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Furniture Design Dilemma living room

Sofa and love seat - matching or no?

6 years ago

If I am furnishing a room wit a sofa, love seat and chair, should the sofa and love seat match? If not, how do I choose a love seat that "goes with" my sofa?

Pic of sofa attached

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MDLN

6 years ago

Francine, like your sofa in the OP.

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Comments (37)

lynartist
6 years ago
Do you actually need a love seat? It’s my experience nobody ever sits in them, especially men!
erinsean
6 years ago
Nice sofa....I would think the love seat and chair should match . Or can you find a chair that matches your sofa and get a coordinating love seat. Or get two matching chairs and forget the love seat. Not much help, am I?
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Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
I’d do a sofa and two separate chairs.

Sofa/loveseat combos are dated, IMO.
PRO
CDR Design, LLC
6 years ago
A sofa and 2 chairs are the most practical combination. However, I would need to see photos of your room and possibly dimensions.
Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
Here's the room layout. And I think maybe you all are right, I should just get two chairs. Two chairs that match each other, but don't match the sofa, right?
Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
So, you’re room is only 12 x 16 ft....

Be sure to not pick large scale pieces or the room will feel even smaller.
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Francine Doyle thanked Melissa Gallagher
Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
The couch I chose is 86" long but 42" deep. I would love to find a shallower one, but all of the shallower ones I've found just don't compare in terms of comfort. I plan to get small chairs.
PRO
CDR Design, LLC
6 years ago
Thanks for the room plan. Is there a tv in the room? If so, is it above the fireplace? What about the sliding doors? Do you like to look out them? Can we see photos of the room?
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Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
TV will go over fireplace. The sliding door opens via the middle pane sliding to the left. The room isn't finished yet, but here it is:
Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
Then why does your plan not match the dimensions of the sofa you chose?

How long is the wall the sofa is on and how wide is the opening into the room on that same wall?
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Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
To me, the worst thing would be to buy furniture that’s totally wrong in size and scale for your room. Your sofa sticks out 42 inches. That’s not on your diagram. I see on here all the time that someone gets a sofa delivered and it completely overwhelms the room or sticks out into a doorway or leaves no room for an end table or to walk around...

I would tape out onto the floor the dimensions of the sofa and then the chairs and then see how that looks.

Several companies now make smaller scaled sofas and chairs or at least ones that have smaller arms. Always look at the interior dimensions so you know how much seating space there is. Some have arms that are super wide and take up valuable seating space...
Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
As I stated above, I tried to find a sofa to match the dimensions on the plan, but none of them were comfortable.
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lynartist
6 years ago
I would keep looking. Scale will be so important in this space. Please lay this out before buying anything and do think of two smaller chairs, perhaps that swivel.
Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
Also, I wasn’t asking for advice on furniture size, just what needs to match with what.
lindac92
6 years ago
In a smallish room, a sofa and love seat should match...
And as for no one uses a love seat? nonsense...I find men often use the love seat as a chair with ottoman...lean against one arm and stretch out.
Keep looking for a sofa that is not so deep....I found one. I am short and hate to have my feet dangle...
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Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
I have a small house, so I understand the importance of scale, but in a family room, comfort is my first priority. I’m not going to buy a couch that looks good but nobody wants to sit on. This room is for lounging.
PRO
CDR Design, LLC
6 years ago
Francine, here is an arrangement that will work with the sofa you have chosen.

I'd buy matching chairs, but not ones that match the sofa. I'd buy chairs on rollers (or have rollers added) that could be moved to view tv.
Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
Ok, then go ahead and buy the furniture that’s too big for your room and completely overwhelms it and makes the room feel claustrophobic; it’s your house!

Btw....here’s the Cameron sofa from PB and it’s 86” wide and only 36” deep and super comfy.
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Sammy
6 years ago
Since this is a lounging space, and you’ve found a sofa that feels good, have you thought about a sectional? Maybe the company that makes your favorite sofa offers it in a sectional version.
Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
I will check out that Pottery Barn one. I sat on about 20 sofas today at Room & Board, and this one was by far the most comfortable. I usually start at Room & Board because their furniture is generally smaller in scale and I like the quality and style.
PRO
MDLN
6 years ago
Good for you, prioritizing function.
Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
This is the Cameron with square arms. I worked at PB over the holiday and it was on the floor at my local store and so many people thought it was comfortable. It’s kind of generic looking but you could add some cool chairs and other decor to the room.
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PRO
North Coast Interiors
6 years ago
Sofa and love should match! Sofa and chairs don’t necessarily need to if thoughtfully done.

If your considering a sofa and love, why not a sectional?
Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
A sectional won’t fit; it would cover the sliding doors.

And this isn’t the type of example shown i.e. a small room with one large scale piece in it; she wants to add two chairs, a coffee table and two end tables. Plus, the fireplace juts out onto the room.....
Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
The furniture layout I posted isn’t anything I’ve decided on - I was just playing around with some furniture templates I found on-line. I only posted it because somebody wanted to know the size of the room.
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Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
Bliss WE down filled sofa 79.5” wide, 39.5 inches deep. They also make it in a chair and a half that could fit on the other wall, so then those two pieces would match, then get another chair to complement.
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Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
And the more I look at it, the more I think maybe just a couch and one chair might work best. Which answers the original question about what needs to match - nothing!
Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
I’m not a fan of the chair and a half - too large for this room!
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Francine Doyle
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks everyone - I appreciate all of your suggestions. I’m going to keep playing around with different combinations to see what works best.
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Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
Then by the sliding doors I’d angle a chair like this...something comfy to sit in but not a huge footprint or too “heavy” feeling.

Try thinking keeping the room more open and lighter since it’s on the small side for a tv room. You can do it without sacrificing comfort.

I had a small mid century ranch and I made my corner bedroom a tv room since I didn’t want a television in my living room and it was smaller than your room. I had an Ikea Karlstad sofa with a chaise end on it, a credenza for the tv and a small side table and this chair. The scale of everything worked and it was still comfortable.
PRO
CDR Design, LLC
6 years ago
So, are you adding shelves beside the fireplace? I wasn't clear on that. Weren't in the photo, but are on the plan.
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Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
But you wanted to put a love seat on that wall and the chair and a half is only 46” wide; smaller than a loveseat.

I’d still use the trick of taping the outline of the pieces you like, all together on the floor, and then up the wall for the height....it does help.

Good luck!
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hummingalong2
6 years ago
Sofa and love seat are a matchy matchy look.
Chairs would look and fit better.
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maureen214
6 years ago
My experience with furniture from Room and Board has been much better than upholstery from Pottery Barn in terms of standing up to wear. Just FYI
Melissa Gallagher
6 years ago
Maureen you are probably right, although PB now makes all their upholstered pieces in North Carolina, for what it’s worth, but I’ve always heard great things about R&B.
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PRO
MDLN
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Use 2 of the sofas you picked?

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