The placement of a sofa, or a pair of sofas, can have a significant effect in transforming a space. It’s important then that when furnishing and curating a residential living room, two sofas work dynamically to complement each other, the decor and most importantly, the wider room.
There are many different ways to arrange two sofas in a living room that can bring a distinctive look and feel to the space, and finding the best way to present these sofas is paramount to the entire layout of the room. It is in this curation that striking sequences can take shape and accent features can take centre stage.
In this Minotti London design guide, discover just some of the ways in which two sofas can be arranged to finesse a living room.
How to Arrange Two Sofas in a Living Room
As with almost all interior designs, it’s important to consider the purpose of the room before anything else. As there are many ways one might arrange two sofas in a living room, such curations often hinge on the function of the room in question.
Is the room to be used primarily for socialising and entertaining guests, for reading or for watching TV? Furthermore, is there a certain feature that should be prioritised, such as a panoramic view or a bookshelf display?
Deciding how to arrange sofas can play a large influence on the room being designed. Whether the pair of sofas are large or small, high or low, this guide will discuss how best to arrange two sofas in a living room.
Opposing Sides
Here, two Anderson Chaise Longues have been placed opposite each other to create symmetry. Notice how the arrangement perfectly frames the seam where the walls change colour and material | Designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for © Minotti London
Placing two sofas facing each other not only creates strong symmetry but is also ideal for nurturing a sociable atmosphere. Bringing a coffee table in between or an armchair to the ‘head’ of the arrangement can also create balance.
One might also consider placing a coffee table between the two sofas in order to bring additional functionality and contribute to the style of the room by complementing the sofas.
If the room features a particularly stunning focal point, such as a fireplace or a large work of art, it may be worth using the sofa arrangement to frame this feature as a centrepiece.
L-Shape Formation
Due to its versatility, many designers opt for creating an L-shaped seating arrangement with two sofas.
Placed against a wall or in the middle of a room, the L-shape formation is excellent for creating zones and dividing larger living rooms. Alternatively, this arrangement helps to maximise the floor space in smaller living rooms.
While the L-shape can be achieved simply by purchasing a corner sofa, using two sofas does, in some ways, allow for greater flexibility should one want to rearrange the room in the future.
Wide Angle
Spacing sofas far apart and facing various angles is an interesting arrangement technique. It’s one that is particularly powerful in large spaces, as it can ensure that the space doesn’t feel empty and that it maintains an open living space.
While it’s not always easy to achieve this look with just two sofas, bringing a chaise longue or an armchair into the picture can help. It may also be worth placing all pieces on a rug, which will help to solidify each piece and give it a sense of belonging.
Facing a View
Angling two sofas towards the living room’s most prominent feature, be it a fireplace, a sculpture or a striking window view, will guarantee all eyes will take notice.
Curating a seating area around such a prominent feature is a useful technique used by interior designers. These features can even act as a guide for where a pair of sofas may work best in a room.
Choose Two Sofas
While knowing how to arrange sofas is important, understanding the impact of certain styles is just as crucial. It’s important to consider the desired look of the room and how different choices can reflect on the room’s aesthetic.
Some may seek to create a space that has a sense of uniformity, while others might choose to be more playful, opting for sofas of differing designs and colours. Depending on preference, sofas can be chosen based on a strict colour palette or with a more liberated theme.
Combining Styles
The different styles and colours of the armchairs and the Aston Sofa create an interesting contrast, however, the alternating colours of the cushions bring an overall unity to the space | Designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for © Minotti London
The beauty of arranging multiple sofas is that one can incorporate different styles, designs and colours within a single room. For example, one might consider pairing two sofas of differing materials or dressing two matching sofas with strikingly different throws.
As seen with Minotti London’s Aston Sofa arrangement (above), the effect of combining different styles of sofa and armchair can have a profound effect on the room. With creativity and careful consideration, one can create unique contrasts and introduce eye-catching and sophisticated themes.
On the other hand, the Minotti London Lawson Sofa arrangement (below), uses contrasting styles from the same family of sofa style. These sofas are brought together, emphasising their differences while also creating harmony.
The different styles and colours of the armchairs and the Aston Sofa create an interesting contrast, however, the alternating colours of the cushions bring an overall unity to the space | Designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for © Minotti London
Creating Unity
While opposites may attract, creating a unity with the same style of sofa can bring harmony to a room. However, this doesn’t mean that everything has to match entirely as there are still many ways to play with such an arrangement.
For example, one might consider selecting different sizes of the same sofa design (particularly with L-shaped arrangements), to allow the sofas to stand alone while being part of the same ‘sofa family’.
Another way to achieve such harmony in a living room could be to bring in another seating element, such as an armchair or chaise lounge that’s related to the feature sofas.
Although the Seymour Sofa and Seymour Chaise Longue are noticeably different, they complement each other with their elegant lines and similar shapes | Designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for © Minotti London
Other Furniture & Accessories
Along with the sofas themselves, there are other pieces of furniture and accessories that will work to elevate to the overall aesthetic of a living room, such as:
- Sectional Rugs | A rug can really work to accentuate the layout of the two sofas and to add elegance.
- Armchairs | Complete a seating area by adding another element of comfort to a space.
- Coffee tables | Coffee tables have the power to create interesting contrasts between materials and add bring additional textures and dimension to a living room.
Utilising these pieces of furniture and accessories can emphasise the look of the two sofas whilst bringing a sense of completeness to a space.
Conclusion: Arranging Two Sofas
When arranging two sofas in a living room, it’s important to hone in on a few main criteria. To summary, here are the different sofa arrangements discussed in this design guide:
- Opposing Sides
- L-shape Formation
- Wide Angle
- Facing a View
When considering the above approaches, keep in mind how the sofas will flow and balance one another while ensuring that they complement the rest of the room. Remember that both size and shape play an integral role in how the arrangement will work.
More on this subject:
- 5 Ways to Decorate a Living Room with a Dark Brown Sofa
- How to Style a Brown Leather Sofa: A Design Guide
- 5 Ways to Style a Cream Sofa in a Living Room
- 5 Best Designer Leather Sofas for the Living Room
- 5 Ways to Style a Grey Sofa in a Living Room
- 5 Ways to Style a Blue Sofa in a Living Room
- 6 Ways to Style a Navy Sofa in a Living Room
- 5 Ways to Style a Black Sofa in a Living Room