Corner Sofa Buyers Guide

Rest is an essential part of life and there’s no better way to ensure that you get adequate amounts of relaxation than reclining on a good quality corner sofa. This buying guide will help you to make an informed decision when shopping for a corner sofa, taking into account factors such as comfortability, quality and support.

Different Types of Corner Sofas

Recliner

Recliner corner sofas come in the form of a foldable lounger with three reclining positions and sections that can be folded up to create a comfortable reclining chair.

Corner Sofa Bed

These are extremely comfortable and feature sliders on the bottom section which can be used to expand into a proper double bed. They also have storage space on the bottom that you are able to use to keep extra linen and pillows, especially if you have a small bedroom space with limited storage.

Single Seat Unit

Use these single-seat units to create a uniquely shaped sofa by linking them together, although they work great as armchairs when used individually.

Lounger

A great tip for someone with a spacious home would be to combine a right arm lounger with a left arm lounger to create a sprawling and comfortable L-shaped corner sofa.

Chaise Sofa

A chaise sofa gives you options as it comes with a reversible arm which can be moved around to make a left-armed sofa or a right-armed one based on your needs and preferences.

These also make it easier to redecorate your living space so that it seems as though you have purchased a new piece of furniture when you’ve only just moved the arm from one side to the other.

Fabric Types

Velvet

This is a popular choice mainly because of how comfortable it feels. It’s advisable to get a dark coloured velvet couch as opposed to lighter colours, as the latter tends to require regular cleaning.

Additionally, darker shades of velvet like royal blue, emerald green and ruby red lend a classic look to your living space and can be styled to adapt to the changing seasons.

Leather

Leather is another classic choice due to the fact that it’s durable, stain-resistant and easy to maintain, which makes it the perfect sofa material for large and/or busy families. It’s also available in a wide variety of colours and price points, so your sofa will look unique, elegant and will stand the test of time.

Fabric

Fabric sofas give you more choice in terms of colour shades and it’s a very comfortable option for singles or a young couple. Some of the most common fabrics include cotton and linen, both of which are relatively inexpensive and feel very comfortable to lounge and relax on.

On the downside, these fabrics can be finicky in terms of maintenance and some stains are impossible to remove from them.

Wool

This is quite an expensive option, but very durable and will last you for years, if not decades. Wool is also very stain-resistant, which is a plus if you’ve got little kids.

Choosing the Right Frames

When choosing a corner sofa, it’s important to select one that has a corner frame that’ll complement the overall decor of the area where you’ll be placing it. Luckily, sofa frames come in different designs and are made from a variety of different materials, with some being more durable and attractive than others.

Wooden Frames

Wooden frames are a very popular choice to manufacture sofas out of and are available in many forms and consistencies. For example, you’ve got softwoods like pine, which come with benefits like affordability and the fact that they lend a beautiful look and aroma to the room. However, pine is not very durable and needs to be replaced every few years.

On the other hand, hardwoods like beech or oak are very sturdy and will stand the test of time, although they are quite pricey.

Metal Frames

Metal frames look great in a setting with a contemporary industrial decor scheme and it’s a very affordable option, as well.

Plastic Frames

Likewise, plastic frames are very affordable but can easily bend or warp over time, often leading you to replace the sofa within a couple of years after the purchase. Moreover, placing heavy weight on a plastic sofa will probably damage it even faster.

In addition, it’s important to take into consideration the type of joints used in putting the frame together. For instance, glue and staples are not strong enough to hold a frame together for long periods of time, while things like pegs or screws will ensure that the frame doesn’t come apart.

Advantages

Corner sofas come with a myriad of benefits, like the fact that they take up very little space, allowing you to maximize the space you’ve got. They also typically have adjustable sections that can be used to augment the length and position of the sofa as you wish.

Corner sofas that come without these adjustable sections are referred to as either left-handed or right-handed corner sofas, based on the side that is the longest.

Factors to Consider

Size

Corner sofas work great to maximize the space in a small apartment, thanks to their armless feature and the fact that they make for a complete set on their own. However, there still needs to be space in your living area for your guests to move around even after the couch has been installed.

So make sure that it’s the right size for your space by measuring the area before you start shopping. Additionally, choose one that complements those measurements based on the considerations we’ve mentioned so far.

Positioning

While they obviously look fitting when placed in the corner of a room, that might not be the best option for your space. For example, placing it in the corner might cause it to take up a lot of space while placing it in the middle leaves plenty of leg room to move around. However, the positioning also depends on the size of the overall room and the accompanying decor that you have.

Modular Corner Sofas

Modular corner sofas come in separate pieces which gives you the flexibility to design and place it according to your needs and preferences. You even have the power create separate sofas, or elongate one side instead of the other as you wish, without having to conform to one particular side.

Design

Another factor to consider is the design you want for your corner sofa. There are options that come with a section which can be converted into a recliner, a chaise end which is elongated on one side of the sofa to give you more legroom for relaxation at the end of the day, as well as couches that can extend into a bed when required and much more.

Arms

You also have different arm options to choose from depending on your preferences, including low-narrow arms, curved arms, high-narrow or high-wide arms, as well as low-wide arms.

Care and Cleaning

For sofas with removable seat covers, it’s usually recommended that you hand wash the fabric covers once you’ve taken them out, as washing them with a machine might shrink them and make it impossible for you to put them back onto the sofa.

Also, avoid using detergents with chemicals like whiteners or optical brighteners as they might damage the quality of your covers and cause the colour to bleed out. It’s best to avoid getting velvet covers wet as water tends to damage it, but this makes it almost impossible to remove stains from it.

Also avoid placing your sofa next to a fireplace or a radiator, as the heat coming from these could damage it. In addition, don’t place your body weight on the arms as they’re only designed to handle the light weight of your head, arms and legs.

Otherwise, the main rule of thumb when it comes to maintaining your sofas is to always check what the cleaning instructions say first and follow them directly.

Conclusion

A corner sofa is always a good idea and lends an elegant and stylish flair to the room. It can also help to maximize the space, especially the ones that feature versatile designs like pull-out recliners, beds and chaise loungers.

What is great is that they are also available in different colours and fabric options like velvet, leather and cotton, and offer several seating options with elongated right or left side, which allows you to place it on either side of the room. Most corner sofas are also easy to maintain as long as you follow the care instructions that they come with. If you do so, they will last you for many years to come.