Sectionals

Sectional Sofas for Living Rooms and Family Rooms

Grayson Living carries more than 290 sectional sofas for the living room and family room from brands including TOV Furniture, Four Hands, Caracole and Hooker Furniture. Layouts run from two pieces to multi-module arrangements, including reclining sectionals, upholstered in fabric, leather and velvet.

How much room does a sectional need?

Measure each wall the sectional will run along, then take out the walkways: a main path through the room needs 30 to 36 inches, and the open end of a sectional should stop short of any doorway. Start with the walls rather than the sofa. If the room cannot keep those clearances with a sectional in place, a sofa and loveseat arrangement seats nearly as many people and leaves the corner open as a path.

How far should a sectional be from the coffee table?

Leave 14 to 18 inches between the front of a sectional's seats and the coffee table or ottoman. At that distance drinks stay within reach without crowding anyone's knees.

How many people does a sectional seat?

Allow about 30 inches of seat width per person along each run of a sectional to judge how many people a layout seats. The Width filter on this page narrows the sectionals to the overall width your room allows.

What seat depth and seat height should a sectional have?

A sectional seat depth of 21 to 24 inches suits upright sitting and shorter legs, while a depth of 25 inches or more is built for lounging and needs back pillows for anyone who wants to sit up straight. A seat height of 17 to 19 inches lines up with most coffee tables and is easy to rise from. The Depth and Seat Depth filters on this page narrow the grid to sectionals that match your numbers, whether you are fitting a two-piece sectional or a full modular layout.

What do LAF and RAF mean on a sectional?

LAF means left-arm facing and RAF means right-arm facing, and the label describes the arm as you stand in front of the sectional looking at it, not as you sit on it. A sectional with an LAF chaise therefore has the chaise on your left when you face it. Because that reads opposite to how you sit, sketch the room and mark which side the return or chaise has to fall on before choosing pieces.

Where should the chaise or return go on a sectional?

In a corner, the long side of a sectional usually runs along the wall opposite the TV or fireplace, with the return along the adjoining wall. When a sectional floats in an open plan, the back of the return marks the edge of the living area, so put the return on the side that faces the kitchen or dining space. A U-shaped sectional needs a large room, with the coffee table centered in the opening and a clear way in past both ends.

How many pieces should a sectional have?

Choose more pieces when the delivery route is tight, and fewer pieces when you want fewer seams across the seat. A sectional with more modules arrives as smaller sections that are easier to bring through a narrow entry. Some modular sectionals can also be rearranged or split into separate seating later, which suits a household that expects to move or redo the room. Before ordering any sectional, confirm that its largest section will clear every doorway, stairway, hallway turn and elevator on the way in.

How much space does a reclining sectional need?

Allow about a foot behind each reclining seat of a sectional unless the design is wall-hugging, and set the coffee table far enough out to clear the extended footrest. Check the listing for which seats recline, so you can put those seats where the room has that clearance. Our recliners page covers the difference between standard, wall-hugger, power, swivel and glider mechanisms, and how much room each one needs.

Which upholstery is best for a sectional: fabric, leather or velvet?

Textured woven fabric hides everyday wear best on a sectional, and a tight weave holds up to pets better than a loose or looped one. Leather wipes clean and handles spills well, but claws leave marks that show on smooth hides. Velvet gives deep color and a soft hand, and it shows pressure marks and collects pet hair.

What color sectional hides wear and stains best?

Taupe, brown, gray or blue upholstery hides soiling far better than a light color on a sectional used by young children or pets. Ivory and cream are the most common colors in this collection, and they suit a living room used mostly by adults. A light cover also depends more on how it can be cleaned, so read the listing's care information before you settle on one.

Delivery and showrooms

Grayson Living ships orders of $1,500 or more with free standard delivery (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Each listing shows an estimated ship date before you order, and you can see sectionals in person at our showrooms in Santa Ana and Beverly Hills.