Living Room Solutions: Back to Back Sofas

26 Feb Living Room Solutions: Back to Back Sofas

Anyone out there have an awkward living room?  Welcome to the club.  Ours is long and narrow with multiple doorways and no symmetry.  It has been a really, really tough room to figure out.  I think we may be getting close??  In a long (or perhaps very large/open) room, I love the idea and look of multiple seating areas.  It has a cozy feel, and it gives you the option to have a ton of seating when you have parties.  Back to back sofas are a terrific way to create two seating areas, and really work in a long living room like mine.  “Sophisticated” is the word that jumps to mind when I see this kind of set-up.

gianetti home

velvet and linen

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elle decor

I LOVE the moroccan stool at the end of this pair of sofas.  I wonder if there is one on the other side?!  Swoon.

Rue

And Sarah, I seriously love her.  Her shows are the only design shows I watch.  And I will even tell you a nerdy fact about me – the ring tone on my cell phone is the theme song to “Sarah’s House”.  (blush)

Sarah Richardson

My mouth dropped when I found this photo.  What does this color scheme make you think of?

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A table in between the sofas allows for lamps to be placed in the middle of the room, and I like this look, too, although my living room is not quite long enough for this to be feasible.

phoebe howard

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dick clark architecture

phoebe howard

christina murphy

Then I discovered there is such a thing as a conjoined sofa.  Yes, you are reading that correctly.

oak ridge revival

Can you believe that thing?  How in the world do you get that into a house?  Can you imagine the size of opening you would need?!

Nevertheless, I found several lovely images of rooms with conjoined sofas.  Check ’em out.

elements of style

james howard

miles redd

jeffrey bilhuber

windsor smith

jeffrey bilhuber

What do you think of conjoined sofas?  I like the rooms overall, but the sofas look a little strange to me.  Maybe I just need to get used to them?

I thought I would show you my old living room layout.  This worked okay, but then a pair of my chairs got drawn on, I couldn’t decide on a new fabric, I found another pair of chairs I loved, and then a pair of settees, and the rest is history.  In fact, a few of these pieces I have sold, and they are residing happily in their new homes now.  Oh, and this room is a different color.

You can see the sofas back to back here, and I know all of the inspiration photos show matching sofas, but I liked the difference in styles together.  If the sofas were different sizes, I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off.

Although this layout worked for awhile and was pretty in many ways, it just wasn’t quite right.  I’m working on it!  And the settees I ruined?  They are back from the refinisher, and they are looking fabulous!  Can’t wait to show you!  I am working on finding the right fabric for them.

What do you think of back to back sofas in a living room?  Would it work for you?  Are you into the conjoined look?