How to Arrange L-shaped Sofas: 7 Living Room Ideas

L-shaped sofas can be incredibly adaptable and suit a wide variety of rooms, no matter their shape or size. For rooms with limited space, such as apartments, small L-shaped sofas offer the maximum number of seats without eating into the room’s available area. This means you’re free to invite more friends around to your place for dinner, drinks, or just to catch up. 

You can also use them to create an inviting, cosy lounge area to relax in and put your feet up. Or, make a dramatic, show-stopping centrepiece in your living room. L-shaped sofas can also be used to separate a living and dining room or working space. The possibilities are endless, which is why L-shaped sofas, for both large and small spaces, are so popular.

L-Shape Sofa Styles

These versatile sofas are available in a wide variety of designs to suit your décor and needs. These include:

1. The classic couch

This has a back support along the longer side of the L and a chaise, at the other end, that’s perfect for lounging on.

2. Cushion-backed sofas

With back support along both sides of the L, this is ideal for a small room that needs a lot of comfy seating. Compared to a regular three-seater and two-seater sofa-set, an L-shaped sofa can easily accommodate six or seven people.

3. Recliners

These feature recliner seats at both ends of the L, making them great for couples who want seating for guests but also enjoy creating the home theatre ambience on movie nights.

4. Sectional sofas

Increasingly, these sofas are available in sectional units that allow you to create your own sofa (and also ensure your sofa will fit through your door). These sectionals offer flexibility in changing the seating arrangement, as the individual blocks can shift around easily to clean or provide more seats for visitors. Some even have additional ottomans that can nestle in to create a comfortable double-bed in the living room.

5. Sofa Beds

L-shaped sofa beds are ideal for small homes looking to put up guests for the night. They are heavier than normal L-shaped sofas but offer a worth-its-weight-in gold space-saving solution.

Regardless of the type of L-shaped sofa you opt for, it can present a challenge when arranging it in your room. This is largely due to its overall size, which can limit your flexibility when it comes to placement.

To help open out your options for you, we’ve considered the benefits and gains offered by seven possible room layouts.

L-shaped sofa layout #1: In the centre of the room

This type of layout is ideal for those who have a large lounge and love having company over to chat the night away.

Letting the L-shape take centre stage means devoting most of the middle of your room to your sofa. Typically, it is placed around a fireplace to offer warmth, comfort and a sense of togetherness.

If your room is large enough you can place more armchairs at the open end of the sofa to create a large space for entertaining within the semi-circular zone that you have formed.

Choose neutral colours for your large furniture and on your walls, adding bold splashes of colour through accent cushions or richer-toned occasional tables and cabinets or shelves.

L-shaped sofa layout #2: The intimate circle

For smaller rooms, you can use your sofa with a matching armchair to create a circular space for your family and friends to chat around or snuggle up with while enjoying your favourite TV programmes.

Position the armchair facing the vertical section of your sofa to create this effect. Simply swivel it round to face the television if you are having a night in front of the box.

In the centre of your circle position one or two round coffee tables. These are more space-friendly than rectangular tables and help to draw everyone in towards each other. 

L-shaped sofa layout #3: Nestled against a window wall

With your corner sofa nestling against a window, you create an inviting spot for reading and relaxing.

Bathing in the sun’s warmth and light creates the perfect place to unwind after a busy day or to while away a lazy weekend. 

Again, choosing neutral colours helps to add to the serene ambiance of the room and maintains the focus on natural light. To pep things up a little, why not also choose neutrally coloured cushions that carry a playful and bold design.

L-shaped sofa layout #4: Demarcating two different living spaces

The length of an L-shaped sofa can be used to create a separation between two parts of a room. For instance, the sofa could wrap itself around a television to create a lounge, where the other half of the room is used to dine in.

If you use a L-shaped sofa with a low back, or with no back at all in the chaise section, you can soften the split between the two parts of the room.

To emphasise the separation, you can use complimentary but slightly different colours in the two rooms you have created, or on their accessories and furniture.

To tie the rooms together, you can echo the colour scheme of one half of the room in the accessories, such as its cushions and rugs, that are used in the other half.

L-shaped sofa layout #5: The back wall sweep

Using a large L-shaped sofa along the length of the back wall provides lots of seating for your living room without eating into the available space.

Having the sofa run along the back wall creates a visual pathway from the room’s entrance door to the main area for relaxing in. 

The sofa is big but it never appears obtrusive. Ensuring that the sofa’s colour echoes the colour scheme of the room helps it to blend into the background further.

You can frame the open space in front of the sofa with a rectangular rug and a rectangular coffee table, creating a visual pull to the centre of the room.

L-shaped sofa layout #6: The loft room

For large open spaces, such as studio flats or apartments, you can use longer L-shaped sofas to create the impression of a separate room.

This helps to give the illusion of a dedicated lounge area in large, open concept spaces. Picking contrasting colours with the rest of the room for your sofa and other furniture placed here helps to enhance the feel of a distinct space.

You can use a large rug and ottomans (which also serve as extra seating) to further mark out your lounge.

Choose a sofa that is durable and comes with a long guarantee and you’ll be able to use your L-shaped sofa to rearrange your space for many years to come.

L-shaped sofa layout #7: The extended sofa in a smaller room

Extended L-shaped sofas are not just for lofts – they can also be used to great effect in smaller spaces. By paring down on the other furniture and chairs in your lounge, there is no reason that a long L-shaped sofa could not provide all the seating you need in a simple, compact arrangement.

Using your sofa like this frees you from falling into the trap of making your room feel congested with too many pieces of furniture in a small space.

If you need them, cushioned, flat ottomans can be placed at one end and a thin, modern coffee table will keep the streamlined look without making everything feel crowded.

Arranging your L-shaped sofa

The L-shape is actually incredibly versatile in creating stylish living areas in large and small rooms alike. For a large piece of furniture, it is remarkably adaptable to different arrangements – and it’s a real joy to relax on, wherever you place it!

L-Shaped Sofa Left Hand

A left-hand L-shaped sofa simply refers to the arm being placed on the left side when you are looking directly at it. This is important information to be aware of - especially as you measure - as it can affect where the sofa can go and what it will look like.

L-Shaped Sofa Right Hand

A right-hand L-shaped sofa refers to the arm being on the right side of the sofa when you’re looking at it straight on. Ensure you’re 100% confident on whether you need a right hand or left-hand L-shaped sofa to fit your space. If you’re planning on placing the sofa in the middle of the room or dividing two rooms, then you can choose by which style you prefer the look of.