Should I buy a sectional or a sofa? 7 pros and cons

To decide between a sofa and a sectional, know that there are advantages and disadvantages to each. I hear feedback from homeowners everyday of the year, so I’m just passing along what homeowners say about their own furniture!

1) If you like to rearrange your furniture often, a sectional is not for you.
You probably won’t have many options with a sectional. It will probably only work ONE WAY due to TV viewing, door openings etc.

A mix of prints, solids, stripes, & leather – all in one room!
This is nearly impossible to achieve with a sectional
instead of a sofa & chairs. The layout of the room allows various
options, chairs in front of window, sofa in front of window, etc.
The room can be rearranged in various layouts,
if you’re the type that likes change.

2) If you like a variety of fabrics and textures, it’s easier to accomplish this with sofa. 
See above – a sofa in one fabric, a pair of chairs in another fabric, and another chair or bench in a third and fourth fabric.

3) A sectional can seat a lot of people.
Especially when it doesn’t have a curve in the corner.However, often people say that the corner is sort of “wasted space”.

Advantage to a sectional sofa – it can help you accomplish a
clean metropolitan look, and can be good for TV viewing

4) It’s easy to accomplish a clean metropolitan look with a sectional. 
Look at the photos, they speak for themselves.

5) It’s MUCH less expensive to reupholster a sofa if need be (due to damage). 
Keep this in mind if you’re worried about children, pets, spills, etc.

6) A room will look much bigger with chairs & a sofa.
A sectional on the other hand, can look very dense, so they often require either tall ceilings or a nice size room, so they don’t overpower the room.

Advantage to chairs and sofas – Chairs that are up on legs can
make a small room look larger…(whereas a sectional sofa can
look dense, and make a small room feel even smaller)

7) A sectional can create a nice “surround” to view the TV from numerous seats. 
It is sometimes the obvious choice due to the shape of the room. See photo below.

This sectional fits better in this space than chair and a sofa would.
It’s obvious when a sectional is the perfect option.

 

Advantage for chairs and sofas: It’s easy to add a variety of fabrics.
Example – the busy green fabric on this chair would be
too busy to put on an entire sectional sofa. Also, you can see under
the chairs so the room feels larger.

In deciding between a sectional & sofa, know that it’s a matter of preference.  If you’re combining styles (husband versus wife) the decision can be even more challenging. Hopefully the pro and con list will help you decide. Or, your room shape may just dictate the decision for you! 

For a Before and After which will make you fall in love with a sectional, click on this blog: 

https://www.interiordesigngreensboro.com/search?q=maximize+seating

Comments?  Share your thoughts and opinions – just click the word “comments” below……

About the Author

Deborah

An interior designer in Greensboro, NC, Deborah features before and after transformations at https://www.transformingrooms.com

0 thoughts on “Should I buy a sectional or a sofa? 7 pros and cons

  1. You're so right about not being able to rearrange our sectional. We have one in our living room and have no way to move it around. It has to stay in the original spot we picked it out for. This is really great stuff.

  2. I do agree with you. If you are looking for a fabric used in sofa, then there are various styles of fabrics are available in the market like Damask fabric and many more. Mainly people use this fabric for interior designing in curtains, sofa, cushion etc. Northcroftfabrics-Damask fabric is very durable and safe option to select.

  3. I have weighed this many times and think this is a really good article. I currently have a couch and two chairs and while I like the aesthetics, I miss the comfort of the "L" shape of the sectional and ability to have multiple people on it.

  4. Sectional is the great addition for small space and for small member-ed family. Sofa takes huge space to set up. Personally I like sectional leather recliner. You can try them for your living space. Try best recliners from bestrecliner.net.

  5. This is something we have to ponder, too. We enjoyed having a big sectional at our old house – great for plopping down with kids – but we are not sure we want to be committed to that as our only choice at the new house. I liked the arrangement of several chairs for a conversation area in the top picture. We are considering this sort of a thing as an option for our den so it doesn't feel too crowded or closed in but the space seems appropriate for a small sectional to hug the walls as you walk in and then chairs opposite.

  6. Furniture is a great investment of a living room. You can add modernized and stylish furniture to your living space. Furniture like recliners are considered as the popular furniture nowadays. Find the best recliners with the comprehensive best recliners reviews guide. power recliners

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