What are the best couches for small living rooms? These 9 could be the answer to your small space dilemmas

If you're looking for the perfect couch for your small living room, we've got you covered with the pick of the bunch

A small curved sofa
(Image credit: Crate & Barrel)

When it comes to small living rooms, getting the perfect couch is key to making sure it all ties together. Anything too big will overpower the space, and anything awkwardly shape will just accentuate the small scale of the room. The best couch for a small living room should seamlessly blend the space together, help it feel bright and airy, and stop it feeling claustrophobic. 

If you're on the hunt for one of the best sofas for your small living room, you can get small two-seaters or loveseats that fit snugly into a tight space and don't skimp on comfort. Curved couches for smaller spaces might not seem like an obvious choice for a living room that where space is a premium, but you can buy smaller curved sofas to make a statement. A small curved sofa might also distract from the size of the space, snugly slotting into a problem corner. 

Finally, sectionals and L-shape sofas are thought to be great solutions for small space living. You can use the piece to divide the space up, get more sofa for your money, and fit one perfectly into the corner of your room. To help you out, our shopping editor has scoured the web and found the perfect living room furniture for your small space. 

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Best small two-seat couches

Best curved couches for small space

Best modular sofas

What are the smallest sofas you can have?

Love seats are the smallest couch you can buy. Typically measuring around 58 inches wise, 38 inches deep and around 34 inches high, they are a snug sofa addition that can work for a small room that needs some comfortable furniture. 

'Love seats are great for both smaller spaces, in front of windows, where you may not have room for a large sofa, or, even very large spaces that need another form of seating but cannot handle another full sized sofa,’ says Nina Grauer of Dekay & Tate. ‘Love seats can also be fun. Feel free to experiment with different colors and textures in upholstery, even different styles than your main sofa, to add some interesting visual tension into your living room.’

How to measure a space for your sofa

Measuring your sofa is seriously important. There are so many instances when sofas get delivered and can't fit through the front door, so we urge you to measure absolutely everything. 

Firstly, always measure the length and width of your room. A standard size sofa is around 90 inches wide, while a small sofa can be as small as 70 inches. 

Measure space between walls, doors and plot out your sofa's route to its new home. Look out for dado rails and shelves that might obstruct your sofa's passage. ‘If you’re going large, use masking tape to measure,’ advises Samuel Pye, creative manager at interior studio, Echlin. 

‘With smaller sofas and rooms, just make sure you have enough space to get everyone sat down,' advises Samuel. 'Usually even in small spaces, it's important and possible to have a conversational set up with an armchair across the room so that all your seating is not in one piece of furniture, with everyone sitting in a line.'

Oonagh Turner
Livingetc content editor and design expert

Oonagh is a content editor at Livingetc.com and an expert at spotting the interior trends that are making waves in the design world. Writing a mix of everything and everything from home tours to news, long-form features to design idea pieces on the website, as well as frequently featured in the monthly print magazine, she's the go-to for design advice in the home. Previously, she worked on a London property title, producing long-read interiors features, style pages and conducting interviews with a range of famous faces from the UK interiors scene, from Kit Kemp to Robert Kime. In doing so, she has developed a keen interest in London's historical architecture and the city's distinct tastemakers paving the way in the world of interiors.