Sectionals

A sectional continues its seating around a corner as one connected run, built from two to four upholstered pieces that go together one way only. The corner is made either by a wedge, a square unit set into the angle, or by a chaise, a seat stretched to 60 to 68 inches from back to end so legs go up. Arms are built onto specific pieces, so the chaise faces left or right and stays there for the life of the sofa.

Units pull together with steel brackets or interlocking hooks under the frame. This is what makes the seat read as one surface instead of two pieces shoved together. Load arrives at the corner from two directions, so the corner unit and its legs give out first. A sixth leg under the joint does more for the piece than any fabric upgrade. Footprint is the number to respect: a common L covers roughly 110 by 90 inches, which is 70 square feet of floor gone.

Modular sofas look identical in photographs and behave nothing alike. A modular is built from interchangeable units that each stand alone, while a sectional's pieces are cut for one arrangement. A sectional runs 20 to 30 percent cheaper per seat and can never be straightened into a line. Set against a three seat sofa with two chairs, you gain a continuous lounging surface and lose the ability to move or replace anything separately. Loveseat plus armchair remains the answer under 12 feet of wall.

Open plan rooms that need a boundary drawn are where the footprint pays, along with households of four or more who sit down together every evening. Give it a corner of at least 12 feet in each direction, and keep 30 inches of walkway around the outside of the L. Renters and anyone moving within three years should think twice, since a 68 inch chaise makes the same stair turn a whole sofa would. People who rearrange rooms for pleasure will resent it.

Orientation is named from the front: left arm facing and right arm facing describe the sofa as you stand looking at it, and reversing that is the most expensive mistake in furniture. Ask whether the seat cushions are interchangeable, because the corner seat wears roughly three times faster than the ends and rotation is the only cure. Reach under the joint and feel for a bracket rather than a strap. Retighten those brackets yearly, as units creep apart on hard floors every time somebody drops into the corner.