Morning!

If a loveseat is what your household prefers than I would go w/ a sofa loveseat combo again. Don't limit yourself but what is in or out.

Personally I prefer the sofa & chair combo for greater flexibility of arrangement. Maybe you could start w/ a sofa & one chair and then add a 2nd if there is room enough.

Smaller scale chairs are out there, I promise! I have small scale armchairs in our home because of space restrictions.

I am older and was having trouble being able to move my large sofa/loveseat to clean. I got rid of them and have some comfy lightweight furniture and chose a loveseat and two chairs. There is also a beanbag in the corner. So far it has been enough to seat family members or guests.

I've never been a fan of the sofa/loveseat combo, esp. matching sets. I think loveseats are wastes of space, since rarely do two people actually sit in them. But having said that, TheFoxesPad is correct: go by what works best in your room and for you.

A pic of the room would certainly help people here brainstorm for you. There may be yet another option out there.

I had a sofa and 2 chairs in my LR. The flexibility of arrangements is greater. And only 1 person ever sits on a loveseat. BUT, if your home flows better with a sofa/loveseat combo, then that's the way for you to go!

I would prefer two loveseats to a sofa and loveseat unless you need to nap on the sofa. I think sofas are a waste of space as no more than 2 people ever seem to sit on a sofa. Two people can also sit on a love seat and that opens up the floor for more chairs, chairs which I like. I like the variety of chairs. You can add chairs near the sofa, around the perimeter of the wall behind the loveseat or sofa if there is enough space and also create L's and T's and U's with the use of loveseat/sofa and chairs. Chairs can flank the fireplace, can sit beside the sofa, by the loveseat, behind or nearby. I love chairs, all kinds of chairs and a couple loveseats are just as nice as a sofa and loveseat or very short, matching sofas. You can add an ottoman (or two) for extra seating if needed. I am not a big fan of matching sofa/loveseat. I am a big fan of matching short sofas or matching loveseats.

I like a sofa and at least one upholstered chair for the family, but a range of other chairs of perhaps smaller scale that can be pulled up when you have parties/guests. We forget that people coming for dinner don't feel it is necessary to sprawl all over your living room--they understand that no one has (or very few people have) space for a dozen fully upholstered seats. If they are having a good time, they'll perch on anything you offer.

definitely a sofa and 2 chairs, have noticed decorators NEVER use loveseats...have u considered a sectional? that eliminates 2 end tables and lamps...

I don't think any option needs to look dated or outdated, but instead I would focus on the flexibility of the two options. I think that a sofa and two chairs would give you the most flexibility for seating. There are many small scale yet comfortable chairs out there, but as you mention you just have to be careful with regard to sizing. Regarding seating on a sofa (or sectional or loveseat), I have grown to appreciate that people sit according to the number of seat cushions, so that on a smaller sofa a single bench cushion would give you the most seating flexibility.

I think people really hate to say something is outdated here!

IMHO,yes, a sofa and a loveseat combo do look outdated. Look online at remodeled rooms, look in mags, you will not see it anywhere.

In fact, I am not sure how much decorators ever used it. I think most decorators would find its matchy-matchiness boring. They'd rather have an opportunity to vary height, styles, colors, textures. Also, it takes up a lot of physical and visual space to drop those two landmasses into a room. In a lot of living rooms, you would not have space for much else.

I used to have a sofa and loveseat and now have a sofa and two chairs. The loveseat was moved to a small sitting room, and I still like it for reading. I never sit in the chairs because they don't have an ottoman, so it's not very loungy for a two hour movie. DH sits in a chair though and it doesn't bother him, but he's from Scandinavian Lutheran stock. If you don't have the room for an ottoman, I wouldn't do two chairs.

I prefer sofa and chairs.

Thanks everyone. I have some thinking to do. Will try and post a pic if I can figure it out.

I have a matching sofa and loveseat. :) I would say they are boring in many ways. I've been wanting to replace both of them but have waited until my cats have grown out of their destructive phase. It's taken three years, but we may finally be getting there.

I like the option of stretching out for a quick nap on the sofa. It's true that no one really wants to share a loveseat (misnomer) unless forced to.

What I really don't get is sectionals. I understand they can be a one (large) piece solution to a room. What I don't like about them is the deep corner where you can't really sit up straight (I'm short) and the lack of a ready light and somewhere to set a drink, aside from leaning forward and using the coffee table. I need a good light and an end table at my side. That may not be trendy.

Hi Linelle, we have a large sectional in our family room. We have a big sq ottoman, no coffee table. However, along one length of the sofa we have a large console with lighting and a place to put a drink.

Maybe try thinking a little differently. We went with four chairs and a round coffee table. I love the look and it is comfortable when we have company. We do have a sofa and two chairs in our family room and in the library, too, but the four chairs is my favorite set up. Planning to get rid of the family room sofa, too, I think! :)

As one who frequently stays in other people's homes, I dread the homes with only loveseats and chairs, i.e.: no sofa. I like to stretch out on sofas to read, watch TV, nap, etc. I even bring my own pillows so I don't have to icky-up the owner's sofa pillows.

Lying sideways on a loveseat, with your legs up on the farm arm and your knees in your face is not my idea of "welcome to my home; make yourself comfortable"!

Vera, a friend who is a decorator (married to an architect) has three identical love seats in her great room. She may be the only decorator who ever used a love seat in decor, but they look splendid.

I had a sofa and three chairs in the last house. For looks, it worked best for the long narrow room. In the house IâÂÂm in now we have a three seat sofa and a four seat sofa (corner chair to come) and I like it so much better. My husband hogs the sofa and sometimes during movie watching I wanted to stretch out. Sometimes my chair and ottoman didnâÂÂt cut it. Now I have my own sofa. Really though, itâÂÂs all about how you will use the room. An âÂÂLâ works great for us. Perhaps this is outdated but who cares if it works for how you live.

jterrylynn, I don't think your room looks dated at all. In fact, I think it is of the moment and very pretty. I think we often cannot visualize what a poster is saying or we do not have the same setting. Just like the decorator with 3 love seats. It is gorgeous but it is almost one of those things "you have to see."

We must be very odd. Three people do sit on my sofa, if necessary and when I had a love seat two sat there when necessary!

In the living room we have sofa and two chairs. Downstairs we opted for two sofas. The kids grew up in this room and it was nice that they each could sprawl out on a sofa while watching tv. One is a convertible which has come in handy.

Jterri, But you don't have a loveseat. You have two sofas, and they read like a sectional. I like the way you put the animal skin over the oriental. Cool. Is that a fan overhead, BTW? If it is I've always wondered if that kind does a good job cooling ...

Two's of loveseats could look nice (symmetry) and so could three's (three of anything looks good, plus there is a novelty factor). But A loveseat with A sofa... I personally don't care for that look, in part because it was pushed for so long by mainstream furniture retailers.

My Mom's living room was big enough for a sofa, loveseat, and two chairs. For years, the sofa and loveseat were perpendicular to each other, with the chairs opposite. One day we rearranged, and put the love seat opposite the sofa, with one chair on each side, angled toward the center of the room.

In the original configuration, the loveseat was rarely used; when it was moved, it became the most popular seat in the house, for one or two people.

Now Mom lives in a smaller apartment, so she has a love seat, 2 upholstered chairs, and a wooden rocking chair. Her friends - in their 70's - avoid the love seat, because it is difficult for them to get out of it. They gravitate toward the rocking chair with strong, sturdy arms, even though it is not as comfortable.

I vote loveseat and chairs. I have found people prefer to sit with at least one arm, which means no one likes the middle of a couch but in my world they happily sit two on a love seat. A couch takes up more room than I want to afford it, for the seating it provides.

I think three loveseats would look weird...

Sofas are nice and everyone is used to them... they make the room.

I'd swap your set up for an L shaped corner sofa.

Here is a link that might be useful: Design your own - sofa sizes

This post was edited by CraigNewport on Tue, Jul 29, 14 at 10:29

Mtn, yes itâÂÂs an animal skin which is a dime a dozen now discounted on many sites. However it works for me because I already had the big carpet. I had a problem with the dominant color of the kitchen cabinets taking over in the open plan so the animal skin helped ground the living space. It also helped with blending the Fred Flintstone fireplace in the open dining room on far side.
The ceiling fan works well! At first the decorative light surround thingy made a rattle noise when the fan was on high, which was very annoying. We just dabbed a tic of clear silicone on one section and that took care of it.

I agree about the loveseat not always being useful which is why I went with a three seater and a four seater. I decided against a sectional because most people do not like the corner section as itâÂÂs hard to get out of. The other problem with a sectional was that if I wanted to lie down while husband was, my feet would be in his face during movie watching. He does not have a foot fetish so that wouldnâÂÂt work. For my needs we wanted two items that you could stretch out on for movies or watching series shows. But again, I think it all should be about how and whoâÂÂs using the room. Some people only have room for so much seating. I think where people go wrong on the sofa and loveseat thing is that the pieces are often way too bulky for the space.

Lol. You are right about the corner ... But in our house when it's movie time, the girls and i all make a run for the corner, since it's so cozy. With 5 of us, feet go on a big sq ottoman in the middle.

Mtn, and thatâÂÂs exactly my point. Seating should be all about how one will use the room. And, oh I so miss those cuddle movie days with my now grown boys.

DD is using a large round coffee table with four chairs, rather than the standard sofa/loveseat combo. I think she's wanting 2 slipper type and 2 with arms. It's a LR right off the foyer and she wants it to function as what she cals a 'lounge' space. With the DR right off to the side, it will be a nice space to have drinks before dinner, quiet when the kids are being entertained in the family room.

Patty and Cyn, I have that too, in our living room (which also has window seats). I really like it for adult guests. I think if you have a separate living room it is the way to go. But if it is also a TV watching space, family/cuddle room, you need a sofa.

Sofa + love seat = 3 people
Sofa + two chairs = 4 people

Hi again. Well, I just purchased a sofa and two chairs in a caramel leather
and I think that will work. But I had promised hubby a swivel recliner, so I also bought a recliner in a coordinating fabric. Hope it looks good. It's going to take up to three months before they will be ready. Bummer!

jterrilynn, that is why I would not buy a sectional, the feet is an issue. lol I wish I could fit two sofas in my living room. I know a loveseat and sofa is so dated now. Your sofas are beautiful could you tell me who makes them?? Thank you.