Living Room Sofa Design

Like everything else in this era of endless choice, there seem to be infinite options when it comes to choosing a sofa. You might think you know exactly what you want, but once you walk into a shop or browse images online, the styles, shapes, and customization alternatives can become overwhelming. Save yourself the time, money, and potential buyer's remorse and use these tips to get a clear idea of what you want (and what you need!) before you start the hunt.

1. Consider size first. If you have a bigger living room, you'll need to decide exactly how much of the living room you want your couch to fill. Do you want to include other couches or chairs? Do you want a coffee table? If so, a simple sofa, or one with a slight L-shape is probably the best fit. If you're looking for a sofa that will be the focal point of your living room, look for rounder couch shapes that take up a bit more room and provide a lot of seating. Here's a great example of a strong and simple sofa from Crate & Barrel.

Design Within Reach has a perfect two-seater for a small living room.
2. Decide exactly how the sofa will be oriented. Successfully organizing a living space starts with analyzing your lifestyle. What do you do the most in that space? Do you like to wind down in front of the TV? Make sure your couch faces that direction. Love hosting game or wine nights? Create a semi circle (or even full circle) around a central table.

Does your family use the living room to lounge, relax and read? Surround your sofa with chairs and cushions to create multiple seating areas that can be enjoyed individually, or as a large group.

3. Determine which shape will suit the room best. Now that you've decided your sofa's function, it's time to figure out which shape will help it fulfill that purpose. A clean L-shape this one from IKEA is great for open areas that need to be divided — such as separating the living room from the dining room.

4. Research upholstery materials. Which will be best for you? Aesthetic is important, but functionality is key when it comes to choosing a material for your sofa. A lot of us that would love to indulge in a plush, white suede sofa —they're so gorgeous, but so dangerous. Suede can be a poor choice if you have pets or small children who will cause some serious damage.
Leather — particularly in darker colors — is consistently in style, generally wears well with age, and can be fairly easy to clean.

Pottery Barn has a great leather sofa that could be used in a pair, similar to the previous photo.
Another choice is to opt to have your couch upholstered in an outdoor fabric. Many companies now carry Sunbrella fabrics, which resist stains, water and fading from the sun. Many outdoor furniture companies also have outdoor couches and love seats that are so simple and classic in design that they could easily be used indoors.

5. Choose a style that complements your home. It can be a little hard to nail down your own personal style, but go with your gut instinct when picking the type of couch that will fit naturally in your home. If your style is sleek and modern, pick something that reflects that in clean lines and dramatic colors.

6. Pick a color: bright, printed, or neutral? Re-upholstering furniture has become a relatively inexpensive option for anyone who wants to personalize a piece of furniture.

If you're too nervous to experiment with bolder colors and patterns in your sofa, you can always opt for a funky ottoman that can double as a coffee table. It'll add a more subtle sense of diversity to your living room, while complementing more classic couches and chairs. Consider this exotic ottoman from Anthropologies.