furnishings are done correctly.
Additional functions of the sofa
You can choose a sofa for your living room, either a standard classic one or with various additional functions.
Very practical sofas in the living room with a sleeping place and a drawer for storing things. They also often give preference to a sofa that has a built-in bar or music speaker.
Dimensions
This is the first and most important point. Especially if you are choosing a sofa for a small living room. Agree, it will be a shame if it simply doesn’t fit. Therefore, answer one question - how much space is there for a new sofa? You should have a clear idea of the area available for installation. So, take out your tape measure and measure seven times to avoid surprises. Length, width, depth, assembled, unfolded - make sure you are sure of the maximum dimensions that are possible here.
Lifehack! If you have trouble visualizing the size of an item in a space, use masking tape to mark the outline of the sofa on the floor. This will give you the opportunity to visualize the overall scale and make sure you have enough room to walk through.
How best to place a sofa in the living room
The placement of a sofa in the living room depends on the size, spaciousness and shape of the room, as well as its style and design. A square-shaped living room allows you to install a sofa in any desired place, be it in the center or in a corner.
When the living room is rectangular in shape, it is better to install the sofa by the window or against the wall; it can also be used to zone the room, for example in the living room-kitchen. If there is a niche in the living room, then a classic-shaped sofa will fit perfectly into it, and if you have a staircase, you can install it under it.
No. 1. Preparing a furniture arrangement plan
First of all, you need to draw up the most detailed layout plan, taking into account each piece of furniture. To do this, you need to know the width, height and length of the living room, all the parameters of door and window openings, you also need to mark the location of radiators and sockets on the plan, indicate in which direction and to what depth all doors open. This can be done either in special programs or on a sheet of paper. Experts recommend choosing a scale of 1:20, and drawing the location of all pieces of furniture not only from the top point, but also depicting each wall separately. Moving furniture on paper is much easier, so it is better to pay maximum attention to this stage.
It is better to start planning the arrangement with the main item in the living room, so it is better to decide in advance on the functional purpose of this room. If people will mainly relax, communicate and watch TV here, then the basis of the room is a soft group. In a small apartment, the living room turns into a bedroom at night: in this case, the main object in it becomes a folding sofa, which must be placed in such a way as to ensure maximum comfort for the sleeper. They also provide for a dressing room, work or dining area, if such are necessary.
When drawing up a plan, you also need to take into account the distance between individual pieces of furniture, sufficient for comfortable movement. It is 60 cm, and in some cases it is worth adding the width to which the cabinet doors swing open. It is also worth taking into account such nuances as chairs extending from the table, which should not interfere with the passage in any position, shelves on the wall, which should not interfere with the opening of the door.
Color solution
The color of the living room sofa depends directly on the style of the living room itself. The most classic and popular colors for sofas in the living room are: white, gray, beige, soft peach, mint, light brown, light green and lilac and their shades.
It is also worth remembering that white color can visually expand the space of a room, and warm colors give additional comfort and a feeling of warmth. As an image, they most often give preference to: cages, stripes, various patterns, floral images, ornaments.
Basic sofa mechanisms
See photo gallery at the end of the material
- The most common and durable mechanism is the “book”. It is ideal for those sofas that will later be used as a sleeping place.
- An equally common, but not as convenient and completely unreliable mechanism is the “clamshell”. This version of the sofa can be safely chosen for those living rooms in which no one will sleep. It is better to lay it out no more than several times a year. The berth is based on a support of 12 veneer sheets, and underneath, as a rule, there are plywood drawers.
- The roll-out mechanism is perhaps the most convenient to use, but experts do not recommend it for permanent overnight stays. If you are going to often use such a sofa for sleeping, choose a high-quality and durable roller mechanism. Check to see if it sticks before purchasing. The wheels should be made of rubber so as not to leave scratches on the floor.
- Folding sides are a wonderful mechanism option for the living room. Easily folds and unfolds, but can only provide one sleeping area.
No. 7. Wall VS rack
A modern living room cannot do without a wall or a rack, because you need somewhere to store things that have accumulated and are necessary in this room. Previously, the clear option for the living room was the wall: then these were bulky pieces of furniture that greatly cluttered the space. Today, living room walls have become more miniature and sophisticated, but the market has also expanded with shelving. They perform the same functions, are very roomy, but thanks to open shelves and a special design, they do not take up space and do not make the room visually smaller. And if the walls fit well into a classic interior, then the racks have become a distinctive addition to the minimalist interior and living rooms, where they try in every way to save space.
Another great option is modular furniture. This is a set of all kinds of shelves, cabinets and bedside tables, made in the same style, which can be combined as you like, in any order. At the same time, you have the opportunity to create an original and maximally functional interior, adapted exclusively to your family.
The color of the wall or shelving should be coordinated with the overall color scheme of the room, and if the living room does not have a large area, then try to use as many open shelves and transparent glass elements, as well as mirror surfaces, as possible.
Non-standard options
Compact and small-sized
Non-standard ones include various small-sized types. Their dimensions are 170 centimeters in width and exactly the same in length. This option is convenient if installation is required in the kitchen or in the hallway.
This type of model folds out very easily, thereby providing a sleeping area suitable for accommodating one person. But it may also have hidden drawers underfoot that are suitable for storing dishes or various household items. This option is often installed in the kitchen.
As a rule, such sofas use universal angles in their design. They can be easily installed on both the right and left sides. This model is not strictly tied to the design specified by the manufacturer.
More compact options are also available.
- The sleeping area of such models is 150 centimeters by 150 centimeters.
- The second option is 130 centimeters by 200 centimeters.
In such rooms there is always a struggle for centimeters, because the bedroom space is limited. This type includes sofas with “tick-tock”, “dolphin” or “Eurobook” layout mechanisms.
Little ones
Often in stores selling furniture you can see models that are quite small in size. Often such designs are a “book”.
If we disassemble such a sofa, we get the length of the sleeping place measuring 125 centimeters by 140 centimeters.
In addition, you can combine such a sofa with another one - measuring 90 centimeters by 168 centimeters. This sofa will serve as an ottoman. Both parts are independent of each other.
Average
Medium-sized corner sofas are widespread and loved by customers.
They have sleeping space parameters of around 200 centimeters by 150 centimeters. This is a recognized standard for upholstered furniture of this class.
If such a sofa is assembled, it will have a length of about 245 centimeters and up to 260 centimeters. This difference depends on the presence of armrests in the design and their width.
The depth of the seat can vary up to 150 centimeters, taking into account the backrest. The height ranges from 70 centimeters to 80 centimeters.
Large
If we talk about large corner sofas, then this class should include models that have a seat length ranging from two meters or more.
They come in both folding and monolithic types. Modular and standard options are available.
Often such sofas are produced according to customer designs in a single copy. As a rule, these models are equipped with various shelves, tables or a small bar that has the ability to cool drinks. This bar is usually located in the middle zone.
The dimensions of the sleeping place can be within 200 centimeters by 140 centimeters and up to 300 centimeters by 200 centimeters.
Configuration and dimensions of radius models
The latest innovations in the furniture market include radius models of corner sofas.
They are produced in the form of a semicircle and look very beautiful, attractive and unusual. Most often, such models are designed in a modern design. In this type of furniture, the laws of such styles as Loft and Techno or Hi-Tech usually prevail, as the most progressive. But no one bothers to ask the manufacturer to make this type in the classic version.
The size of such a sofa will directly depend on the number of segments included in the layout.
If the living space is small, then this type of sofa will be appropriate only if its dimensions do not interfere with the free movement of residents.
