We all aspire to have a nicely decorated home and one of the key rooms we want to look good is the living room. Because the living room is where (in normal times) we welcome our guests and also where one of the most important pieces of furniture lives – the sofa. Not only does the style and colour of your sofa showcase your taste to others, getting the right sofa can totally transform your living space.
As many of us are challenged when it comes to space, here are some tips to help you choose a sofa for a smaller living room.
Consider your proportions
No home is perfect and without its challenges when it comes to decorating and furnishing. If you have a small living room, it’s even more important to consider the size, shape and functionality of your furniture and the best layout for the room. An overlarge sofa will always look out of place and squashed in a small room. So measure your room’s dimensions, taking account of radiators and plug sockets. Also measure the space your intended sofa will take up – can you still open the door? Can you access a light switch? Does it leave space for other elements such as a coffee table or floor lamp?
Even if the proportions of a sofa will physically fit the room, does the shape and design work well? You may prefer to stick to more minimal, modern silhouettes to allow the sofa to sit comfortably in the room and give it ‘breathing space’. A more puffy, padded sofa with big arms and high backs may physically fit the dimensions of your room, but will the overall look and design of the sofa overcrowd it?
Perhaps most importantly, when the sofa is delivered think about whether it will fit through the doors leading to your living room?! You would be surprised at how many new sofas are sadly returned because of this reason – consider any stairs leading up to your front door, too. This is when a streamlined, compact sofa, or one requiring some element of self-assembly, may be the best option for you.
What is the room’s main purpose?
When planning your seating, think about how the room will be used – is it just for relaxing and entertaining in, spending quality time with the family or watching TV? Is it’s sole purpose a living room or does it need to serve multiple functions, for example be a home office or a spare bedroom, too? If you live in a studio, it may be required to play all three roles!
Depending on the size and shape of your room, the natural approach is to position the sofa and armchairs around a fireplace, TV or a central coffee table. If you have any available corner space, consider adding a stylish and compact side table which is a useful surface for placing plants and other decorative accents, as well as every day items such as coffee cups, books, glasses and the TV remote control.
If the sofa is going to be a place to sleep, too, you will want to look for a good quality sofa bed and if you choose something modern and versatile like the yaheetech futon sofa you can be confident that it will be a great addition to any living room, thanks to its smart appearance, proportions and multi-functionality.
Think practically about the sofa’s composition and fabric when choosing your design. For example the high quality artificial leather of the Yaheetech futon sofa makes it a popular choice as it is durable and easy to maintain and keep clean. This is an important consideration if the sofa is going to get lots of usage or children and pets will be using it as it can be wiped down regularly. I also like the fact that the middle arm rest folds down with two cup holders, so you and a friend or partner can relax and enjoy a cup of tea or glass of wine together!
Decorating & accessorising around your sofa
Arranging occasional furniture and accessories thoughtfully and not overcrowding the space will complement your sofa and make it look like a natural, fitting and integral part of the room. This is also true if you choose complimentary paint colours. I think the best rule of thumb is to not always follow the latest colour trends, but choose the colours you love and that make you happy – whether that’s bold and vibrant or calming and gentle. Adding a wall mirror is definitely a good idea in a smaller living room to enhance the sense of light and airyness. Try not to stifle windows and any natural light with very heavy curtains. A few real plants dotted around the room, on a shelf or in a hanging planter, helps to lift and freshen the space, whilst bringing an element of nature indoors.
The additional benefits of having a sofa bed
In a small home, the benefits of a sofa bed may seem obvious in the multi-functionality aspect. However another thing to consider is that they make a great addition to rooms other than the living room. Placing a sofa bed in a bedroom or home office, or for example in a holiday home or annex, has even more advantages. They can be a wonderful addition to a child’s room where for reading and playtime, they can also have friends or cousins to stay over. Even a nursery can benefit from a sofa bed, where it makes feeding and changing convenient, but also enables sleeping beside the baby when they’re poorly. So a sofa bed is definitely not just for a living room as well as a great space saver in a smaller home.
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© Copyright 2021 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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