If you want to find the perfect position for your sofa but are not sure where to start, follow the advice of the experts!
How to choose the right location for your sofa
Finding the right position for your sofa may not always be as simple as it sounds. Depending on the size of the living area, the location of any doors and windows or even the presence or absence of a TV, the rules of interior design to follow, which will allow you to correctly position your furnishing accessories, will change. In particular, making a careful choice on the position of your sofa allows you to not only optimise your space (and make the furniture functional and harmonious) but also to enjoy maximum comfort.
Where should I put my sofa? The basic rules
Although everyone has their own personal and subjective taste in furnishing their home, there are some guidelines that can be useful for making the best use of your furniture whilst also enhancing functionality for homeowners and guests alike. Let’s see together which measures to take.
How to arrange your sofa and dining table
In this case, the rule is very simple. The dining table can never be placed between the sofa and the TV because it would create a significant visual obstacle preventing those sitting on the sofa from comfortably enjoying a film, series or TV programme. Generally speaking, it is always a good idea to place the dining table to the side of the sofa or behind it (depending on the shape and size of your living room), allowing for (where possible) at least one metre of distance between the table and the sofa.
Where should your sofa be in relation to your TV?
Your sofa should always be placed in front of your TV to allow you to enjoy a great comfort experience. In addition, it is important to consider the distance between the TV and the sofa so that you do not create problems with viewing images (for instance, sitting too close or too far from your TV can create viewing problems). An approximate way to calculate the ideal distance is to consider the the size of your TV set. For example, the distance between a 32-inch HDTV and a sofa should be at least 1.2m, reaching to around 1.9m for a 50-inch HDTV. As for the ideal height at which to position the TV, you can find this by sitting on the sofa. The centre of the TV should be at eye-level.
If you want to recreate the cinema experience at home, we recommend the ‘Home Theatre’ model of Calia Italia’s Romeo Relax.
This sofa forms a panoramic semi-circle position reminiscent of movie theatres and even has electrical recliners that allow you to adjust the footrests and headrests via a touch pad next to the armrest. This sofa is also equipped with additional comforts, from LED lamps with touch technology to cup holders
How to place your sofa near doors and windows
If you have a TV in your living room, you don’t want to put the sofa in front of or under the windows. Why not you ask? Well, because the sofa (as we said earlier) should not only be placed in front of the TV but also not be in a position parallel to the window. If the screen is directly exposed to sunlight, viewing will be impaired.
On the other hand, if a TV is not of interest to you, then there are really no drawbacks to placing your sofa in front of a large window. On the contrary, it is a very chic choice that gives brightness to your living area.
If this idea appeals to you, the Matheola model by Calia Italia is particularly suitable. Available in both fixed and corner solutions and with a modern and essential look, this sofa is characterised by a wide and welcoming seat and has the possibility of increasing both its depth and the height of its backrest – giving an unprecedented comfort experience.
However, with regard to doors, your sofa should be placed at least 60 centimetres away from them and, if possible, it would be preferable not to place it with its back to the entrance in order to make the space airier.
How to position a linear sofa in your living room
Linear sofas, whether two-seaters or larger, are versatile and can therefore be positioned in various ways. If you need to optimise space, we recommend placing one close to a free wall or under a window. If your living area is large though, you can also place the sofa in the centre of the living room as long as it is a high-quality model that matches the rest of your home furnishings. Like this it will be the star of your living room.
If you are thinking about this option, you could be inspired by the Toby Wing model by Calia Italia. Equipped with a light structure raised from the ground, this sofa can be transformed into an actual day-bed with sliding backrests and armrests that allow the seat to incredibly expand its depth. It’s an elegant and multifunctional solution that will make your furnishing unique.
How to position a corner sofa
Corner sofas offer a very versatile solution and are particularly recommended in spacious rooms. To create a more intimate living area, their ideal position is next to a wall, perhaps in front of a coffee table, an armchair or a footstool. For very large rooms, you might like to place one in the centre as this will make your sofa the most important piece of furniture in your living room. Finally, corner sofas can be used to separate and define different rooms of a house. For instance, in a loft or an open space they can divide the living area from the sleeping area or the dining room from the living room, etc.
Perfect for spaces of all sizes (and for all types of location), the Modula model by Calia Italiais composed of three parts, each of a different width that allow you to create different types of corner solutions. In addition, it is a multi-functional sofa that offers an armrest with storage and a wooden laptop stand/base on which to place other objects. What’s more is that it can be equipped with lights, cup holders or chargers for tablets and smartphones. What more could you want?
Placing your sofa in the middle of the room: When it is the right choice and the best models
Many people would like to place their sofa in the centre of the room, especially those who want to make their furniture the star of their space. However, you do need to meet some key requirements in order to make this choice:
- have a very large living room
- have an airy and unobstructed space for the sofa if it is placed in the centre of the home environment
- opt for a model (such as Foster by Calia Italia) that is carefully designed down to the smallest detail, is of high quality, imposing, soft, and in line with the surrounding furnishings. In short, your sofa must be seen and needs to fill the surrounding space.
How to position your sofa in a small house
In the case of a small living room, you should avoid placing your sofa in the centre of the room because it would ‘steal’ precious space and risk making the house cramped and suffocating. Instead, it would be much better to position the sofa along a free wall (especially in the case of a linear sofa) or in a corner to create a small living area.
To enjoy an unprecedented comfort experience even in the smallest of spaces, you could always opt for the leather, linear two-seater version of the Lazy model by Calia Italia. It is a sofa with extremely soft and welcoming lines inspired by those of a cushion.
How to place two sofas in one room
If you happen to have enough space to fit not one but two sofas in your living room, you can choose between several options. The most common choice is certainly to place two sofas facing each other, both perpendicular to the wall where the TV cabinet is located.
Alternatively, you can create an L-shaped corner with two sofas. Just pay attention to the distances between the two pieces of furniture to allow people to move around easily.
How to position your sofa with armchairs and footstools.
Easier than having two sofas, the easiest solution is to go for one sofa with the addition of armchairs and footstools. Armchairs are ideal in ‘conversation rooms’ if (though not in times of a pandemic of course) you like to invite many guests to your home and entertain yourself by talking in comfort. Placing one or more armchairs to the side or in front of the sofa can be the ideal solution for this. Footstools, however, can have a truly multifunctional role. They can be excellent footrests, great extra seating for unexpected guests (even in smaller homes) and can also be used as coffee tables or stands. Their ideal position depends on their main function, though they are often placed to the side of the sofa (as an extension) or in the centre, in front of the sofa itself.
Among the Calia Italia models, the Mater Familias footstool is ideal for combining comfort and conviviality together and the bench version, which is longer and shallower, can be used as soft and comfortable seating.
