What you need to know about corner vs conventional sofas

Are you thinking of purchasing new sofas but not sure which type to go for? Shopping for furniture can be confusing with so many choices to pick from. Don’t you wish there was some kind of sign in shops that detailed the pros and cons for particular products? I do too but that’s wishful thinking because shops normally want you to buy their stock and will always highlight the pros over cons.

Over the years, I’ve come to realise choosing the right sofa for your living room is one of those things you need to think carefully about. Are you pondering on whether to go for a corner sofa or a conventional one? Here is my quick guide to help you decide which one is best for your living room.

Corner Sofa

The corner sofa, also known as the modular sofa became popular in 1970’s. This was despite it being invented by American designer Harvey Probber way back in 1944. Probber was experimenting with pieces or modules of furniture and found that when put together they can be more meaningful in terms of design and use.

Today corner sofas are everywhere and come in different styles. They work for certain room layouts and sizes. Here are some corner sofa pros and cons

Pros

1. They offer ample seating without the need for a lot of floor space .

2. Your entire family can fit on a corner sofa depending on the size.

3. They easily fit into room corners making furniture arranging less complicated

4. Corner sofas save space, meaning you can use the rest of the room for other purposes.

Although corner sofa’s are great for space saving, they also have some disadvantages which include:

Cons

1. They won’t necessarily work for every living room

2. You may need to purchase new sofas if you move homes as the L shape may be on the wrong side.

2. You may be limited to one furniture layout plan especially if you purchased an irreversible corner sofa.

Conventional sofas

Three seater sofas have been around for a long time and are the traditional go to choice for seating. Like the corner sofa, they come in different styles and finishes. You have a choice of contemporary , modern or traditional styles depending on your choice. Made.com have a range of modern sofas that come in different sizes from 2 to 4 seaters.

When it comes to more traditional sofas, Marks and Spencers is a good place to start. Next also has some amazing seating with a mix of both modern and traditional styles. Their sofa’s are good quality and last long too.

They have traditional sofas that are in keeping with current trends. I own a sofa from Next and had it for nearly 8 years now. It still looks and feels great apart from the expected wear and tear.

Advantages of conventional sofas include:

Pros

1. They are easy to arrange and give you more layout options
2. If you move houses, they are more likely to fit in to your new place with ease
3. You can mix and match by getting a two or 3 seater sofa with accent chairs to add interest
4. They come in different sizes going up to 4+ seats on one sofa.

Cons

1. They can be bulky and take up a lot of space in small rooms where you need a lot of seating space.
2. You have to be creative about how you arrange sofas if you have a room on the smaller side.
3. Having too many sofas may restrict floor circulation in your living room.

The type of sofa you go for will hugely depend on the space you have available. Both modular and traditional sofas have their pros and cons depending on your personal circumstances. Read through the pros and cons of each one above and decide which you can live with and which you can’t. Hopefully you should be able to pick a style that will work best for you.

If you are thinking of buying new furniture, be sure to read my post on 10 mistakes to avoid before you go on your furniture shopping trip.

*This post contains affiliate links to stores which means I will receive a small commission at no cost to you when you click on them.

Posted By: Style by Chie · In: Interiors & Living, Living