Buying a Sectional: A Guide for Smart Shopping

Thinking about buying a sectional?

At Baer’s Furniture, we sell a lot of sectionals from top designers, so we know how important it is to our clients to get what they expect. After all, a sectional is a substantial piece of living room furniture that’s going to dominate the room. If you come to one of our Florida furniture stores, our trained floor staff will guide you with your selection. If you’re ordering online, however, there are a few things you should know about how to pick a sectional couch.

Most people who are interested in sectionals immediately think about the fit. In most cases, the sectional will go against a wall or flush with the corner of a room. However, if you have a larger living room or open floor plan, you may want to pull your sectional away from the walls and allow it to help define your space. 

In order to choose the right fit for your sectional, consider the following factors:

While there are some sectionals that extend evenly from the wedge piece on both sides, many sectionals are L-shaped with a longer seating surface and a shorter seating surface.

To know which one is right for your space, stand in your living room and imagine facing where you will be putting your sectional and how you want it to fit. If the shorter end goes on the right, you want to search for a right-arm-facing (RAF) model loveseat. It’s called this because the loveseat or chaise points to your right arm. Naturally, an LAF sectional is one where the shorter arm faces your left arm. 

This 7-piece Lucca sectional from Vanguard is an RAF sectional, however, adding one of the ottomans to the right-facing end adds length and depth, giving the option of having a sectional that is balanced on both sides.

If you’re buying a modular sofa, it will be handy to know that RAS stands for “right arm seated,” which means when you’re seated, you will have an armrest on your right side. And of course, LAS means that you’ll have a left armrest when seated.

If you’re considering buying a sectional with reclining seats, you need to know that you have the space behind the unit to accommodate reclining. We recommend adding five inches to the open depth to be sure that your walls or the furnishings behind them are safe from a sudden shift in weight when the unit is open. Most modern recliners shift the seats forward when you extend them, negating the need for as much back space. 

The Natuzzi Editions Intenso Contemporary Power Reclining Leather Sectional is a gorgeous example of a reclining sofa. This designer eliminated the concern over back space by moving the unit to the center of the room.

The following terms may be useful if you’re searching for a specific type of sectional:

Before shopping for a sectional, you should measure the space of your room. The last thing you’d want is to accept the delivery of the Natuzzi Editions Astuzia 5-Piece Power Reclining Sectional only to find that you can’t fully recline it or that one of your ends extends in front of a doorway.

Also, remember that the style of sectional you choose will strongly dictate the theme of the room. Few pieces can compete with the massive size of sectionals. So, if you’re hoping to achieve a modern or minimalist look for your living room, you need to choose a piece from that décor option. 

Remember, the Baer’s Furniture team is always ready to help you with choosing a sectional sofa. Shop Baer’s today!