If you are designing the interior for your living area, the sofa is the most essential element. A sofa is an element on which you spend most of your free time, whether relaxing or entertaining. Sofa, apart from bringing impactful focal point in any living room, also provides comfort, warmth, and conversation area. Then why not choose the best sofa for your home?
The design of sofa is an important investment as it is one of the most frequently used furniture element in your living room. Here are some essential points to consider before you design the sofa or sofa set.
Donald A. Norman has said in his book The Design of Everyday Things, “Why do we need to know about the human mind? Because things are designed to be used by people, and without a deep understanding of people, the designs are apt to be faulty, difficult to use, difficult to understand.”
Here we will discuss:
- Overall Layout
- Right size and framework
- Shape of sofa
- Styles of sofa
- Upholstery
- Materials
- Colours
- Future life, cost and budget, maintenance
- Sitting Experience
Sofa Design Tips
Hence here we are discussing some living room sofa design ideas, sofa design tips as per human behavior and usage.
1. Overall Layout:
First design the overall layout of the room, i.e. place all furniture like sofa, coffee table, showcase, TV set with reference to doors and windows in the room. First of all take the dimensions of your space where the sofas are going to placed. Prepare the list of elements and start thinking about the basic arrangement of the elements. By this arrangements of furniture, decide that how much space is available for the sofa. Minimum 30 inches (45 cm) required in front of the sofa for walking. If you use a coffee table, additional 12 to 18 inches (30 cm to 45 cm) is required between the coffee table and sofa.
2. Consider the Right Size & Frame of Sofa:
Before you start designing sofas, measure the space in your living room where the sofa will be placed. Furthermore, check the dimensions of the doors and stairways where the sofa will be passing through upon delivery.
Here are some basic standard dimensions for sofa:
It is important to select the length, width and height of the sofa as per the size of your living area. Sofa varies in size, from 6 to 8 feet (1.8m to 2.4m) long and 32 to 40 inch (80cm to 100 cm) deep for a standard size sofa. 4 to 6 feet long and 28 to 30 inch deep is good for loveseat. Standard height for sofa is 17″(42.5 cm), the actual depth of seating area is affected by the depth of the sofa’s arm and back of the sofa.
The sofa should be proportionate and should look neither too small nor too bulky in the space. If you have a large living room, a long tuxedo sofa may work best for you. This overstuffed sofa is functional, flexible and exquisitely detailed and can work well with any interior design whether it is traditional or modern. If you have a small home then design sofa cum bed which you can use as a bed also.
Always invest in a good quality frame, it may be more expensive but it will last long. Solid hardwood or marine ply is great for your frame. Avoid materials like particleboard or softwood for your frame. Softwood like pine may cost you less but it will warp or wobble after a few years. Make sure that your frame is durable and sturdy to get the most use for your budget over time.
Remember, the ill dimensional sofa will spoil your back and you may become victim of back pain over a period of time. So, choose the right anthropometric sofa.
3. Shape of Sofa that Suits Your Room:
The shape of your sofa depends on the spaces and how you arrange in the room. Sofas are available in almost every shape but rectangular and L-shaped sofas are most popular. If you want to divide your space, like the living room and dining area use a L-shaped sofa. Circular sofa or Round shaped sofas are more conductive for space which is meant for gathering purpose. You can use a semi-circle shape around your coffee table.
4. Sofa Style That Complements the Room:
There are different styles of the sofa available like Standard sofa, Sectional, Recliner, English rolled arm, Tuxedo, Chaise lounge, etc. Choose the style which naturally complements your living room and other elements of your room.
If you are designing your room in a modern style, select a sofa that represents clean lines with dramatic patterns and hues. If your style is a bit traditional, a classical tuxedo sofa with traditional pattern fabric will work best. If your living room is a mix of colors and designs, a Lawson-style with colorful fabric will make a great alternative.
Choose the right combination of 1-seater, 2-seater, 3-seater, etc.
While deciding style, also choose right combination of 2/3-seater sofa with number of 1-seater sofas i.e. sofa size for living room keeping in view your room size and layout.
Popular Types of Sofas
Here are some of sofa shape types and sofa design ideas for small living room according to various living room sofa layout ideas.
a. Sectional Sofa:
Sectional sofas are available for as large as well as smaller room. These sofas are multi piece sofa and common numbers of pieces are 3 and 5. It can be arranged in different configurations according to the number of pieces. Sectional sofa sets include fixtures that connect the pieces to keep them from separating.
Two common configurations are L-shape and U-shaped.
If you want to explore other varied designs of sofa for your living room, we have a link below to read on the same:
b. Recliner Sofa:
Recliner sofas are great for watching television and reading. This is a new type of couch but not the best pick for a formal living room. They are terrific for family rooms. Yes, you can do little carpentry work for the TV platform and add recliner sofas and can make a fine home media room.
c. Tuxedo Sofa:
Tuxedo sofa is a classy loking sofa with straight sharp lines.It has high arms level with sofa back . Though it’s classy aesthetically, it is not comfortable due to lack of reclining angle.
Tuxedo designs are also applied in chairs and loveseats.
d. Lawson Style Sofa:
The back with soft pillows separate from the frame is a signature element of Lawson style sofa. This sofa style is designed for more comfort, the reason behind this comfort is more cushioned sofa with large cushions that are not taut with the main frame of the sofa.
This style is popular in the market till date. You can buy a Lawson style sofa in many sizes, colours and materials.
e. Chaise Lounge:
Chaise lounge is extremely popular element for patio furniture item and also mostly found on pool side. It is also popular for bedroom suites. Some chaise lounges have arm while others have no arms.
f. Low-Seated Sofa:
The typical height of sofa seat is 17″ to 18″, a low seated sofa is where the seat height is lower than 17″. It can be used in different rooms such as living area, family room, bedroom and any king of lounging space. But it is difficult to get up and lie, particularly for senior citizens and people with less energy.
Sleeper Sofa:
Sleeper sofas can be converted in to bed for sleeping. It is advisible to use for compact space design. There are main three types of sleeper sofa.
- Pull Out Sofa Bed
- Convertible Sofa
- Futon
g. Sofa Lounger:
Initially it was known as sofa with chaise lounge, but now has it’s own term that is Sofa Lounger. Basically it is a sofa with an extension for relaxing your foots.
Sofa lounger comes in three style:
- Full Sofa Lounger
- Multi Sofa Lounger
- Single Sofa Lounger
These were some popular types of sofa, but if you want to know the difference between sofa and couch, here we share a detailed blog on the same:
5. Sofa Upholstery – Fabric v/s Leather:
Select strong and durable upholstery for your sofa. No matter how lovely your upholstery design is. If your fabric is not appropriate, it will tear and stain quickly which will not satisfy your need. The upholstery should be comfortable to sit on.
Fabric that is tightly woven and has higher thread count will last long. Upholstery is available in synthetic, cotton, silk, linen and leather. Fabrics like cotton and linen are most comfortable and durable sofa fabric while synthetic is resistant to stain. Silk gives a sophisticated look.
Leather is easy to clean and firmer than fabric upholstery. Leather upholstery gives a high-end modern look to your sofa. Leather is expensive and you will not get many color options. It does not attract dust, pet dander, and easy to clean. Thus it is more suitable for homes with pets. However it will also get very sticky in the summer and during humid times.
If your sofa is close to a window then select sofa upholstery with high UV resistance. So it will not fade in the presence of sunlight.
6. Materials:
Choose the right material for Frame, upholstery and foam. They will govern the life as well as its cost while wooden frame are costly as compared by frames, but they last long. There are many sofa material types including leather, linen, cotton, wool and many more. Choose the best material for sofa and for this you must choose the sofa material guide.
7. Choosing Right Colours:
Color is an important factor for sofa styling. Never be afraid to choose something unique with colorful hues and prints. It will transform the feel and entire look of your living room. If you are not comfortable with bold colors and patterns, you can use a light color sofa with textured and patterned pillows and throws.
When you select colour, keep at the back of mind, the overall colour scheme of the room and house as a whole. The harmony of colour must flow hence living room sofa color combinations are also important.
Don’t go for trendy patterns as they will bore you too soon. Choose the plain color for your sofa style and introduce pattern and texture via pillows, throws, and other elements in your living room.
8. Future Life, Cost and Budget, Maintenance:
You will find a plethora of designs in our Best Home Designs section. But first decide your budget. There are always better things, but can you afford it? Also, look at the life and the maintenance or cleaning problems. Your decision should be a balanced one, giving justice to all, in all fairness and possibilities.
9. Test Your Sitting Experience:
After making the sofa, sit on it and check whether it is comfortable or not. Use high resilient foam for your sofa because it is strong, durable, and holds the shape of the sofa in comparison to low-density foam. For firmness and comfort use eight-way, hand-tied springs for fabrication.
By keeping above points in mind you can design an attractive and comfortable sofa for your home.
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