Thinking of placing your sofa in front of a window? It can be done.

Placing a sofa in front of a window can look great - as long as it’s done well. Whether you’re putting your Swyft sofa in front of a window for aesthetic reasons, or the dimensions of your room dictate your sofa location, thinking about lighting, privacy and safety will ensure your living room looks as good as possible.

So, is it OK to put a sofa in front of a window? And how do you place Swyft furniture in a room with a lot of windows? Let’s take a look to find out.

1. Let there be light

When placing a sofa in front of a window, it’s important to ensure it doesn’t block too much of the light coming in. If you have floor to ceiling windows, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, if your windows are small or low down, you may find that placing your sofa in front of them makes the room feel a little darker.

Often, you can maximise the amount of light coming into the room by swapping dark, heavy curtains for lighter window dressings. Choosing a petite Swyft sofa that’s specifically designed for small spaces, or using a modular sofa builder to create a piece perfect for your lounge, can also help to increase the amount of light able to flood your living space.

2. Go easy on the headboard height

If you’re placing a sofa bed, or a standard bed, in front of a window, it’s important to try to minimise the overall size of the piece. This means opting for a low profile headboard or choosing a bed frame with no headboard at all (take a look at the Swyft bed collection for inspiration). Instead, use pillows to prop yourself up and make your furnishing irresistible.

When furnishing a bedroom, it’s important to take comfort and well-being into account. After all, the average person spends around 26 years of their life in bed. According to feng shui principles, a window shouldn’t be directly behind the head of your bed. So, to get the best possible sense of calm and relaxation in your bedroom, place it side on to the window wherever possible.

3. You can still have your privacy and light control

If you’re placing your sofa in front of a window, you need to think about how you’re going to balance privacy with light control. One of the best ways to maximise the amount of light coming in, while preventing prying eyes from seeing into the space, is to install blinds. Wooden blinds in particular can look fantastic and add a real architectural feature to the space.

4. Keep it airy with rooms that have floor to ceiling windows

Floor to ceiling windows are an asset to any interior. Allowing a huge amount of light into the space, they can help rooms to feel bright, airy and welcoming.

If you’re placing a sofa in front of floor to ceiling windows, try to find pieces that are on legs and raised off of the ground. This will help to maintain the airy feel of the room and allow light to pass easily underneath your sofa.

5. Keep it low profile

Investing in a sofa with a low profile is another good way to reduce the amount of light blocked by your furnishing. Often, a low sofa will only graze the very bottom of your windowsill so you shouldn’t notice any difference in the illumination of the room once the piece is installed.

6. Mind the Gap

Safety is another important consideration when placing a sofa in front of a window. Sofas make it a lot easier for young children and pets to reach the window. In some cases, this can cause a safety hazard, so it’s important to ensure that your furnishing is safe and secure before allowing kids and animals into the space. Our pet-friendly sofas buying guide will give you more ideas on how to find the right sofa for your furry friends.

7. Symmetry always works

Symmetry always works well in interior design, so if you’re not sure about the look of your new living room, try to balance out your furnishings with a little mirror-imaging.

For example, if there are two windows in the space, why not invest in two armchairs and place one chair in front of each window. Alternatively, look at putting your sofa right in the middle of your two windows so that the furnishing is beautifully framed by the panes of glass.

Can you put a sofa in front of a window? We answer your FAQs

Can you put a sofa under a window

Sofas placed under windows can look great – as long as you follow a few simple rules. For example, it’s important to try to minimise the amount of light that’s blocked by your new furnishings. Re-thinking your curtain choice and opting for a low profile sofa design are the best ways to maximise the natural light entering the space.

Can you place a corner sofa in front of bay window

Placing a corner sofa in front of a bay window can work well. Place the sofa so that one side of the piece runs parallel to the window. The natural alcove created by the bay window can provide the perfect place for small pieces of furniture like sideboards and TV tables. Alternatively, you can fill this space with a large feature plant or a standing lamp.

Can you put a sofa in a bay window?

If your sofa fits snugly into the alcove of your bay window, there’s no reason you can’t sit your furnishing in this handy space. Having a large bay directly behind the sofa will give you plenty of natural light for reading and working and create a beautifully illuminated seating area.

If your sofa doesn’t fit comfortably into the bay alcove, it might be better to bring the furnishing forward a bit so that you have room to get behind it. This will allow you to place other pieces of furniture in the bay and make more use of the space.

As long as you follow these simple rules, your sofa should look fantastic sitting in front of your window. Explore our range of modern, contemporary sofas including our Model 01, Model 02 and our sectional Model 03 to find out more. Plus, modular sofas.

Our range of Model 04 sofa beds is also available and ideal for smaller spaces.

Check out our small space sofa buying guide or our modular & sectional sofas buying guide to discover how to find the right sofa for any space.