The question ‘should a sofa touch the wall?’ is not the first question that comes to mind when designing a living room, but it is an important thing to consider when it comes to layout.
As one of the busiest rooms in the house, and the one that often serves the most functions, it’s important to get the living room layout right.
Below we evaluate whether a sofa should touch a wall and include some key tips from the experts on what to consider when thinking about where to place a living room sofa.
Should a sofa touch the wall?
There are no hard and fast rules about whether a sofa should touch the wall, essentially it’s a matter of personal preference, but the size and shape of the room and how you want the room to be arranged and used will determine a room layout ideas have a big impact on your life.
In general, most interior designers agree that a sofa should not touch the wall and that there should be at least a little gap to prevent the room from looking cramped, even if you only have a small living room.
“I’m going to get really bossy and beg you not to push your furniture against walls, no matter how small the space,” advises Abigail Ahern in her new book master class, available from Amazon (opens in new tab). “If you do that, you’ll get this weird dead space in the middle, and it’ll just feel wrong. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but your room will feel bigger if you let it breathe, and moving the couch even a little off the couch will create a better sense of balance. You will no longer highlight your room’s cramped dimensions.’
Jennifer Ebert, digital editor at Homes & Gardens agrees, suggesting that “moving your living room furniture away from the walls, even just a few inches, creates breathing space that will make your room feel more spacious.”
So, if you need your sofa and living room seating ideas away from the wall, it begs the question, how far should it be? There are benefits to having your sofa close to the wall and moving away from it, so to help you decide where yours should sit, we’ve summarized some tips and principles below to help.
1. Pull your sofa away from the walls to make a room look bigger
(Image credit: Vanessa Arbuthnott)
It’s worth stressing again that even if you have a small room, try not to let the sofa touch the wall, even a small gap will help improve how it looks and feels. ‘Don’t feel in a living room that your sofa has to sit against the wall. Pulling it off the wall will create the illusion of space and make the room appear larger,’ suggests the Design Studio at King Living (opens in new tab).
2. Set your sofa against the wall in small rooms or cozy rooms
(Image credit: Paul Raeside)
If you’re working on a layout for a room with a very small footprint, such as a den or playroom, then furniture against the wall can help create a cozy, intimate feel. This approach works best when the sole purpose of the space is relaxation and the sofa takes priority. In these kinds of spaces, don’t be afraid to choose a large, sumptuous sofa – a wraparound corner sofa works very well in a cozy mall, as demonstrated above.
3. Think about your layout from the center, not the walls
(Image credit: Neptune)
If you have a small room, it can be tempting to push furniture up against the wall, but – be careful – ‘it actually just creates an empty space in the middle which is not as useful as you might think and make your room feel off. -balance,’ says the interior design team at Neptune (opens in new tab). “Instead, in any size room, build your layout from the center to make it feel more intimate and welcoming,” they suggest.
4. Follow the 10ft conversation circle rule
(Image credit: Future)
Similarly, Catherine Staples, lead designer at Aspen & Ivy agrees that when placing a sofa and lounge furniture, it’s best to think about how the sofa, armchairs and individual pieces of furniture sit in relation to each other rather than worrying about where it sits in relation to the wall.
‘Floor the room with a large area rug and include as many seats as possible; the rule of thumb is that the conversation circle should not exceed 10 feet in diameter, and all seating should sit within this space, because if people are outside the circle, then no one feels connected,’ explains interior designer Catherine Staples, lead designer at Aspen & Ivy (opens in new tab).
“Pulling your furniture away from the walls can help create a sense of intimacy in a room – think of your sofa and chairs having a ‘conversation’ around a rug or coffee table,” adds Andrea Childs , editor of Country houses and interiors. ‘By grouping them closer together, you create a sense of connection between the pieces and also emphasize their purpose, which is to bring people together.’
5. Embrace symmetry
(Image credit: Future / Kasia Fiszer)
Symmetry is an important tool in interior design. Bringing elements of symmetry to your living room layout will help bring a sense of order and elegance to a space.
‘With the purpose of the space decided it is important to create balance with smart furniture selection and placement. Symmetry in interior design is often a designer’s best friend and sideboards or dressers are ideal for placing opposite sofas or mirroring large windows and fireplaces,’ says Martin Waller, founder of Andrew Martin (opens in new tab).
6. Keep your furniture in proportion to your room
(Image credit: Sims Hildlitch)
When it comes to successful living room layouts, the size of your furniture is just as important as where you place the individual pieces. Too small and the space will look empty, too big and it will look cramped, it’s a fine balancing act.
When decorating a small living room, it is tempting to go for small furniture, but in fact it can emphasize its small size, sometimes it is better to fill the space to ensure that the room has a purpose rather than looking dead. to have space.
“Always try to mark out a chair or sofa on the floor with masking tape or with cardboard to give a sense of the space they will occupy and how you will move in the space,” advises digital editor Jennifer Ebert Homes & Gardens.
7. Use a couch as a zoning device
(Image credit: Polly Eltes)
If you want to divide an open-plan living room, a sofa can act as a great partition. While a shelving unit can obscure views, a low-profile sofa set on legs helps divide a space while keeping sight lines clear and the space feeling open.
8. Place your couch against a wall of an open-plan space to encourage interaction
(Image credit: Polly Eltes)
Placing a sofa against a wall facing a room can also be useful in an open-plan kitchen-dining room or living space if you want to create a social space where you can engage with family and guests while preparing food .
‘One layout you might want to consider is placing your sofa against a back wall, inwards. This positioning gives bench sitters a great view of kitchen happenings and is ideal for maintaining conversation between guests and chefs when hosting the evening,’ says Kelly Collins, interior designer and creative head at Swyft Home (opens in new tab).
‘Alternatively, you may want to place your sofa away from the kitchen in a kitchen diner, which faces the dining area. This set-up separates the multi-use space well and makes it the perfect spot for dinner guests to retreat to once the meal is over. If you have space, you may want to place a small coffee table in front of the sofa, this may feel unnecessary with the amount of surface available in a kitchen, but it creates a comfortable place to chat over coffee in the morning.’
