Designing Your Room Around Your Sofa

The sofa is more than just a comfortable gathering place — it’s a safe and sacred space in our homes. It’s your retreat from the everyday hustle and bustle of the world.

The sofa is one of the largest pieces of furniture in your living room, and because of that, it’s an essential part of your room’s design. It’s a focal point and a theme generator, inevitably influencing the style, look and feel of your living space.

When you begin thinking about designing a room around your sofa — whether you’re buying a new sofa or just trying to create a new look around your old one — there are several important factors to consider.

Start With Placement and Size

When you’re considering where to place your sofa, breaking out your tape measure and floor markers can help you visualize how your space will look without moving your sofa around the room. Marking your potential landing spots for your sofa will give you a sense of how such a large piece of furniture will fill the room and how the rest of your room will come together.

Choose Your Colors and Textures

After you decide where you want your sofa, the next major consideration is the style of the sofa, including its color, leather or fabric, function and construction. Even if you already have a sofa, you can reupholster it to give it a fresh new look.

Think about everything that happens in your living room. If you have children or pets, you’ll want to choose a durable upholstery — like leather — that is easily cleaned. Remember, finding the right sofa is a lifestyle decision, too. Think about how you plan to use it and who else might be involved.

Don’t Forget Your Lighting

Too many people make the mistake of overlooking the lighting in your space. How much natural light will you get from your windows? Where will you need to place lamps? Depending on your lighting source, light will fall on or around your sofa differently, so adjust accordingly.

Mix in Your Accessories

In addition to adding lamps for extra lighting, think about what additional accessories you will add to the mix. Tables, rugs, ottomans, drapes and more can truly add style and sophistication to your space, and these accessories give you new opportunities to add new and complementary colors and textures. With these new changes, you may find yourself making a few related changes around the room.

Your sofa is the elementary piece of your living room, but with a little preparation and a little knowledge of interior design, you can successfully design your room around your sofa!