I will also tell you I have used this one, ( TK Hopkins ) different configuration, in leather.................

To die for comfy, and it resides in a lake home with a pack of nearly seven foot boys and all their friends. Realize, that there is no flip option with leather. It is going strong! Yes, it has spring down cushioning. . It was worth the very many pennies : )

It's difficult for me to comprehend considering a purchase such as this. Bench seating is a nightmare. If I am sitting on my son's sectional, then my DH comes to sit next to me I sink to him. HATE IT. It gets incredibly uncomfortable fast. Never ever a bench seat. Even more to the real point who all is going to sit on such a monstrosity? Three people! And the one with the middle will feel lost w/o an arm. If you are going to move forward get only the individual cushions. Crack seating??? In your dreams that many would ever sit at one time!!

I think it is super comfy!!!

Thank you @JAN MOYER for your candid feedback on bench cushions. I appreciate both your knowledge and your design eye. Really great to know that spring down cushions are a worthwhile upgrade. I've been surprised that in the brands I've priced, the upcharge seems shockingly reasonable. It is helpful to know from someone who isn't trying to sell me something their honest and professional opinion on the longeavity of a bench cushion. Sometimes it's been difficult to tell whether the designers in the stores are pointing me away from bench cushions because their lines do not offer them (many don't) or if it's professional experience talking.

In terms of layout, I am looking at a similar layout (but reversed) to the 2nd Taylor King sectional I posted (the one with the individual cushions). I will not be doing any kind of chaise. Personally I'm not a fan of the appearance of the L-shape + chaise.

As for sizing, this has been one of my challenges. I need to find an L shape with one side 96" or smaller and the left side 125" or smaller. I could possibly push up to 98" but I think that's just too big and starts to impact a walkway. Additionally I have a tall husband and so anything under 23" seat depth is not going to work (prefer 24"). Staying within those dimensions has definitely presented challenges for my options. This is not an actual sectional I am considering, but this might be a better visual example of the bench cushion layout I was considering (no chaise).

I like the clean seat line. But I can also see some visual beauty in the matched back and seat cushions on the Taylor King I posted with individual cushions as well.

@arcy_gw I appreciate hearing your experience with the bench cushions. I have one now and it doesn't seem to pop up when multiple people sit near eachother. However, mine is also very worn out at this point and was only foam and down (no springs). So maybe the experience is different with a better quality cushion in better condition. I hadn't thought about this particular problem, so adds another negative to my list. My household is small (just two of us) so most of the time we each take one cushion. I like the ability to plop down wherever I please without regard to seams between the cushions. We also like to lay down to watch movies without feeling the individual cushions. But again, I think this might be partly a factor of cushion quality: that the edges of the cushions won't be as noticeable with higher quality individual cushions. And I do sometimes entertain and the sectional does become a gathering place for guests so I certainly want them to be comfortable as well.

@mathew_stok I have liked the comfort of the one I have (which is now worn out). Do you have one that you like? What brand?

I have a custom Taylor Made sectional purchased in 2017. Highly overrated. We wanted the firmest possible option for cushions - so we were advised by the furniture store to opt for their 'prestige fm.' It is not a spring down - it's all foam. We were told this would get us a firmer seat. Within a year, the foam had broken down terribly. The sofa eats you - there's no support. I've said this many times before on here - I don't care if the springs are 8 way hand tied or the frame is hard wood or whatever. If the end result is a lousy sofa - it's a lousy sofa. Our Rowe sleeper sofa and our Gus Modern sectional with dreaded pirelli webbing both are better sofas than the Taylor Made. Hell, the $200 or whatever Ikea Uppland sofa in our sunroom is more comfortable. Chaps my ass that the most expensive sofa I ever purchased is by far the worst I've ever owned. Le sigh.

Why not use two separate sofas instead of a sectional? Gives much more flexibility

Ahhhh, Jan. We will never see eye to eye on sofas. If Taylor King is a premium brand, why do they offer "firm bs foam?" And why do our other less spendy sofas give us comfort with "bs foam?"

You could have had your sofa in Blend down. Comfort is personal to each. Some people WANT hard as nails. But hard as nails doesn't t get you comfort, OR longevity. IF YOU HAD A STUPID SALESMAN? WELL. YOU DID ? Agree....way too bad, that.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC I actually do have another sofa in the room. It's a big living/family room and the long arm of the sectional is across the room from an 80" 3 seat leather sofa. The TV is positioned across from the short arm of the sectional. When we are using the room socially, we really like being able to have the two pieces across from one another for conversation. When we are watching the TV the shorter arm of the sectional is great for upright viewing of the TV or we will lay down on either end of the sectional. For us this layout is functioning great and the reason for purchasing a new sectional is that the one we have now has completely worn out. Suspected broken springs and the cushions are compacted and the down encasement has ripped open and is shedding feathers like I have flock of geese in my house.

This is the room layout: "Family Room". The countertop does not jut into the family room as it appears. It is flush with the 5ft wall on the left.

190" from Kitchen wall to Master wall (left to right).

235" from top window wall to "Living" wall (which is actually a Dining room). For the actual useable room space, need to subtract 40" for that walkway where it says "smoke alarm" on the bottom end of the Family Room and about 20" to account for the curve in the windows, so this is really more like 175" in usable space.

TLDR: 190" (left to right) x 175" (top to bottom) of usable space

The TV is mounted on the right wall shared with the Master. There is a sofa that I will not be replacing (because it's a wonderful Hancock & Moore leather sofa) in the curved bay window. The sectional is floated across from the bay window to form a conversation space with the sofa and still have an arm for viewing the TV directly.

@JAN MOYER it is a challenge knowing whether the sales person / designer is knowledgeable and helpful or not. That's exactly why I am here trying to learn more. I think intuitively we think that a firm foam cushion would be more durable than a softer foam cushion, but you (and several of the most helpful sales people) have recommended the spring/down blend cushion upgrades for durability in a highly used space, so that is what I am planning to do.

If anyone has opinions on King Hickory (in contrast to Taylor King), that would be very welcome to hear. Comparatively the pricing is significantly better on King Hickory, but I've heard more about Taylor King.

Thanks!

Very rough layout sketch using paint. Sofa at top, sectional at the bottom, antique chest below the TV on the right.

I have measure and taped out the room with the dimensions of the potential new sectional. I also mocked up the size with my current sectional (that does not have an arm on the RAF side) using cushions from another sofa.

Way too much furniture for this space. I agree with everything Jan pointed out and have had just about every combo mentioned. I have a chaise/sofa now with foam and down wrapped foam so called firm foam. I have replaced foam already at 5 year stage. Chaise is not comfortable and not used. It looks amazing but never again. Good old sofa will replace this one soon. The configuration of your room is conducive to floating furniture so walkways can be maintained and bay windows work better with chairs. Stack boxes in your room to simulate size of furniture being considered. You will quickly see why these won’t work well. IMHO.

My take on the layout is that what you have now is not optimal. Your seating area is bisected by a walkway from the entry hall to the "nook." I'm not sure from your description where the TV is--above the fireplace? I'd explore a different layout, perhaps with two sofas facing each other in front of the fireplace with a coffee table between them? JMHO

Hi @Flo Mangan thank you for your feedback on the bench cushion. I am thoroughly changing my mind at this point and I believe I will go with individual cushions thanks to the input here. Thank you.

I actually already have furniture in this layout in the room and have mocked up the small change in size (5" longer on short end, 5" shorter on long end) and there is plenty of room to walk around. Right now I have 40" of walkway space on both ends, so I'll be going to 35" on one side and 45" on the other, which is more than the 30" I am reading is necessary. Certainly I am still happy to listen to feedback, but I do want to be clear that this is the layout we have now and it has been functioning great in our household. I have mocked up the extra length on the short side with cushions from another sofa and tape on the floor so that I could see the impact to walkway space.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC the TV is on the wall next to the fireplace. It would be far too high for viewing above the fireplace. There is a small antique chest below the TV. The sectional and sofa are across from eachother. If I were to move the sofa in front of the curved windows into the room any more, it would be blocking the walkway into the kitchen nook. There is a coffee table now (round) between the sofa and the sectional. Mostly it nestles inside the L of the sectional.

As I said, it was just my opinion, not having seen the space in person. Sorry I cannot help you more!

Great. Glad you are aware of special needs. From your drawing, I wouldn’t want a sofa back right up against the kitchen sink wall? Just make sure before you order and can’t return.

Yep. Jan’s layout is best option. I think you posted this before because I vaguely recall going through this and doing a scale layout a while back? Might have been someone else. Don’t get hooked on sectional. You will regret it. Hope you listen to our heartfelt wisdom here.