Is a corner sofa right for your room?

A corner sofa is a very desirable piece of furniture but it's not the right fit for every home. Size, function and form all play a part in verifying a corner sofa as the perfect model. Understanding this and working out what works for your space is the key to achieving flow and feng-shui. Corner units, otherwise known as L shaped sofas, are undeniably timeless. However, in order to avoid restricting your room's potential, there are more effective furniture layout designs. Today, we spoke with Raft’s Head of Visual Merchandising about how to style a corner unit, when it’s a good idea, and when to opt for something else.

1. Open Plan

There are ample perks to an open plan room. However, a disadvantage is that sometimes they lack a feeling of cosiness. Creating a visual separation through zoning is the easiest way to counteract this. The ultimate interior design weapon in this case? The corner sofa. 

“Corner units and open plan spaces are a match made in heaven." Lubo says "The solution to an overstimulating and cluttered open plan room, a corner unit offers a physical divider that can house its own little world in its sphere.” 

2. Styling Scale

Firstly, we want to stress that we are not strict about textbook proportions. For example, sometimes the best thing you could do for a small living room is choose an oversized rug or jumbo sofa. However... "You don’t want a room that dwarves its furniture. For this reason, if you’re working with a very large room, a corner sofa is a fantastic statement piece that makes the most of the space."

3. When to Reconsider a Corner Sofa

If you've always been set on a corner sofa, the following advice is not for you. When it comes to your home, you know your own non-negotiables! However, if you're undecided, allow us to shed some light on the pain points...

Are you maximising or minimising seating?

"A corner sofa may appear to maximise seating options but sometimes this is merely an illusion. Thinking logistically, for a corner unit, you only have one open side. This means that if you've opted for a small corner, when guests are round, their knees may be touching." To avoid this, rather than a small corner unit, you may want to choose a standard sofa and an armchair or two. This provides a sociable seating solution and diversifies a small room, creating character and depth.

Will it dominate your home?

Sometimes a corner sofa can be a simple shortcut to a stylish space. However, for very small, open plan spaces it can dominate a room and restrict potential. "For a square room in need of a more open layout, an alternative is a chaise or footstool. A footstool is fantastic due to its versatility, doubling up as a coffee table, extra seat or place to put your feet up."