Could Your Living Room Be Better Without a Sofa?

Do you have a living room where it seems impossible to place a sofa? Lately it seems that even in large homes the formal living room is getting smaller. Many of them are designed so that all four sides of the room have either an entrance, a window, a fireplace or a television making all options poor placement for a sofa. Open floor plans complicate things even more so that a sofa almost always has its back turned on something important.

And have you noticed that when guests come over, most people seem to prefer sitting in a single chair? I know I hate being the one in the middle of the sofa being jostled from both sides. Give me my own cozy chair with plenty of elbow room!

The good news is that there is no interior design law that requires your living room to contain a sofa. The photos in this ideabook all show great living rooms where the designers created beautiful, inviting and functional furniture arrangements without a sofa.

In this living room, the unusual combination of a daybed and two armless chairs face each other over a narrow coffee table. The daybed gives you room to lean back against an arm and stretch your feet out toward the fire. It also assures that whether there is another entrance to the room on that side or a window, the furniture won’t have its back to it.

This classic arrangement of four armchairs placed on the diagonal around a circular coffee table is one of my favorites. I’ve recommended it many times to clients who have difficult living rooms, but find that people are often afraid to try it. It is amazingly functional. The fireplace, window and entrance are all clear.

A square cocktail table turned on the diagonal works well with these four luxuriously proportioned chairs. The side tables offer a great spot to place lamps for flattering lighting without blocking anyone’s view of the others seated there. One advantage this type of grouping has over a sofa is that it is easier to face each other than when you are seated side by side on a sofa.

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Could Your Living Room Be Better Without a Sofa?