For a small apartment living room (about 10 x 12 to 12 x 14 ft), the sectional that fits is a 2-piece L with the long side 84 to 95 in, the chaise side 60 to 65 in, and the seat no deeper than 38 in. Put the long side on the longer wall, the chaise on the side away from the door, and keep a 30 in path between the chaise and whatever faces it. A U-shape or anything over 100 in needs a room over 200 sq ft.
Why sectionals fail in small rooms
A sofa takes depth from the room once. A sectional takes it twice: the long side is 36 to 40 in deep, and the chaise side reaches 60 to 65 in into the room. In a 12 ft (144 in) deep room, a 64 in chaise plus a 36 in walkway plus an 18 in TV stand is 118 in, so it fits with 26 in to spare. In a 10 ft room the same chaise comes to 118 of 120 in: it fits only if nothing else sits on that wall and the TV hangs.
The two numbers to check
- Long side: at most two-thirds of its wall, and 18 in or more free on the open end. On a 12 ft wall that is 96 in; on 10 ft, 80 in.
- Chaise side: the room depth minus the walkway (30 to 36 in) minus whatever faces it (an 18 in TV stand, or a 32 in door swing), with a few inches to spare. On 12 ft that leaves room for a 65 in chaise; on 10 ft about 50 to 55 in, which only a short chaise or a corner piece gives.
Sectional limits by room size
| Room | Max long side | Max chaise side | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 ft | 80 in | 50 in | Loveseat with a chaise, or skip the sectional |
| 10 x 12 ft | 96 in (on the 12 ft wall) | 50 in | 2-piece L with a short chaise |
| 12 x 12 ft | 84 to 90 in | 60 in | 2-piece L |
| 12 x 14 ft | 95 in | 65 in | 2-piece L, chaise on the 12 ft wall |
| 12 x 16 ft | 100 in | 70 in | 2-piece L or a small 3-piece |
| 14 x 16 ft | 110 in | 75 in | 3-piece, or a U-shape without a chaise |
Left or right chaise
Decide from the door and the walkway, not the catalogue photo. The chaise goes on the side where nobody walks; the open end faces the path. Retailers name the side differently: some say left or right as you face the sofa, others as you sit on it, so check the drawing on the product page before you order.
Or a sofa and a chair
An 84 in sofa and a 30 in armchair give the same seats as a sectional with a free corner and a path through the room. The 12x12 living room guide has the sofa widths by room size, and IKEA sizes in inches lists the sectionals renters buy most.
Check the footprint in your photo
In Fits Here type the long side as the width and the chaise side as the depth: you see the sectional's footprint in a photo of your room, at real size, with the inches left to the door and the far wall.
Questions people ask
- What size sectional for a 12x12 living room?
- A 2-piece L about 84 to 90 in on the long side with a chaise up to 60 in, no deeper than 38 in. Put it in the corner away from the door.
- How much space should be around a sectional?
- 30 in for a path you use every day, 36 in for the main route through the room, 14 to 18 in to the coffee table, and the full swing of any door.
- Is a sectional a good idea in a small apartment?
- Yes if the room has a free corner and the door is on another wall. In rooms under 10 x 12 ft a sofa plus a chair usually leaves a path where a sectional blocks it.
- Which side should the chaise be on?
- The side where nobody walks. Stand in the door, look at the corner the sectional will take, and put the chaise on the wall furthest from the path.