Corner sofa living room layouts: Practical tips & ideas

3. What shape is my room? 

What are the dimensions of the room where you want to put your corner sofa?

It’s important to know the dimensions and consider the shape of your room before you begin looking for your sofa.

That way, you’ll have an idea of what your options are and what you should look out for.

Some rooms may need a little more consideration when it comes to choosing a sofa than others.

If it’s a large square, great, or a large rectangle, even better.

These types of rooms don’t tend to cause too much of a problem when it comes to finding furniture to fit. 

But if it’s an odd shape or is on the small side, then it may be best to position your sofa right against a wall and make use of handy additional furniture items that double up as space-savers, e.g. a storage footstool.

Tip: if you’re after a recliner sofa, you’ve got to have plenty of room behind your sofa to be able to kick back and relax.

4. Where is the window? 

Not sure about putting your corner sofa in front of your window?

Providing you don’t mind not being able to walk right up to your window, it’s perfectly ok to do this.

Not only will it really show off your sofa in the natural light, you’ll be able to use it for more things other than TV-watching, such as reading, because there’s plenty of light shining in on you.

Putting a corner sofa near your window will instantly frame your window, instantly making it even more of a focal point.

If space permits, give your sofa a little breathing space by pulling it away from the window.

5. Where are the radiators?

Bunching your corner sofa right up against your radiator will block the heat that comes out. It can take its toll on your sofa over time too.

You can position your sofa in front of a radiator, but make sure you pull it away a few inches, just like with your window.

6. Where are the doors?

You may have your sights set on having a corner sofa, but if your living room’s on the smaller side, so much so that the door to the room opens in on to or extremely near to your sofa, you’ll end up with cramped living arrangements.

Your door will effectively act as a barrier, making your room feel smaller. It may also be difficult to enter the room and navigate your way around the door and your sofa.

Map out your doors before you start shopping around!

7. What other furniture do I have?

Ideally, you want to plot out your sofa, as it’s undoubtedly the main piece of furniture in your living room, and then map out the rest of your furniture around it.

For smaller rooms, your sofa will no doubt be the focal point, with space for a small coffee table, footstool or side table.

For larger rooms, you can really have some fun by planning your décor, e.g. a matching chair, rug, TV unit, coffee table, side table and footstool, around your sofa and really spacing these items out.

Corner sofa living room ideas

Corner sofas are a bit of a tricky shape to think about, but that doesn’t mean you’re limited when it comes to positioning them.

Here are three of the most popular suggestions:

Put your corner sofa in the middle of your living room

If you’ve got the space, this is a great option for making the most of it!

Making your sofa a central piece of furniture lends itself well to open plan living; you can use it to split your room into two different zones, with the sofa effectively acting as a barrier.

Once you have your sofa in prime position, work around it with a few accent pieces, such as a coffee table or side table.

Try to make these items the same level as the top of your sofa cushions to help create a seamless look throughout the space.

Be careful not to add too many pieces of furniture, as you’ll want your sofa to take centre stage and not have to compete for attention with lots of other items.

Use a large rug to help anchor your corner sofa and surrounding furniture to the space.

The rug will help to define the area and separate it from the rest of the room’s functions; a dining area, for example.

Make sure all the furniture’s legs sit on the rug to encompass all of the pieces that belong in that particular part of the room. 

Remember to measure your space and ensure you’ll have enough room to comfortably walk around a corner sofa if you’re having it centrally positioned.

You could always opt for a smaller corner sofa or chaise if you don’t have room for a sprawling corner sofa. 

Put your sofa alongside your window

If you can get away with doing this without blocking your window, then this option is great for creating a window corner seat that’s far more comfy than a standard window seat!

Don’t forget about measuring how high the back is so that it’s not an obstruction, and make sure you have enough space to open and close your windows, as well as your curtains. 

Corner sofas are more versatile than you may initially think.

And if you get the dimensions and positioning right, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be a real show-stopper of a furniture investment.

If you’d like more advice on choosing the best L-shaped and corner sofas for your space, you may find 'your guide to buying a modular sofa' useful.