Tips & Strategies: A Map to Sectional Sofa Planning
Updated 10/01/24
When in doubt, map it out.
For that matter, don’t wait for doubt to creep into the process. In the same way you plan for your overall design aesthetic and devise floorplans for each room, your seating should have its own plan. And that’s especially necessary for sectional sofas which, by nature of their size and use, are the de facto focus of your living space.
While sectionals offer unique advantages, they carry the additional “weight” of extra requirements. Even if you choose a model with modular flexibility, it’s important to make an informed choice to help your sectional fit well in your space while also “having your back.” As a result, shopping for a sectional is a more expanded process than shopping for some other furniture pieces. We’re here to help you walk easily and knowledgeably through the process of choosing your best seat.
What is a sectional sofa?
Let’s start with the basics. A sectional sofa is a collection of two or more upholstered furniture pieces that are joined together to create a single unit.
Sectionals can be ordered or arranged in versatile configurations that often include both reclining and stationary seats, as well as pieces armed and armless, backed and backless, and more. Sectionals can be as modestly sized as a two-cushion sofa with a chaise end piece or they can expand all the way into the custom realm, where your imagination and room size are the only limitations.
It’s worth noting that you should probably start your search by investigating Bassett Furniture sofas and reclining sofas as well as the sectionals. Some rooms (and customers) are best served by a pair of sofas with added chairs or an ottoman…or both. It’s good to assess whether you fall into that category or if the unit-like aspect of a sectional will best suit your room and seating needs.
How A Sectional Sofa Takes Shape
Once you’ve decided on a sectional, the next consideration is shape.
Here’s a quick look at six common configurations:
- L shape: Turn a clean corner with a structured sectional that can float in great rooms or nestle up against a wall. Depending on the size of your L shape sectional, you can add one or more storage ottomans to keep games, magazines, and throws hidden but handy.
- U shape: A U shape sectional is perfect for providing maximum seating capacity AND for stretching out, cuddling up, and cocooning when you have to share less of the cushion space with others! Add matching ottomans for extra seating on game day and kick-back space on movie night.
- Chaise: This modified L shape sectional often features a more modest footprint, appropriate for smaller sized or oddly shaped rooms. The chaise sectional sofa is typically made up of a two or three cushion sofa section joined to an armed chaise unit. But there are also designs that include a chaise on each end – there’s nothing quite like doubling down on relaxation!
- Modular: Offering maximum flexibility, the individual pieces that make up your modular sectional can be arranged and rearranged in multiple configurations. This highly adaptable sectional sofa style offers the unique ability to accommodate the changing needs of your gathering space.
- Reclining: For any fan of reclining furniture, a reclining sectional (and even moreso, a leather reclining sectional!) is the best of all possible sofa worlds. Expanded seating with multiple seats that recline offers best-seat-in-the-house options to all your guests.
- Pit or Build Your Own: Similar to the modular sectional viewpoint, build-your-own sectionals allow you to create a unique-to-you sectional sofa, from a small footprint chaise to a large, comfy pit-style where everyone and their friend can pile in.
The Pieces of a Sectional Puzzle
Solving the riddle of the perfect sectional is like facing down any puzzle: assemble the various pieces that belong to the solution, then find the best way to put them together. So, let’s open the lid and check out all the puzzle pieces.
- Single Seat: With or without arms, these are the original building blocks of a sectional, whether modular or otherwise. These seats help you start to imagine the basic outline of your sectional puzzle as you create the ideal comfort zone in your gathering space.
- Recliner: Many sectionals have a recliner seat that can be used on one or often both ends of the sectional. Just like an individual recliner chair, this seat of the sectional reclines via an individual mechanism. Features of reclining sectionals include frame-within-a-frame design options and battery packs so cords are unnecessary.
- Corner Piece: Corner seats or “wedges” function as an elbow, enabling the sectional to turn a corner for continuity. The armless wedges serve as extended seating, offering either more room to spread out or an extra seat for guests.
- Chaise: Usually found at one or both ends of a smaller sectional, the chaise lounge adds the luxury of being able to put one’s feet up while still leaving seating room for others (both two and four-legged)!
- Sleeper: A less common but incredibly useful option is the sleeper-sofa section you can integrate into your sectional. Bassett’s True Custom™ Collection gives you the ability to transform one of your largest pieces of furniture into the ultimate sleepover accommodation while surrendering not one whit of style or comfort, no matter the configuration.
- Charging console: Acting much like an integrated armrest, a charging console can be situated between the seats of a sectional. Not only do they provide at-your-fingertips support for your electronics, they maintain a continuous surface for your sectional. Some console pieces contain storage compartments or beverage holders.
Putting It Together
Now that you’ve peeked under the lid at all the pieces, how do you decide what sectional puzzle is the right one for you?
- Explore different sectional layouts
- Discover the sectional design that suits your design aesthetic
- Decide the best placement location for a sectional in your room
- Assess how many will use it and how, both regularly and for entertaining
- Look for the best (not necessarily the biggest) fit and function
- Ask for professional assistance – a consultation with Bassett’s design experts is always free
Let the overall design aesthetic for your home as well as the room size be the first yardsticks of measurement. For example, if you’re looking primarily for flexibility, a modular sectional can be your best ally in accommodating life’s dynamic demands. Each modular piece can be added and attached, as well as separated and moved to other parts of the room, creating endlessly variable seating arrangements.
If, instead, you have a specific vision, a Build Your Own Bassett furniture sectional gives you the most freedom to shape a comfortable gathering space that you’ve tailored to your unique needs. While all Bassett sectional sofas offer some level of customization, the possibilities are as wide-ranging as your imagination when you work with our designers and artisans to build your own.
A sectional sofa is one of the most malleable or flexible pieces of furniture you’ll ever buy – be sure to make the most of this opportunity. Choose a style from one of our collections, then use our interactive sectional builder to select and configure your pieces. Or schedule an appointment with a Bassett design consultant – they’re experts in dream sectional interpretation!
It’s often said that one’s destination is less a place and more a new way of seeing things. Now that you’ve mapped out your ultimate relaxation plan, we think you’ll agree that it’s also a new way of feeling things – like the happiness found in comfort, delightfully shared.
