How to Arrange Two Sofas in a Living Room: The Complete Guide

Two Sofas in a Living Room
Your living room is the heart of the home. It is a place where family interactions occur, where friends gather, or where you can snuggle with a book or a good movie.

What Are the Benefits of Having Two Sofas in Your Living Room?

There are plenty of benefits to having multiple sofas in your living room:

  • It works well in irregular-sized rooms and makes your room look larger. Even in a small living room, having two couches will make the room look much larger. They work in a variety of room shapes.
  • Can easily transform your room. If you are bored with your current layout and want to dabble with interior design, you can easily change up your living room layout simply by moving the couches around.
  • Makes it easy to talk. Having two sofas close together in a large living room space means you can comfortably talk with your guests without everyone having to sit on one couch.
  • Creates a living room zone. Having two couches means you can place other furniture pieces, such as accent chairs or a sofa table, creating a comprehensive living space.
  • Creates a focal point. Any interior designer will tell you how crucial a focal point is in your living room, and having two couches that act as accent furniture will create a visual centerpiece in your room.

As long as you consider the size, price, and color of the couches, two couches can create a beautiful living room. These are all things to keep in mind, but most importantly: placement!

Should You Have Two Identical Sofas or Different Sofas in a Living Room?

Two Sofas in a Living Room

Two identical sofas will introduce a sense of calm into your home, especially if they have a neutral color. These sofas will result in a sense of balance and symmetry, and if you introduce similarly styled furniture, your room will feel consistent. Identical sofas will work best in a formal living room.

Two different sofas can make for a fun living room, but just make sure that one sofa is not completely different from the other. The sofas should still work well together, although you will have the opportunity to mix prints and colors, as well as combine different sofa styles.

Shop this article
No items found.

6 of the Best Ways to Arrange Two Sofas in a Living Room

Before arranging two sofas in your living room, you have to consider the size of the room as well as the type of sitting area you want to create. A large room will require a different arrangement than a small room, while a living room with the sole purpose of watching TV will have a different layout than one aimed at casual lounging.

Here are some living room arrangements with two sofas options to consider.

The 2 Most Common Arrangements

Facing Each Other

Two Sofas Facing Each Other

The most popular option is to arrange couches opposite one other. This is good for a living room that often has guests over, as sofas facing each other will create a comfortable space for entertaining and conversation.

This layout works best in a large living room with ample space or a rectangular room without a lot of other furniture. If you don't have space for a large coffee table between the couches, opt for an end table with a table lamp at the end of each couch instead.

L-Shaped Arrangement

Two Sofa L-Shaped Arrangement

An L-shaped arrangement is cozy and works well in a small living room to save space while still providing enough seating. If you have plenty of space available, this layout won't have to be tucked into a corner, but can rather be placed in the center of the room to delineate the living space.

Placing two sofas at a right angle creates an inviting, intimate vibe. This works well for living rooms where families spend lots of time together or where there is a TV or fireplace across from the arrangement.

4 Other Two-Sofa Arrangements You Could Try

Wide Shaped Angle

A wide-angle layout is great if you want a comfortable room that won't be frequently used for formal events.

The two couches can be placed apart and allow you to add other chairs, stools, coffee tables, and an area rug. This layout makes a room feel open and welcoming, but will only work in large spaces.

A wide layout is great for informal parties, as it allows more space to mingle while still offering seats around the room.

Go Diagonal

Two Sofas Diagonal

A diagonal sofa arrangement is a change from the norm. Usually, when we think of layout ideas, we focus on straight, perpendicular, or parallel lines.

If you want to change this up a bit or have an irregular-shaped living room, then you can slightly shift your couches to change up the right angles and create gentle diagonal lines.

For example, if your couches facing each other are at an exact right angle, you can angle both slightly outward to create a larger space between them. However, it works best when the couches are facing the same direction.

Group in a Triangle

For a semi-open concept plan, you can change the traditional L-shaped layout slightly by placing the couches in a triangle-shaped arrangement. This layout can be formed around a coffee table or an area rug and allows for more flexible movement in the space.

Sit Them Next to Each Other

This setup will work best in long, narrow living rooms. It is a good use of the available space in that room. It works well with the sofas facing the television, or you can add accent chairs across from the couches to form a comfortable spot for conversations.

Having just the two couches next to one another will be slightly uncomfortable if the main purpose of the room is entertaining guests, so it is best to get additional seating.

This symmetrical layout works best with similar style sofas.

Want to Create Your Dream Home?
Get the Inside Look, our free weekly newsletter that delivers curated home decor and furniture picks, expert design advice, and more. Join 4,000+ subscribers.
Enter your email to sign up
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Final Thoughts

Having two sofas in your living room gives you plenty of options for arranging your living room layout. You can place the couches at varying angles to create a focal point and ideal entertainment area in the center of your room.

It is important that you consider the size, shape, and style of the couch, as well as the size and function of your living room, as this will influence your sofa layout slightly.

Having two sofas is certainly beneficial, as it offers you more seating for guests, makes a room appear larger, and makes it feel more intimate and welcoming.

How to Arrange Two Sofas in a Living Room: FAQs

How Far Apart Should Two Sofas Be?

You need to allow plenty of space for movement, so it is best that two couches are at least 3 ½ feet apart. If you are making use of a coffee table, leave about 16 inches between the couch and the coffee table.

Is a Sectional and a Bench Better Than Two Sofas?

Having one sectional and one bench is a cost-effective seating solution that is aesthetically pleasing and combines different materials.

Having two sofas also looks great but offers more comfortable seating, and similar sofas will create symmetry.

Should You Put a Couch in Front of a Window?

A couch with a low back (at least lower than the window) will work in front of the window and give you plenty of natural light for reading.

What Are the Best Color Combinations for Two Different Sofas?

There is no right answer, but some color combinations look better than others. Here are some of our favorite color combos:

  • White and deep brown
  • Turquoise and dark blue
  • Brown and tan
  • Green with a dark, charcoal grey
  • Red and white
  • White and grey
  • White and gold
Written by
Ash Read
Ash is the founder of Living Cozy. He's been featured by publishers like MyDomaine, Realtor, Real Homes, Architectural Digest, The Spruce, Homes and Gardens, and more. As a writer his work has appeared in publications like FastCompany, TNW, and Entrepreneur.
Subscribe
The Inside Look
The email newsletter guaranteed to bring you the latest brands, products and tips to live you best life at home. Delivered every Friday. Join 4,000+ subscribers.

Thank you! You're now subscribed to the Inside Look.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

About Living Cozy

Your go-to source for modern homeware and furniture brands.
We bring together industry experts and the people behind the brands we share our homes with to give you unique insights into the world of furniture, homeware and interior design.

Expert writers and contributors

Wilfredo Emanuel
Mike Fretto
Karen Rohr
Yoselin Castro
On Living Cozy, you'll find advice and insights from furniture and interior design experts to help make your house a home.