Sectional Sofas With Storage
Buy the best sectional sofas with storage selected and recommended by interior designers. By Caroline Patterson.
Investing in the right sectional sofa can make your house feel like a home. You need to find the right style and size to match your living space and accommodate your family or frequent guests. For a multifunctional piece, consider investing in a sectional with storage to maximize your space. We’ve found comfortable sofas with storage in various styles to help you find the perfect focal point for your family room.
Sectional Sofas With Storage
Buying Guide
Caroline Patterson
Interior Design Expert
Caroline is a young, New York-based interior designer and home decor writer, obsessed with textiles and designer furniture. Backed with rigorous training from a prestigious design school, as well as a profound understanding of material quality and fabric care, she offers spot-on advice on how to furnish your place with reliable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing pieces.
Sectionals are so much more than the ‘sizeable seating alternatives to conventional sofas’, that they are often described as. They are more versatile for one and can be custom-arranged to fit even awkward shaped rooms.
L-shaped, U-shaped, symmetrical, reverse chaises, name it and you have it. They can fit the entire family or your entire crew if you love to host a crowd. And they can go everywhere from the capacious living room to the compact study.
Sectionals can float to create a sense of openness or be packed tightly to maximize square footage. All said and done, here’s a small guide to help you while you shop for one of these.
Measure the length and the width of the room. Measure the height of the window as well if you intend to place the sofa next to it. Use painters tape and mask the entire area that will be accommodated by the sofa. This will help you understand the proportion and scale of the sectional as compared to the other furniture pieces in the room.
A sectional sofa can be a great conversation piece. But if the room feels cramped, then you might have to remove some other furniture pieces or rearrange them to make the design cohesive.
You can pick from L-shaped, U-Shaped, Curved, Modular, stationary, reclining or ones with a sleeper bed. Sectionals are available in traditional, contemporary and modern styles. Pick one that reflects your personality and blends with the existing décor.
While a conventional sofa can seat 4 people at best, a sectional can easily accommodate 6 to 8 people. Oh don’t forget that when you are all alone, you can just put your feet up and lounge. Having said that, you do not always need to buy the biggest one that can fit in the room. Consider the number of people who will be using the sofa regularly.
If you love to host a shindig every now and then, you can look for modular styled sectionals with different pieces that can be wheeled away and used as standalone seating options if need be.
The corner seat is often advertised as a seating option for a full sized adult. But that’s not usually the case, especially when the other seats are accommodated. An adult might find that it’s boxed or cramped, especially if in L- and U-shape sectionals. If that’s not what you are looking for, then pick a design that’s rounder. There’s no dearth of choices.
Sectionals are mainly available in three types of materials. That’s leather, faux leather, and fabric.
- In a busy household with kids, you need a material that’s forgiving on stains and spills. Microfiber fits the bill perfectly. It’s made of polyester and nylon and is easy to maintain.
- But if it’s a man cave or empty nesters then you can opt for that suave and sophisticated leather sofa.
- PU leather is a cheaper alternative that mimics the look of leather but can be surprisingly low on maintenance.
There are, of course, a gamut of other options in fabrics that can be matched with the rest of the décor.
Depending on the design, the sectional can have integrated pull out drawers that can tuck in your linen or other essentials. Or the storage compartments can be accessed by lifting up the cushions.
In case of pull out drawers, consider the additional room that you will need to extend them fully. If it’s the latter, a hydraulic hinge based system will make it easier to access.