Moving into or living in a small-sized apartment or studio space? Then here’s a PSA for you: You don’t have to trade a comfy sofa for a daybed or a loveseat. TBH, after a hard day’s work, you’re going to want to sink into a plush sofa — and staying in a micro-apartment shouldn’t deprive you of that joy.
It’s often assumed that a small-sized space means small-sized furniture. But we’re all about thinking smart instead of small. With a few clever tips and tricks, you can bring home the sofa of your dreams, and create a space that’s beautiful, yet spacious and easy on the eyes.
There’s more good news — you can totally accommodate extra seating outside of your sofa too, to avoid any awkward scrambling for space when you’ve got friends over.
So how do you pick a sofa for a small-sized apartment that doesn’t leave you jostling for seating space? Keep reading our list of essential tips.
#1 Visual weight > size
To put it simply, the visual weight of your sofa is how light or bulky it looks to the eyes. No prizes for guessing, you’ll need a sofa that looks light and airy, and you’ll definitely need to steer clear of the ones that look boxy and hefty. Here’s a little checklist that you can keep handy while choosing your sofa.
If the visual weight of your sofa is light, it:
- Has visible legs
- Is lifted off the floor (more floor space — yay!)
- Doesn’t have the same backrest and armrest height
Bonus points if this sofa has narrow, short arms, that ensure more light illuminates the space around this seating area. Explore our Verve Sofa that happens to check all these boxes!
A sofa like the one above, may not be the ideal choice for your small-sized home — it’s going to look bulky, and may make your room feel more cramped than it is IRL.
#2 Lighter hues are better
Pick sofas in shades of gray, beige or white (if you’re confident about maintaining it!). It’s likely that you’re working with white or off-white walls, so these sofa shades will further add to the illusion of space, and make your apartment look bright, cheery and inviting.
If you’re looking for extra seating, don’t be afraid to pick a sectional or modular sofa. Simply apply the same rules of light and airy visual weight, and we promise your living room will still look incredibly roomy. Our vote for the best sectional sofa for a small apartment goes to the elegant Article Sven Sectional.
#3 Pick a sleeper instead of a sofa
If you’re going to have friends and family over often, then you’re better off picking a double-duty sleeper instead of a conventional sofa. A comfy sofa by day and a cozy bed by night, a sleeper will make for a perfectly practical addition to your tiny apartment.
The Denham Sleeper Sofa is as functional and chic as they come. Its metal tapered legs exude a uniquely contemporary look we fully approve of.
#4 Complete the look with an accent chair
To complement your two or three-seater sofa, we recommend a lounge chair with a wider and deeper seat. Think of this as a ‘chair-and-a-half’ — a fun cross between a regular chair and a loveseat. You know the drill — the visual weight rules continue to apply here too, so we wouldn’t recommend throwing in a recliner, as it tends to look clunky in smaller spaces.
Find your chair-and-a-half match in the drop-dead gorgeous Article Sven Chair; with its velvet upholstery and tufted seating, this one is practically luxury furniture on a budget. Yep, your tiny apartment can be spacious and look pretty lavish too.
At CasaOne, we truly believe that the size of your home doesn’t matter. If you’ve got a space you like, we can help you turn it into a home you love.
Like our sofa recommendations but not sure about how they’ll come to life in your home? Say hello to Design Service by CasaOne. View realistic 3D visualizations of your favorite furniture pieces placed in your home and rent only the ones that work wonderfully within it!