Sofa size matters: how to choose the right size sofa

As a place to gather and unwind, choosing the right size sofa is crucial for enhancing both the functionality and aesthetics of your living room. Understanding how to select the right sofa dimensions involves considering various essential factors such as the perimeter of the room, traffic flow, as well as how your sofa works with the rest of your living room furniture. If you're looking for a new sofa in Hong Kong (or anywhere else in the world!), we're here to help guide you through what to keep in mind and how to choose the right size sofa.

Scale and proportion

While the colour and fabric of a sofa are often top priorities when selecting a sofa, it's important to not overlook the size. A sofa that is too big dominate and overwhelm the room which, as a result, can make your space feel cramped and cluttered. In contrast, if you opt for a sofa that is too small for your living room, it may appear out of place and may not offer enough seating.

In order to find an appropriate sofa size for your space, we recommend your entire room, getting the measurements of the length, width and height of your space. It's important to also measure your hallways and doorways, which will help you ensure that there's enough space for your piece of furniture to be delivered and placed without difficulty!

As a general rule of thumb, we like to go by the "two-thirds" rule, which suggests that your sofa takes up about two-thirds of the longest wall in your living room. We find that this guideline generally helps create a balanced, harmonious layout.

A right size sofa should also work well with your other pieces of furniture. For example, if you already have an armchair that you love, it's important to consider finding a new sofa that generally has the same seat height to create a balanced, cohesive space.

Traffic flow

Once you measure your space, think about the layout and traffic flow of the room. Take note of common pathways as well as how you and your loved ones naturally flow throughout your space, so that you can avoid blocking these channels.

If possible, we like to recommend keeping 18 inches between your seat and coffee table, as well as 36 inches around the sofa for major pathways. This will allow you to move throughout your space easily and prevent your room from feeling cramped.

Functionality and intended use

While looks matter, it's important to also take into consideration how you will most likely use your sofa. Will you use it mainly for relaxing, having guests over, or both?

• If you love to have guests over for gatherings, then a sectional sofa, especially one in an L-shape, is a great option for offering more seating in a family room.
• Have little ones and find yourself enjoying frequent movie nights at home? Pick a sofa with a larger seat depth for extra comfort – perfect for sprawling out on!
• If you live in a two-person household and seldom have guests over, then a petite and chic, two-seater smaller sofa may be better suited for your space.

It's important to be realistic and opt for a sofa that best suits your living and seating needs.

We hope today's bLOG post helps guide you as you measure the dimensions of your room, consider scale and proportion, as well as identify how you plan to use your sofa, so that you can find the right sofa size for your living space!