marys1000, many factors affect how one person might find a piece of furniture perfect while another person can't bear even a momentary perch. WRT where one's caboose ends up when lying down on a couch, I think a great deal may depend on one's bodily proportions - my father was kind enough to bestow upon me a physique roughly resembling that of a gorilla (long torso and arms, short legs), while a long-legged person of the same height would probably have her bum landing in a different spot. When we were shopping for our last regular couch I didn't find it that difficult to find couches of more or less the correct size with different cushion styles to test out, although they may have been so ugly that you couldn't have paid me to have them in my home, and I don't exactly live in a shopping Mecca. The sectional was more difficult since we needed an odd size but we lucked into a local store that had it - in a really hideous fabric and the backwards configuration but it still got the job done as far as the use-test was concerned. Also, a cutback arm gives the benefit of the square, easily-shuffled seat cushions without the boxed-in effect of the full-depth rolled or square arm, and it's a classic, pretty look. We chose a cutback arm because it made the total piece look less massive than a regular rolled arm did (we have a pretty small LR) as well as the convenient square cushions. I do like the single-cushion camelbacks newdawn1895 posted - I have a nice camelback couch, currently with two cushions, that is on the "when we can" list for reupholstery and it would definitely look nice with a single cushion, and with the right fabric we could change the formality of the shape into something more appropriate for a country-style kitchen. One good thing to have with a single cushion is an anchoring clip at each end since I remember one couch of this sort where when you sat on one end the opposite end of the cushion sort of curled or popped up. I do like the tight-back style for neatness although it's not quite as cuddly; the incoming sectional does have attached back cushions but as Mick says, "you can't always get what you want" :-) and it was certainly better for us than completely-loose back cushions. (Although my leather couch has back cushions that are "attached" by velcro strips, which I like.) To be persnickety, a T-cushion has the protrusions (sometimes called "ears") on both front corners of one single cushion, while an L-cushion only has the protrusion on one corner which creates, obviously, an L-shaped cushion. example diagrams

I think the bigger question is, what will you be using this space for; conversation, tv watching, playroom, etc?? For conversation, a 4 seater will be awkward without additional seating. If for TV viewing a 4 seater makes sense.

No back pillows. Some channeling. https://www.raymourflanigan.com/carley-sofa-200309090.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google_PLA_Living+Room&utm_term=&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnqH7BRDdARIsACTSAdu9ZYtIiA2EbkanqKCkIfq8g7LC-2OJE7S8MV9iTJuFVCSq65Mh01QaAui5EALw_wcB Big discount on this blue one, for you - or for anyone this might work for! https://kaiyo.com/raymour-and-flanigan-raymour-and-flanigan-carley-sofa/

Thanks guys. It sounds like there are different opinions regarding functionally what is better, bench cushions or individual cushions, in terms of flipping, wearing down etc. They make sense and something to think about. I'm wondering design wise - will the bench cushions make the living space feel more formal and 'tailored'? Or doesn't it matter? Maybe it's in my head, I imagine bench seats on European sofas, Chesterfield style etc. but I guess maybe they also could work with a loungier sofa like Big Sur without looking too formal?