It makes sense to start a living room design with the biggest piece of furniture, doesn't it? If you begin with the sofa, with a design you find comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and fit for the purpose of the room, then the rest will just come naturally together. That was the thinking all these designers employed when creating these ten schemes. They chose the sofas for a variety of reasons, but they used them as anchor points to center the design.
But how do you pick the best sofa? Be inspired by any of this selection, but also keep in mind what you need. "A 2.1m sofa is so much more practical than the more common 2.4m sofa," says designer Christian Bense. "Don’t think you’re sacrificing seating space by losing those 30cm — it often means you can add an extra armchair to the floorplan instead." He adds that price tags aren't everything, either. "A good sofa doesn't have to be expensive; it's how it feels that counts," he says.
With that in mind, the selection below runs from the high street to high design sofas, ensuring there is something for everyone.
1. Lilli Curved Sofa, Heal's
The Lilli sofa from Heal's helps to fill this large living room.
When working on this duplex in North London, designer Lucy Goldbart wanted to focus on curves, connecting the arched architecture to the furniture. The Lilli sofa from Heal's was a perfect choice, as cozy as it is considered.
"This space was so large that it lent itself to being divided into two areas," says Lucy. "We wanted to have an area where you could sit and have drinks and look out to the garden, as well as a more central spot for entertaining."
She was drawn to the simplicity of the Lilli, with no edges or fussy details. "Instead of over-decorating, I wanted this home to be about both sight lines — what you could see through each archway — and about little cozy corners," she says.
2. Togo Sofa, Ligne Roset
Ligne Roset's Togo sofa is a modern design icon.
"We wanted to use objects and furniture that framed the most interesting areas, drawing the eye to make you look at them more," says interior designer Yoko Kloeden of her scheme for this living room. And nothing frames a room more than the iconic Togo sofa by Ligne Roset.
It's a couch so popular that at times the waitlist for a new one has been over a year long. It's a total tone-setter, its iconic shape dominating any space it's in, saying that this is a room you can get comfortable in, where you don't have to stand on ceremony. It lends a welcoming air of informality, and if that's the vibe you're going for, then with this piece, you can't fail.
3. Saturday Sofa, Sofa.com
Christian Bense thinks the Saturday Sofa is practically perfect.
Designer Christian Bense is known for his elegant, refined rooms, but as he pointed out before, not every single sofa has to be expensive.
"I love Sofa.com’s Saturday sofa," he says, of the gray sofa seen above in a living room he has designed. "It is fully break-downable, which means you can get it into homes that have tight corners and corridors, and better than that, it's super comfortable, too. I do believe every sofa should always have feather down in its pillows."
Christian founded his studio in 2020, having worked in the industry for eight years in studios both in South Africa and London. He has gone on to speak on panels, win awards, and craft bigger and bigger projects. He has also had his work featured on the cover of Livingetc.
4. Camaleonda Sofa, B&B Italia
B&B Italia's Camaleonda has become an essential part of the Livingetc look.
Certain iconic furniture pieces get used so often by the designers we love that they become part of the tapestry of the Livingetc look. And B&B Italia's iconic Camaleonda sofa is just the piece. Our favorite designers love it, and it crops up in at least one house we feature in almost every issue.
Designer Amy Stoddart chose this burgundy style for the snug of a recent project. "It's such a great design classic, recognizable but timeless," she says. "It's a comfortable statement piece." Here, she had this one upholstered in burgundy to match the Viola marble used elsewhere, and it's so easy to make it personal that it never gets old.
5. Pietro Corner Sofa, OKA
Lisa Mettis chose the Pietro Corner Sofa partly for how easy it is to remove and wash the covers.
Designing an apartment for an American client moving to London, Lisa Mettis of Born and Bred Studio made it her mission to include as many British brands as possible.
That included OKA, the furniture retailer known for its decorative details that couldn't be any more British if it tried. She chose the Pietro Corner Sofa for this reception room because, despite the color palette, which shows up everything, "we chose this sofa because the removable covers made it practical for a family with a child and a dog," Lisa says. "While the elegant shape meant it still felt refined rather than overly casual."
6. Serpentine Sofa, Vladimir Kagan
The Serpentine sofa is elegant enough for cocktails, relaxed enough for reading.
Designer Portia Fox was creating an elegant entertaining lounge in a home where the color palette was pared back, and curves were a big feature. Vladimir Kagan's iconic Serpentine sofa felt like a natural fit.
"The shape of it is so beautiful," she says, explaining how it worked in a multi-use space. "The smokiness of the rug evokes more of an evening-y entertaining feel, but by keeping the room light and airy, it can be used for quiet reading in the daytime as well."
7. Squisharoo Sofa, Loaf
Anahita Rigby felt this Loaf sofa suited all members of the family.
When Anahita Rigby was designing a home for a multi-generational family, she had to think about everyone from grandparents down to children. That meant picking furniture that suited everybody's needs, that wasn't too formal or grown-up, but that wouldn't alienate the adults either.
"This sofa from Loaf was just right," she says of the Squisheroo Sofa, shown in the living room she designed, above. "Deep enough to sink into but not so deep that the elders couldn’t get back up." Plus, it folds out into a sofa bed.
Anahita Rigby is a London-based international interior and architectural design studio working on a range of well-considered residential and commercial projects. Studying first at Central Saint Martins, the Byam Shaw School of Art, then a Bachelor's of Architecture at Westminster University, and then a Master's degree in Architecture at UCL's The Bartlett. She has designed a room for WOW!house and had her work featured in Livingetc and the FT.
8. Chester Moon Sofa, Baxter
Having inherited this sofa, Simone Haag found it easy to design around.
As an exception to the rule of this piece, Australian decorator Simone Haag didn't choose this sofa to design this room around — in fact, she inherited the sofa from the architects who had started off the scheme, and then had to find a way to design around it. Thankfully, it didn't prove too tricky.
"This was an exercise in working with existing pieces, and figuring out how to re-route," says Simone. "So I approached it in the same way anyone might who was trying to update their home without totally overhauling it — looking for ways to add to the existing curations, to layer textures and patterns, not just to work with what I inherited with it, but to bring out a more artistic flavor."
With the sofa already in a rich gold tone, subtle "lifting moments" came from the gold flecks in the rug she added.
9. Aline Serpentine Sofa, Soho Home
Soho Home's sofas are good for zoning large open plan areas, especially the curved designs.
With so many homes now being open plan, designers use furniture to help zone large areas instead of walls. That has led to the rise in curved sofas, which create cocooning spaces in corners that help clearly demarcate the lounging space from, say, the kitchen or dining room.
That was the thinking behind McLaren.Excell's choice of the Aline Serpentine sofa from Soho Home for this modern, large and open-plan extension. "There had to be a sense of togetherness," co-founder Rob Excell says of the rear of a home that now includes a kitchen, dining area, kids' homework corner, and living space. "It had to not just be another open-plan space," he adds, and Soho Home's sofa was rounded enough to direct the focus of this part of the room solely on itself, drawing the people who sit on it together.
10. Marenco Sofa, Arflex
The Marenco sofa by Arflex is both recognizable and understated.
Working on a 1970s home in Malibu, design studio LALA Reimagined wanted to preserve its very 1970s-ness. "Decked out predominantly in American Cypress wood, we knew we had to maintain the integrity of the house," co-founder Lia McNairy says. "You know, it was a challenge — we love wallpaper and paint, but we didn’t want to touch all that beautiful wood. Nor detract from that incredible view."
Instead, they chose furniture that felt as important and considered as the architecture but didn't detract from it — the Marenco sofa by Arflex being a prime example. "We felt that restraint was the way to best respect the environment and that incredible view," Lia says of the edges that have just enough of a flick to be interesting, but will never overwhelm any space it's in.
It helps to anchor the room when you know what the largest piece will be, and the sofa is a perfect place to start. By getting that right you can ensure everything else just slots in around it. But what about the rug? Knowing what comes first, rug or sofa, is a common question that desginers have big thoughts about.
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