I saw some sectionals from Rowe Furniture this weekend which looked to be smaller in scale. I personally like their styles but if you do a search on this site, there seems to be some debate on their quality. Nevertheless, I would check them out. Good Luck.

Thanks so much. I will check out Rowe, and appreciate the suggestion to search the forum re quality. BTW, the longest sectional we can accomodate is 92" (on one side) and 100" on the other side (but a a bit shorter in both directions would probably be a bit better). The other problem is depth--the space won't accomodate anything but a pretty trim sectional. Any ideas?

Your question is so timely. I just ordered a sectional yesterday that is only 84" long in both directions. I believe there was an option for a larger length too. This is the website for the manufaturer: http://www.smithbrosfurn.com "Smith Brothers of Berne" I was so pleased to find one that fit our space. The quality seemed great. I ordered leather but there were lots of fabric choices too. I would highly recomend checking it out. The website has some nice pictures, perhaps you can find a dealer in your area. Good Luck.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kago. I'll get right on their site and check out the options. So glad that I'm not alone in looking for small sectional.

Have you checked Ethan Allen? I just saw their new catalog and they might have smaller sectional. However, I'm not sure about the quality of EA upholstery. There is some posting on bad experience with EA upholstery.
I made a mistake buying Rowe sectional. One of my main criteria was size. I was looking for smaller sectional too, and Rowe's size fit perfectly on my space plan. I was tired after searching for a long time, too. I just hate my sectional now due to cushion quality. Find something you love, with good quality too. Size could be a bit different than what you want and not look perfect, but if the piece is not comfortable, you suffer and feel sorry every time you sit on it.

Thanks so much for the advice, patintle. You are definitely right about quality, and I will stay away from Rowe (thanks)

You may not be interesting in Pottery Barn furniture, but just saw a small armless sectional in their catalog. At least you could get an idea of size vs a full size.

Thanks so much. I'll get on the pottery barn and check out their couches ASAP

Be wary of PB sofas, at least those made by Mitchell Gold. Instead of coil springs, they utilize sinuous springs which are a cheap substitute. Moreover, many of their frames are not solid wood, but plywood.

thanks for the tip. I had that feeling about PB, too, and I did stop by to look at sofas this morning. The quality was, as you both note above, sub par. I've just called a local distributor for American Leather and they have a few short sectionals that would fit my space. I also called Lexington Furn in NC, and learned that the Hancock and Moore sectionals can be shortened (for a custom upcharge). The H&M sectional that I'm having them price out is the City Sectional (with the sharp right angle). A local store here gave me a price with grade 3 leather and the custom shortening of $8800!!! I want to see how much lower Lexington can go, as I have been so pleased w/their pricing in the past. Tomorrow I'll get to see the American leather sectionals (no upcharge bec. I can just go with 3 cushions on side, a corner and one cushion on the other side). Thanks all of the input. I'll keep plugging away and following leads.

Be sure to read the thread on American Leather first. Shameless attitude on the part of senior management.

Thanks John--at your suggestion, I just tracked it down and wow--I'll take them off my list. I'm absolutely demanding of great customer service and I (unfortunately, I have to admit) have an infinite capacity to fight with vendors over service. I'm now down to H&M (still waiting for a quote), and as long as it is not outrageous I'll buy my small sectional from them bec. I plan to buy this couch just once in my lifetime and I need to love it! Thanks all for the great input.

The trick to finding a sectional that is smaller is in the thickness of the back as this ads to the length as it turns the corner.Lee industries has a nice one that runs @ 90".Having a smaller arm and back will also allow more seating area in a limited space.Lee does use coil springs if you are looking for that,but don't be put off by sinous springs they will probably long outlast your interest in the sofa you buy.When it comes to frames look for hardwood and hardwood plywoods,don't get freaked out by plywood ,manufactured woods tend to be stronger in many applications then solid,in addition most quality manufacturers (Mitchell Gold included)offer warranties on thier frames ,very often lifetime.So stick to smaller arms and quality manufacturers and you will find what you need. Also if customer service is important to you ,you should start with the store you buy at as they are usually your contact with the manufacturer.Good luck

"Lee does use coil springs if you are looking for that,but don't be put off by sinous springs they will probably long outlast your interest in the sofa you buy."

Let's think through springs for a moment. Coil springs resist weight vertically as the coil compresses. When a series of coils are used throughout the support system, each spring will resist according to the relative weight placed on it. Sinuous springs, on the other hand, are fastened at the front and the back. These S springs will compress greater in the middle portion and less at the front and back. The construction approach using S springs is quick and cheap compared to coils. I'll say it again: the standard is 8 way hand-tied coil springs; S springs will lead to cushions that get out of shape.

Again, insist on 5/4 solid hardwood frames. Plywood and other engineered woods can be more stable than solid hardwood, but that is more in the instance when wide boards are used. Wide solid wood stock tends to cup in the direction of the growth ring. With sofa frames, the stock is not wide at all, so this problem does not exist. Moreover, solid wood resists tensile pressures better than plywood; important qualities for a sofa frame. Solid hardwood frames are a committment to quality; plywood frames are a committment to saving money by the manufacturer.

In my opinion, two of the best sofa manufacturers are E.J. Victor and Henredon. They both employ 5/4 solid hardwood frames and 8 way hand tied coil springs in their sofas. There are good reasons why.

Mitchell Gold looks nice but is junk upholstery.

I, too, have been shopping for months for a small sectional. Smith Bros. is probably the best made of the ones listed above, but check out Stickley's if you can afford them...I think they're about the same as Henredon and Hancock & Moore, but they allow you to choose the arm style, they have springs in the cushions, too, along with the 8 way handtied springs. They were really comfortable! If anyone runs across a sectional with on side only 87" please let me know!!! Re the Rowe sofas...their cushions are said to have a lifetime warranty, but I do worry about the sinuous springs on the models without skirts which is what I need. Ugh. Why are they making sofas so dadblamed huge? Our first tuxedo style sofa was only 34" deep and lasted 20 years till I gave it away.

Thanks everyone--you've given me a lot to think about. I really appreciate the detailed advice on construction. Quality and durability definitely matter to me. And that's
a great point about thickness. I'll check out the brands that have just been mentioned--I'm so pleased to have some to look at thanks to all of you. BTW, I did get a quote from Lexington on customizing an H&M sectional (the city sectional as it seems relatively shallow) to make it a big shorter. The upcharge for shortening is only $375--that was a relief. But the sofa would come in at something like $5200, so I'm glad to have a few others to look at before holding my breath and deciding if I can spring for the sofa.

Just ordered a quality sectional from Rose Furniture - it was a Bradington Young leather sectional. Price under $4500.00 delivered w/tax (grade 2 leather - wanted something durable - the 2 golden retrievers get to lie on the sectional).

Check out the BY website and see if they have the sizes you want.

I think BY is one of the better furniture manufacturers.

Thanks dssxxxx--I will check it out. I plan a major push this weekend when I will try to see all of the sectionals that have been recommended here, as well as some major web time. Now I've got lots of leads to follow thanks to you all. I'll let folks know if I come up with any particularly good options for the space constrained sectional lovers out there!

Maryland greetings!

Sadly, I've resumed elenal's search for a WELL BUILT, SMALL sectional sofa.

Our home is decorated in french country style. I'm searching for an ELEGANT L-shaped leather sectional sofa that'll comfortably seat five. The left side needs to be 90" or less and CANNOT LOOK CONTEMPORY. No room for end tables so I'll float the sofa using two sofa tables. To optomize seating, I'll also use one or two swivel chairs and will employ a large tufted ottoman as a coffee table.

Thus far, I've checked out Ethan Allen's Retreat sofa but at 100" it's too long. Home Domain's Putnam sofa also proves too long. Bassett's, Loft sofa would work but, in my opinion, falls short on the look I'm searching for.

If granted a wish, I'd love to find a well built, short L-leather sectional that's oversized (plush and cozy) and has incorporated "some" tufting, or other visual appeal other than poofy-pillowing.

I'm open to suggestions and appreciate the help in guidance... I know there are many others who've gone before me and will hopefully hear my cries for help. Thanks!

Actually a quality 5/4 hardwood frame that is designed for using 8 gauge sinous wire springs will outlast almost any 8-way hand tied springs. John WC, they use twine to tie springs which will break over time. Believe me, I have reupholstered many sofas in the past 30 plus years and re-tied many springs in that time. So many manufacturers are using 8-way as a marketing hype now and the quality and methods some are using makes for a poorly constructed sofa or.. Most of the plywood frames are put together with staples and some glue and will never last as long as a double=doweled hardwood frame. H&M makes quality furniture but I think their are overpriced but really whats most important is if the customer is happy they will forget what they pay after 10 plus years of use.

i am looking at flexsteel sectional reclining sofas for the first time and was wondering if anyone had any experiences with this company that they'd like to pass along. I tried Bassett sectional but it began to fall apart within a month and after MUCH frustration trying to get customer service I got my money back and will not be buying from them ever again. Any thoughts from you all will be Much appreciated.

"Our home is decorated in french country style. I'm searching for an ELEGANT L-shaped leather sectional sofa that'll comfortably seat five. The left side needs to be 90" or less and CANNOT LOOK CONTEMPORY."

I have a recomendation for you, LEATHERCRAFT. They build to the highest standard (even a step above Hancock and Moore in my opinion) and will custom-size as well. Check out their 927 series, which have 90" lengths and is a traditional style.

They sweat the little details, such as welt trim burnishing, using a nylon deck instead of polyester, and using solid brass nail trim when most others use brass-plated nickel. You'll not find bumps and unevenness in their tailoring either, as you see in so many other leather upholstery companies.

I sell a number of leather brands in my store (Leathercraft, Hancock and Moore, Bradington-Young, and Flexsteel) and what I take home for my personal use is Leathercraft. Its that good!

Here is a link that might be useful: Leathercraft website

I have had a flexsteel couch for 10 years and it looks like the day I bought it. It has been through 3 kids and 3 dogs and has held up beautifully. Would highly recommend it. Fabric is a navy blue suede-ish with tan piping and I cannot get it to wear out ... partly because the dark color is so forgiving.

We manufacture a number of smaller sectional styles including some really nice leather models. We wholesale but will sell direct through our nc home store name. We offer eight way hand tie as an inexpensive option if that is your preference.

email me at nchomestore@gmail.com

Here is a link that might be useful: JJ Hyde Company

Elenal here: I found a small leather sectional that met our needs in re style, quality, and size. It is by Custom Leather (a smallish company based in Arizona, but with a store here in Colorado). The sectional was custom sized to fit our room. I was looking for something with very simple lines (since the space is so small), so it wouldn't work in a French country setting. But they did have a few styles with more of a traditional styling. Leather quality is quite fine; I wouldn't say of the H&M level, but it was adequate for our needs and size (and, to a lesser extent, style) had to dominate our decision. Cost was 3900 for an 85 x 85" leather sectional. I saw one that was just a few inches longer on each end by American Leather (also with clean lines, not ultra comtemporary, but definitely with a squared off look) that was very nice at Crate and Barrel. But those few inches extra ruled it out for our very small room. I'm glad others have weighed in with some other brands to look at. Good luck. BTW, I saw on-line that Restoration Hardware is now stocking some smaller-sized sectionals in traditional looks--expensive, but quite nice looking, IMHO.

Elenal (or anyone else looking for small sectionals), have you checked out the San Fran sectional collection by Urban Cali? It's available in leather and fabric and a number of different colors. The microfiber San Fran is priced at $679. You can find them when you click the link below to check them out.

Here is a link that might be useful: small sectionals