When it comes to plain sofas and sectional sofas, there is no straight answer to the question as to which one is better. Both choices excel at their purposes, and it ultimately rests on the buyer to make the decision, keeping in mind the available space and house setting. While making a wise decision between a regular sofa and a sectional can be overwhelming for some folks, it shouldn’t be a problem after you evaluate the following factors.
Regular Sofas
Sofas, also known as couches, are upholstered pieces of furniture meant for three individuals to sit on. They come in various sizes and styles offering a wide range of formal designs, with a decent amount of comfy designs too. Different sofa designs have multiple variants including the modern, traditional, and cultural variants, allowing for easy adjustment in European, American, and Asian homes. Sectional Sofas, on the other hand, are uncommon in many Asian countries.
Regular sofas are the focus of every family space and serve a multitude of purposes. They can be easily moved closer to promote a comfy setting, or moved further away with a coffee table in between, for tea with some guests. Almost everyone has got their own regular sofa these days.
A plain sofa offers endless possibilities because it takes up less space. This makes it perfect for small living rooms. A sofa paired with recliners, or chairs as per requirement, should be sufficient for visiting family friends / siblings.
A sofa allows for a wider sphere of change. If you’re someone who frequently rearranges their house, regular sofas would be the best choice. Unlike sectional sofas, a plain sofa mostly adjusts to any, and all angles in a typical living room. Leather sofas also go very well with wood furniture. The rich color of the leather will give your living room an illusion of warmth and comfort.
Sectional Sofas
Sectional sofas were considered something long out of fashion. People were moving back towards warm, upholstered, plain couches. However, television and social media have brought the sofas back in demand. You would see many of the top manufacturers promoting various designs of sectional sofas once again. This is because the sectional sofas are considered better in contemporary homes due to style.
While sectional sofas take up a lot of space, they make up for it by offering more styles. There are three shapes of sectional sofas available. All three share common traits, yet have their differences.
In case you want to use a sectional sofa separately, we recommend you read the following tips first – Tips for Using a Sectional Sofa Separately
A Chaise Sectional
The first shape is the Chaise sectional Sofa, a three-seat sofa with an additional seat/chaise attached to the right or left corner. It is the perfect style if you’re a fan of party hosting. Sectionals offer a wide range of customization and adaptability, depending on the number of pieces you buy. Chaise sectionals, also feature a cuddler chaise, which unfolds providing an extended space. As far as the pricing is concerned, these can be up to two to three times the price of normal sofas.
L-Shaped Sectional
The second shape type is the L-shaped sectional. It is essentially two sofas placed together, forming an L, with no armrest at the sides. These sofas cannot be placed in the middle of the room. They look out of place until they are placed in the corner. Though at first glance, an L-sectional looks big and bulky, it may be the best choice for your living room. This is because it not only offers a lot of seating places but is also economical.
The L-Sectional Sofa is one of the most popular designs in many parts of the world. People prefer the L-Sectional because it helps in covering up their walls, offering a seating place, and coveri
ng up a corner of the room in a highly precise manner.
U-Shaped Sectional
The third shape is the U-shape. You can easily imagine what it looks like. As the name suggests, U-shaped sectionals are three sofas stuck together. There is one sofa in the middle, and two sofas at both ends, perpendicular to it. The number of pieces in a U-Sectional Sofa can be adjusted according to the room size as well as the personal requirements.
Follow here for more information on sectional sofas – How to Choose a Sectional Sofa
Things to Consider When Deciding Between Sectional and Regular Sofas
The Cost.
Sectional sofas are a lot more expensive than plain sofas are. They can cost up to 2-3 times more than a regular sofa. This is one reason why you won’t see a sectional sofa in a smaller household while you might easily see a regular sofa in typically any household.
The Space.
Keep in mind that a regular sofa can fit anywhere from the lounge to the bedroom but the sectionals require a lot more space. They are cumbersome and will overshadow everything else in the room. If your living room is multifunctional, a regular sofa seems best. This will give you room to move around. If you have a separate room for guests, a sectional sofa would be okay.
The Purpose of Your Room.
Another very big factor in your choice is what your living room serves as. If you’re somebody that likes to have a lot of people over, sectional sofas look best. They look modern and offer a feel of luxury to the place. If your living room is just a place for you to relax, a plain sofa would be perfect. It will look warm and homey. However, many people have the question that what they should do if they have the purpose of guests and home-usage side by side. The answer is simple: Go for the sectional sofas if you can. These sofas provide all the main aspects of a regular sofa with a little bit of designing too so you can use them when having guests over.
The Aftermath
Buying a sectional sofa may seem like the perfect choice at the moment. However, there is something you should keep in mind. While a plain sofa can be easily moved, sectional sofas are very heavy. There are high chances that once you install your sofa in the area of choice, it will be highly unlikely that the sofa’s position is changed. If you’re somebody that likes redecorating, you should opt for a plain sofa.
How to Design Your Living Room With a Sofa?
Once you’ve decided if you want a plain, or sectional sofa, here are the tips to design your living room.
Decide Your Focal Point
Your sofa should always emphasize the focal point of your room. It can be your bed, a TV, a bookcase, a wall, an outside view. To find out the focal point of your room, stand by the door, and let your eyes drift. The first thing your eyes are drawn to is the focal point. Whatever your focal point is, the sofa should always either be facing it or sitting right in front of it. As a rule of thumb, the main wall of any room (the largest wall) or the wall that is against the media wall is considered as the focal point of the room.
Your Room
The second step is to measure your room to decide the suitable dimensions of the sofa. It should be okay to just measure the length of the wall for a plain sofa. However, if you are choosing a sectional sofa, you should measure the entire room, making sure your sofa will have remaining space on all sides.
Decide on a Material
The next step is to decide on the upholstery of your sofa. If you’re choosing a sectional sofa, a light color will be perfect. For a plain sofa, leather, brown, black and similar dark shades are ideal. If you choose dark shades for a sectional sofa, they will make the room look suffocating because of their size. If you have kids, avoid light shades because they will stain very easily.
Avoid The Walls.
If you’ve chosen a plain sofa, it should ideally be in the middle of a room. Sectional sofas, especially L-sectionals, and U-sectionals look good attached to a wall. However, if your room is really large, you can have sectional sofas separated from the wall. Just be sure to have a lot of space on all sides because only then will you be able to move them easily from one spot to another.
Conclusion
Sofas and couches, both, offer comfortable places to sit and relax. The choice should be according to your requirements. A sectional sofa may be difficult to move, but it also offers a lot of sitting space. It’s perfect for big families. However, if you have a small family, and don’t have a lot of space, a plain sofa is perfect. Hopefully, the above-mentioned tips were a useful guide for you on deciding between a sectional sofa or a regular sofa.