How to Arrange a Family Room With a Sectional Sofa | Home Guides

The family room is typically the social hub of your home. Putting a sectional sofa in your family room provides ample seating for large gatherings, but its size can make it difficult to arrange the room in a functional way. Some homeowners may be hesitant to use this type of sofa in their family room for this reason, but you can arrange a sectional so that it adds not only function to your family room, but visual appeal.

Choose a Focal Point

Your sectional is typically the largest piece of furniture in your family room, and as such, it should be positioned opposite the focal point of the room. In a family room, the focal point is typically the television, but it may also be a fireplace or a large window, depending on how you use your family room. Christine Fife Interiors recommends that if you use a television as your focal point, you should place the sectional about 12 feet from it. This space allows for comfortable viewing no matter where you sit on the sectional.

Maintain a Comfortable Flow

Sectional sofas are available in different shapes and designs. Some sofas have a chaise-lounge end, which can be awkward if not positioned properly. Repress the urge to simply arrange your sectional against the longest wall. Your family room is the place you go to socialize or relax and this arrangement may not provide the right flow. Try your sofa in the center of the room, with a table or ottoman in front to allow a more intimate feel. Leave enough room around the sectional and the other furniture to allow for movement into and out of the seating area and to other areas of the room. Any reclining features need room to fully recline without blocking walkways and it should not block doorways. It may help to sketch a scale drawing of your family room and experiment with potential arrangements before you begin lugging pieces of furniture around.

Balance the Elements

Because a sectional is a large piece of furniture, arranging it in the center of the room leaves empty space around it, and this can cause the center of the room to appear weighted down. Balance the room by positioning another large piece of furniture on the other side of the room. The space behind the sofa, for example, can be used as a study area in larger family rooms, with a large desk and chair. If you don’t need a study area, balance the space by creating a cozy seating area or reading nook behind the sectional. Arrange large, comfortable chairs in a U-shape, or a shape that mimics the shape of your sectional, and face them toward a second focal point such as a window, a piece of art or a fireplace.

Strive for Comfort and Convenience

In a family room, the arrangement of furniture should allow for both comfort and convenience. All seating must be easily accessible, but shouldn’t prevent movement or other functions of your family room. By placing the sectional in the center of the room, you allow for easy access to the seating from all sides, and you leave the wall space around it open for other uses like reading or studying. Accessories like coffee tables, end tables, chairs and ottomans make your family room convenient by providing places for lamps and drinks, and they add to the room’s visual appeal. Center the sectional around a long coffee table, or place a table and lamp between your sectional and a chair or a loveseat, or a small table at each end.

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