How to Choose the Best Option for You – Sofa or Sectional

“Should I buy a sofa or a sectional?”

That is the perennial question my clients ask me!  And now I am in the throes of “being the client” – that is, adding a house addition, and asking myself the same question!

Here is my house addition plan in the works:

The lower portion is the new part of the house:  The keeping room with a fire place, just off of the dining room, is the space I am obsessing about.  David, my husband and architect extraordinaire, drew in Option 1 with a sofa and two chairs.

And here is Option 2 – Sectional and a chair:

So what difference does it make?

Well, let’s take a look at the “pro’s and con’s of a sectional versus a sofa” as listed in my upcoming book The Soulful Home:

Okay, so I know I’m dealing with the smallest of the three rooms I mention in my book – it’s not a family room;  it’s certainly not a great room;  it is a loft.  That is because it is in a small space, that is shared with other “spaces” or functions – in our case a dining room.  Therefore, the list of pro’s and con’s gets smaller.  A sectional, in my loft space, is actually more ideal for entertaining than a sofa and two chairs, as it adds back the seating you’ve lost in square feet.

So I’m going for the sectional.  But I’m not sure….. So now I tell myself what I tell my clients to do: 

Just get started – go exploring and kick some tires!

When I happened to be in LA recently, I made a bee line to Melrose and Beverly, and walked the showrooms to check out some sectionals and sofas…..

First up, Roche Bobois

This yellow striped sectional makes the most awesome lounge pit – and the back cushions curved up to be tall!  I would never go for this fabric if I hadn’t seen it in person.  This sectional fits my little keeping room to a t, and is only (gulp) $10,000!

What’s cool about this sectional is that it’s truly modular:  each square piece is a unit unto itself, which you can separate off and use as an individual piece, or to reconfigure over and over again. Being that I’m very prone to moving my furniture around, that’s good for me…..

Next, Ligne Roset

This one is really awesome.  It has a down wrapped cushion, feels like sitting on a cloud.  It was another favorite of mine.  A sectional shape for me would cost about $12,000.  It is not, however, truly modular.  You can see how the one side has an arm, but the other doesn’t.  Being that I’m very prone to moving my furniture around, that’s not good for me…..

Now Poliform

The cushions on this one are tied down with the channels, so if you don’t like the downy cushions, this one’s for you.

Then, on to Arteriors

What about sofas?  This is a really fun little one that would fit nicely in my space, through Arteriors.

These cute little pieces, however, are not made for lounging or long-term use, better used for a front parlor.  Wouldn’t be good for my keeping room off the fireplace, which I imagine to be a well used “adult space” for David and me, when our son has not yet gone to bed.

Last but not least, Design Within Reach

This sectional was on sale for $4,913, normally $5,780.

There is also a sofa version of this, which is quite comfortable and spacious.  I might go with either this sofa or the Roche Bobios depending on how the construction budget goes…

-marcelle