As a qualifier, I am planning on getting a sectional for a windowless basement room we just had finished. I'm trying to come up with ways to make the room more interesting rather than being completely dominated by a sectional. Is that possible?

Anyway I'm very curious what you all have to say.

Sometimes a sectional is just the right choice for a particular space. IMHO I don't like the mixed fabric either.

I think a sectional falls into the category of "it is what it is." I'm not a fan of mixed fabrics on sofas, but I know others are. I've seen your style, and it seems as though the solid fabric would be a better fit, and just use some fabulous throw pillows.
Dee

I think sectionals can be great, particularly when you want to seat many people comfortably, as in watching a movie or a TV show. I particularly love the ones that include a chaise or recliner function on the ends.

If I had a more modern home I would have one in it.

I do like the idea of mixed fabrics, just not crazy about the particular ones in the sofa you show. Not sure if I care for 3 fabrics in one piece, or would go with just different seat cushions. I do think that the right fabrics could liven up the look, but I also think a monotone sofa can look sophisticated too.

I think a sectional sounds perfect for what you want to use your room for.

I might have to use a sectional myself and never had the need to look at them before. I noticed that srg215's sectional has several sections. Are these sections attached to each other or can they be attached? I can see my DH and kids moving the sections apart when plopping down or pushing off to get up! Very hard to teach boys to be dainty!!

srg215, could you please share the details of your sectional?
Thanks!

Barb & Dee, I think you are right about the solid being a better fit for us. (Especially since it's supposed to be a "man cave", but I can't help eeking my in there!)

srg, your sectional looks awesome in that space! Yes, please share details. Are you happy with that fabric? Thanks for posting the photos! They help a ton!

We're huge sectional fans. That said, the last one we had was a total flop. It was large like the one you picture on the bottom. It was U shaped with a chaise on one side instead of two sofas. Hated it. It's size was massive and there was nothing that could be done with it to make it work in our space. The pillows were also detached like the one you show in picture 1 and they failed to hold their shape. Within a year or two the whole thing looked like junk.

As far as the fabric choice goes, that's a personal thing I think. How well would it fit into your space? This is similar to the one we have on order right now and are expecting at the end of the month:

it's the crate & barrel lounge sectional. you can pick from so many different pcs to create whatever configuration you want. the pieces come all separate and the delivery guys drill in these metal hardware connectors to hold all the pcs together (very sturdy...it never moves) but there are easy ways to unclip them if you want to move everything.

I'll take a comfy chair over a sectional or sofa any day. But that's my choice not yours. If you're a sectional family then go for it.

I like the solid better than the mixed fabric.

Since you asked for opinions, here's mine. They *can* be attractive, but IMO, most are not. They're too big, taking over the room -- always. Unless it's a really big room and you have 'float room' all around it (like SRG's). If it's all one fabric, it's an awful lot of one thing. It it's multiple fabrics, you're still wholly committed to a mix of fabrics and the whole 'two-fabric' look - which I thing will become dated.

I generally greatly prefer two matching loveseats and a complementary easy chair, or a similar grouping of some-matching, some different pieces that can be moved around as needed.

Here is ours. There is nothing stylish about it at all--we went for comfort (there are 3 recliners); price; and kid friendly. That said, I really love how comfortable it is. I wish it was more stylish--but that will come when the kids are older.

Some people like them, and they work in their space.Personally, I think they are inflexible, but perhaps you don't ever want to rearrange the furniture.

I also would not want to share my seating space with a crowd. I want my own chair or chaise or loveseat. I would likely stand rather than be wedged in between people at someone's home.

My choice would be a couch (so you have a spot to lie down if you are of a mind to do that) and then several comfy chairs, perhaps an ottoman.

What matters most is that YOU like it and it works in YOUR space for YOUR family!

This is the one we plan on ordering. We will have both end with the "bumper"(on the right side of the pic) and not the arm, although I do like the shape of the arm. It will give us flexible seating in a relatively small den. We want the new leather look Phoenix fabric. It is soft like Nubuk and is supposed to wear well. We have chosen all black and black for the ottoman as well. I like using some decorative pillows, but do not like if the couch has pillows for the back that can come off. With 2 boys, I know they'd end up knocked around or beating each other with them, using them as shields, etc... lol.
I think many sectionals fail on style/looks, but most are comfortable. I wanted something with a nice shape and it took a bunch of searching to find a few contenders.
I like that we will cozy up to each other as a family and not sit so far apart. I also picture the boys having their friends over and flopping casually on it. There will be a separate reclining chair of some sort in the room for anyone who wants their own space.

I am wondering what the reality of use is. I can see how kristinekr's would get the most use. A specified spot for each sitter. When I see them in homes I visit it seems they do not get used to their fullest. Two maybe three people sit on them. They take up a lot of space and really do not provide a lot of used seating in my experience. We nixed a full couch and went for a love seat and more chairs. Couches only get used by two as a love seat does so why take up the floor space, was our logic. They fill HUGE rooms nicely at times, but I am must not convinced they are practical.

Great sectional photos! This new room we finished is not in a main part of the living area of the home. It is a 2 room space, each room measuring around 14' by 14' and connected diagonally. One of the rooms will house all of our musical equipment (drumset, keyboard, guitars) for a real rock band set up. The other room, which is furthest from the door, will have a big screen and surround. My thoughts are that we can sit around on the sectional and watch tv & play guitar. It's not in a main part of the house where I would envision taking guests. Still, I need to figure out a way to make the room attractive, inviting and fun, for our personal use.

These sectional photos are really helping. I'm flattered that Dee & Barb remember my "style" or what there is of it. Recently, I've been inspired by that lovely hallway in the 9 million dollar home. I may have to find a way to work in some turquoise, red, & yellow paintings!! lol!

This is the room where the proposed sectional will go:

We've enjoyed having sectionals for their room-dividing quality in an open floor plan. We've had two of them in two houses. However, this time in a small area we used a relatively small sofa and a "double" chair, which work nicely also. They're close enough together that it's almost the same effect.

Just MHO but I find sectionals very uncomfortable if you are the unlucky person sitting on the part perpendicular to the TV. If you can lay down it's better, but then that lessens the amount of available seating. I am also always one to lounge against the arm of the couch. Sectionals only have 2 and only one of them is comfy for TV watching.

Les brought up a good point about how people really sit -- Two on a loveseat is fine. But three on a sofa? Not really unless it's a kid between two parents. So why get the 3-seat version if an extra seat is your reason? For better proportions? (A great reason in my book.)

I'd really examine how you'd want to use the room: Playing music? Watching TV? Playing video games? Then how many people doing the 'main' activity and how many 'watchers'. Where would each group most want to sit.

I'd suspect a sectional is rarely the best answer to those questions...

I really like sectionals for lounging spaces. We hope to replace a sofa / loveseat combination with a sectional some day. However, due to the size of the sectional, the look really has an impact on the space. I love modern sectionals with legs, attached back pillows, in a single fabric. I personally do not like sectionals in multiple fabrics, but I also do not like sofas in multiple fabrics. I love the idea of adding throw blankets and throw pillows to break up the space and for convenient use.

Depending on the space, a sectional can create more lounging space or more seating space than one might find with a sofa and a loveseat. In my house, I always get stuck on the shorter loveseat because I can almost lay down on it while my significant other is too tall. However, the loveseat is still too short and I end up bent in a V shape. When we replace the furniture with a sectional, I should be able to get each part of the L long enough that we can both lay down comfortably. Though I do wonder about the feet to face proximity a sectional might cause. Anyone have experience with that?

The sectional in srg215's space is lovely. It's modern and cozy and looks like a fantastic place for people to lounge either to watch TV, read, or socialize. In my opinion, it looks perfectly proportional to the space and is decorated well with the throws and pillows.

The nailhead details on lukkiirish's sectional really adds something. It's not just a mass of leather but has interest in the shape and texture. In my opinion, paying attention to details like this can really make the sectional look stylish rather than like a giant blob.

I think for an open floor plan you can't beat a sectional for comfort and style for the room. We have a sofa and a couple of big chairs in our open floor plan and it just doesn't work.
Not only do we not have enough seating but there is really no other way to arrange the furniture when you don't have many walls! I can't wait to get one, maybe in the fall....

I'm pretty intrigued by the mini-sectionals, myself. Either the couch with the settee cushion/ottoman set up - or a really low-profile mini-sectional that takes the couch around the corner and then ends with a no-back settee look. I'm considering one for my very small den, that is really too small to have additional pieces of furnitue anyway...

I like them with clean lines, but chunky feet.

Srg215, if I remember correctly, that wall color is Revere Pewter, right? Love it! I wish we could see other pics of your house.

I think the smaller sectionals can work so that they aren't so large that they overtake the room. Candace Olson uses the smaller ones alot in smaller rooms--I guess they take up less space than 2 or 3 separate pieces. I would only go with a light colored solid on something that dominant, however.

We bought a couch and love seat originally and paid a 15% restocking fee to return it back to the store. It just didn't work for us or our lifestyle. I guess there's pro's and con's for both types of seating. With this new sectional we did buy a third piece to extend one side so it's an L shape. It also had the option of four pieces which would then allow it to be configured several different ways.

jockewing, yes it's revere pewter. thanks. i've posted a lot of pics of my kitchen, bedroom & great room on here. i'm sure i'll be posting many more of all the other rooms as i concentrate on decorating them. my daughter's room is pretty complete, i'll take pics & post it to you.

So DH got back from a 2 week trip and now he tells me he has been planning what to put in the "man" cave. Who knew? It's odd because he's never ever ever looked at furniture before! Anyway, I may be having less input there then I had initially thought!

The worst of it is that he brought back these awful yellow flourescent plastic cardboard signs from his cycling trip in Belgium and he wants to put them on the wall. I'm trying to convince myself that they will make this room "eclectic", but they are jarring and ugly.

The good thing is that none of this decor stuff is going to happen quickly. So I have time to very gently make some suggestions since he told me that he thinks I doubt his manly decorating sensibilities!

I am enjoying reading about all the sectional talk!

I think sectionals are great in places where you want flop down and get comfortable (so like a family room or basement). Otherwise, I'm not a huge fan.

We are getting one when we remodel our basement.

It depends on the configuration of your room and what, if any, alternate living spaces you have (or have not). Our house is modest in size. We don't have a "family room" or "formal living room"...not even a basement. So for us, a sectional really is the best option. Since our living room is laid out oddly, as is the rest of the house but hey! we love it, the sectional serves a multitude of purposes. I wish I were home so I could access photos but alas, I'm at work and sites are blocked. On one wall we have a fireplace, on another our TV armoire, on another a sliding glass door and wall of windows and on the fourth a "nook" of sorts. All of these walls together creates a very limited seating space in whcih to put furniture. Not only is it limiting in where to put furniture, but it's limiting as to how much furniture will fit and what will work. So for use, a smaller sectional it is. And yes, we "flop down and get comfortable", but we also use it to sit more people than would comfortably fit on any other configuration of furniture. BTDT LOL. I also built a large (32"x32") coffee table ottoman, which we use not only as a good place to set our coffee, tea, wine and feet, but it can also fit 2 adults if we need extra seating. We purchased a Clayton Marcus sectional and I have to say, she's a beaut. She also has a classic design with a loose pillow back and great legs, to boot.

lukkiirish - if you don't mind me asking, where did you get your leather sectional? my husband and i rarely agree on furniture but we both liked the style of the leather sectional picture you posted.

Thanks.

Hi Cindy, thanks so much. I know it looks like leather but it's actually microfiber! We bought ours at a local store here in Michigan, but the store does sell online as well. The sectional is American made by Broyhill. This isn't the store where we bought ours from but it does have a lot of information about it available like pieces and configurations. If you're still interested and either want a different configuration or just more specifics, let me know and I'll be happy to answer questions or give you the fyi about special orders vs. quick ship. lukkiirish@gmail.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Laramie Sectional sofa

We have two sectionals in two different spaces in our home and they work great!

I agree with Les and Sweeby. I think sectionals work best for families with small children. I can't imagine who else would want to sit in the corner seat with no legroom. If that space is only a spacer between the seats then having a love seat and sofa gives the same seating room and more options for arranging and a side table would be more useful in that space. I like to rearrange my rooms frequently so a sectional would be impossible for me.

While I like some upholstered furniture with 2 or more fabrics, I personally don't like it on the sectional posted. It may also be something that dates a piece but of course that depends on how long you plan to keep furniture.

I truly miss our sectional in our former home but it was huge and when we moved, our new living room would not accommodate it at all. I do recommend that you take that into consideration prior to buying the biggest one in the store (lesson learned).

Just to update, we finally ordered a sectional from Century. It is L shaped with a loveseat on one wall and a sofa length on the other. The good thing is that it is 43" deep so it should be very comfortable to lay on. We chose a chenille type fabric in a greenish tone. We started the room's decor off by picking 2 oriental rugs and pulling colors from that. The sofa comes with 7 throw pillows, so I chose 2 different fabrics for 4 of those. We'll see if it works or not when it comes in!

On another note, once we started to choose decor, we realized the color on the walls was pukey and we had to get the painters back to change from blue to brown. I'm so glad we did that. It really warms up a basement room with no windows. The lighting is what made color selection so tricky.

Also in there, we got a leather recliner from Hancock & Moore. And the really neat looking Wisteria Barn door coffee table. Funny thing is that when it arrived, it really did smell like a...barn door! Fortunately that smell has disapated.

We will have two sectionals in a few months. We have one in our LR (W. Schillig's Arabesque in black leather) and just ordered one for our FR (Schillig's Primanti, also in black leather). We like the look of sectionals, and they work well with our contemporary-style home/decor.

Here's a photo of the new color in the sectional room (DH has let me get back into the "man" cave deorating, hurray!!

And the funky chairs we found (I may need Palimpsest's help to pull this all together!)

This is mine and we love it! I def like the second one better. First is a bit busy. They ae practical and can be stylish. i say join the club!

Here is a link that might be useful: sofa

We ended up with a solid colored sectional from Century furniture. We really like it. The fabric is a chenille type.