The Best Apartment Sofas
Recently, my apartment was featured in Apartment Therapy for the unique approach I took to furnishing my living room. In particular, my apartment sofa selection. My apartment is small. It’s not even 500 square feet. The “living room,” if we can even call it that, spans only about 50 square feet. Needless to say, there isn’t much wiggle room for a typical-sized sofa.
Choosing a sofa for a small apartment is more challenging than you might think. Especially when your apartment is as small as mine. Your options become significantly more limited. Plus, figuring out how to arrange the space in a way that is both functional and visually appealing can be surprisingly puzzling.
In this post, I’ll be sharing my designer tips for choosing the best apartment sofa.
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How To Furniture Plan For Your Apartment
Before embarking on the process of furnishing your space, you want to go in with a plan. As a designer, there have been far too many times when I’ve come across spaces that were poorly planned, and as a result, the furniture ended up being too large for the room. In a small apartment, this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make—it can quickly leave the space feeling congested, cramped, and poorly planned.
Read: Small Living Room Layout: How to Fit a Couch and TV in a Tiny Space
Before you start filling your shopping cart, take a moment to draw up a simple floor plan of your apartment or small living room. From there, I recommend using a tool like Planner5D to create a to-scale floor plan and begin laying out your space with different furniture pieces. This allows you to see what will actually fit, understand how the furniture will flow within the room, and identify any potential issues before you commit to a purchase. This will help you solidify what apartment-sized sofa suits your space best.
Designer TIps for Small space Planning
In a small space, a lot of the standard floor plan rules often end up being broken. Distances and clearances may need to be reduced, and it becomes a bit of a balancing act to fit in all the right pieces without making the space feel overloaded or difficult to navigate.
The key is to make sure you still have enough room to move comfortably throughout the space. Furniture shouldn’t obstruct pathways, interfere with other pieces, or make the room difficult to use. While you may have to compromise on some standard clearances in a small apartment, the goal is to ensure everything fits without sacrificing functionality.
Designer’s Picks: The Best Apartment Sofas
Best Modern Apartment Sofa Find
This modern, Scandinavian-inspired sofa from Burrow is a super cool find. I absolutely love the fact that this piece has a built-in side table, which is both functional and sleek. It works especially well in small spaces, where finding the right side table can sometimes be a struggle, not to mention finding one that actually works with the sofa.
If your style is more modern and minimal, this could be a perfect option for your small apartment. You’re getting your sofa and side table in one, which helps maximize both space and functionality.
For a Transitional Style
The Crate & Barrel Lillemor 64.5″ Settee is an adorable apartment sofa that pairs well with a transitional to contemporary style. This piece is elegant and comes in a few different neutral fabrics, making it the perfect foundation for accent cushions and allowing you to easily layer in the style of your space.
I love the walnut wood legs and the subtle curve of this piece. It’s truly a sofa I admire and would recommend for a small living room. At only about 65″ long and 31″ deep, it’s a great size for a micro-unit while still providing comfortable seating.
For a Traditional Style
If your space leans a little more feminine, whimsical, or traditional, Anthropologie Home is a great place to shop for these types of apartment-sized sofas. The Channel Tufted 76″ Irena Sofa is one I’ve sourced for a client in particular, and it’s a fabulous piece that is comfortable, petite, and charming for an apartment space. The tufting and softer silhouette give it plenty of character without overwhelming a smaller room.
For an MCM Style
If the style of your apartment leans more MCM or modern, look no further than the Crate & Barrel Petrie 76″ Midcentury Apartment Sofa, which is very much MCM and a totally cool piece for an apartment.
I really like this piece because it comes in a variety of colours, giving you the opportunity to bring some colour and life into your apartment. Or, you can stay neutral, of course—whatever floats your boat!
Best Apartment Sofas For Extra Storage
This Wayfair find is a cheap and cheerful find that I like for a few reasons, particularly the removable seat covers and the fact that it comes with some extra storage, which is always appreciated when you’re working with a small apartment.
This can also be a great option if you have pets or simply tend to be a little messy, since the removable covers can be taken off and thrown in the wash. It’s a practical choice that gives you both seating and additional storage without taking up unnecessary space.
Best Amazon Apartment Sofa
This Amazon Home find is a highly rated apartment sofa with extra storage and the ability to convert into a futon, which is awesome if you want to host guests or simply want a little more room to get comfortable on the sofa.
It comes in a variety of colours and is just over 70″ wide, making it quite petite and a great option to consider if you’re working with limited space. The added storage and convertible function also make it a particularly practical choice for a small apartment, where every bit of functionality counts.
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