How to Choose a Sectional for Your Living Room

A sectional is the largest furniture decision most people make for their home. Get it right and it anchors the room for years. Get it wrong and you're either living around a sofa that doesn't fit or going through the whole process again. Here's how to think it through before you buy.

Start with the room, not the sofa

Before you look at a single piece of furniture, measure your room. Specifically:

• The length of the wall where the sofa will sit
• The depth available — how far into the room can the sofa extend before it blocks traffic flow?
• The distance from the sofa to the TV, coffee table, or opposing seating

A common mistake is buying a sectional that fits the wall but crowds the room. Leave at least 18 inches between the sofa and a coffee table, and at least 30–36 inches for walkways. If you're not sure, bring your measurements to the showroom — we can help you map it out before you commit.

Decide on the configuration

The two most common sectional shapes are L-shape and U-shape, and they serve different rooms differently.

L-shape sectionals work well in most living rooms. The chaise or shorter return tucks into a corner and leaves the rest of the room open. Good for rooms under 400 square feet or layouts where you need to preserve a pathway.

U-shape sectionals are for larger rooms and households that want maximum seating. They define the space clearly and work well in open floor plans where you need the furniture to anchor the room. Plan for at least 14–16 feet of wall space.

Chaise sectionals — a sofa with a single chaise on one end — are the most versatile. Comfortable for one or two people, they don't dominate smaller rooms the way a full U-shape does.

With our Bassett and Palliser lines, most configurations can be custom-ordered — you pick which end the chaise goes on, how many seats across, and whether you want a console or armless middle pieces. You're not limited to what's on the floor.

Think about how you use the room

A sectional in a busy family room needs to handle different demands than one in a formal living room. A few honest questions worth answering before you choose:

• Do you have kids or pets? Performance fabrics clean better than most leathers and most standard weaves.
• Is this the primary TV-watching spot? Deep seats and a chaise make a difference for long evenings. Shallower seats are better for rooms where you want people sitting upright and talking.
• Do you host often? A U-shape maximizes seating. An L-shape with occasional chairs gives you flexibility.

Fabric or leather — and which grade

Both work on a sectional. The choice usually comes down to lifestyle and look.

Fabric is warmer, comes in more colors and textures, and modern performance fabrics (like those available on Bassett frames) are genuinely stain-resistant and easy to clean. Good for households with kids, pets, or anyone who runs warm.

Leather is durable, ages well, and is easier to wipe down than most people expect. Palliser's leather selection is one of the strongest we carry — full-grain, top-grain, and performance leather options across dozens of colors. Leather tends to feel cooler in summer and warmer in winter than people anticipate.

We have extensive sample books in the showroom. We always recommend seeing and touching the material before ordering, especially for leather grades — the difference between grades is significant and doesn't translate well through a screen.

Make sure it fits before you order

The most common delivery complication is a piece that doesn't make it through the door, around a hallway corner, or down a staircase. Before finalizing any order:

• Measure your front door width (minimum 32 inches, ideally 36+)
• Note any tight turns between the entrance and the room
• Check ceiling height if you have a low stairwell landing

Many sectional configurations can be ordered in smaller sections that assemble on-site, which solves most access issues. Our delivery team is experienced with challenging layouts — let us know your situation at the time of purchase and we'll build the right configuration for your space.

Come see it in person

Every question above gets easier to answer when you're sitting in the frames. Scale, depth, cushion firmness, fabric texture — none of it comes through on a screen the way it does in person.

Our Towson showroom carries one of the largest selections of Bassett, Palliser, and Parker House in the Baltimore area. Our team can help you map your room dimensions against available configurations, pull fabric and leather samples, and give you an honest read on what works for your space. No appointment needed — or schedule a design consultation if you want dedicated time with one of our team members.

We're at 1125 Cromwell Bridge Rd in Towson, Monday through Saturday 11AM–7PM and Sunday 12–5PM.