L-shaped Couch Decorating Ideas

L-shaped sofas also called sectionals, provide comfort and lots of seating for your living room. They are cozy and can create a casual lounge area or be a show-stopping piece in your home. But sectionals are large and have little flexibility in how they are placed in a room.

Despite the challenges, sectionals are still very popular on the market. Many are willing to face the challenge to gain the comfort and space offered by these L-shaped sofas. To help you decide which layout may be best for you and your home, we have outlined nine layout options with both visuals and descriptions below.

Modern interior design of Scandinavian apartment, living room with yellow sofa, sideboard and black armchair, 9 L-Shaped Sofa (Sectional) Living Room Layout Ideas

1. Center of the Room

In the room below, the sectional takes center stage. It takes up most of the middle of the room, facing a fireplace for warmth and comfort. When you can dedicate a large space for entertaining, adding more seating at the other end of the sofa creates a semi-circle zone of conversation. This type of configuration sets up this area for lounging and relaxing, especially with company.

A gorgeous modern living room with white walls, a sectional couch, and blue and gray colored throw pillows

Neutral colors for large furniture and on the walls make it easy to add pops of color with accent pillows and furniture pieces. Brighten the room with bold-colored pillows, a coffee table, and other types of decor. Just make sure not to add too much, which would make the room feel crowded and cluttered.

Bold Accent Pillows

There are so many options for accent pillows on the market; solid bold colors, designs, and fringe add some personality to your sofa. But make sure the colors you choose to go together and do not clash with anything else in the room.

Find eye-catching accent pillows like these here at Amazon.

Cushioned Coffee Table

When adding furniture pieces to this kind of layout, you want them to add to the room's coziness. Avoid items that have too many sharp corners and angles. Cushioned coffee tables serve multiple uses, including holding snacks and drinks, extra seating, storage, or even an ottoman.

You can find comfy, cushioned coffee tables here at Amazon.

2. Window Wall

Having your sectional back up against your windows creates a natural place for reading and relaxing. The sun's warmth and light shine to produce the perfect atmosphere to unwind at the end of the workday or on a laid-back weekend. Using neutral colors adds to the peaceful ambiance of the room.

A gorgeous modern living room with a cream colored sectional sofa with dark cream colored curtains on a huge window

Neutral Accent Pillows

Neutral colors don't have to mean boring. Fun yet subdued designs can add a little pizzazz to your room without being too jarring to the eye. Mixing dark and light colors can make accents pop subtly.

Find these fun accent pillow designs here at Amazon.

3. Room Separator

The length of an L-shaped sofa can construct a kind of faux wall between two rooms. You see the sectional wrapping around the television area in the layout below, setting it apart from the dining area. The sofa's low back allows the light coming in from the windows to brighten the entire area while creating a separation between rooms. Using slightly different yet complementary color schemes in the separate rooms helps to differentiate them even more.

A gorgeous living room with a huge bay window on the background and a gray sectional sofa facing the TV wall unit

Complimentary Accent Pillows

Finding pillows in complementary colors ties various rooms together. You can use some patterns but set them off with some solids to avoid competing accents.

These fun accent pillow covers can be found here on Amazon.

You can also pick up matching solid accent pillows here at Amazon.

4. Back Wall Sweep

A large sectional sofa can provide lots of seating in a living room without taking up the room's center. In the layout below, you see this leather L-shaped sofa running along the back wall, creating a kind of pathway from the side door into the main sitting area. It is big, but not obtrusive. The warm colors of the dark brown leather melt into the earth tones of the room.

A classic designed living room inside a wooden floored living room

Classic Coffee Table

You can add a classic coffee table to fill out the room while also providing storage for magazines and other items.

Sturdy coffee tables with storage can be found here at Amazon.

5. Intimate Nook

Pairing a smaller sectional sofa with an arm chair creates a circular space for you to gab with your closest friends. Neutral colors and accent furniture ensures the decor doesn't take over the conversation.

Modern contemporary living room and a sectional gray couch inside an off-white painted wall

Round Coffee Tables

When you set up a circular conversation area, round complimentary furniture makes you want to gather around for a chat.

You can find round coffee tables here at Amazon.

6. Simple Seating

Sometimes an L-shaped sofa is all you need to make a simple decorating statement. One primary piece of furniture with neutral accents is all you need in the following straightforward setup. Selecting a rug, table, and lamp in the same color scheme adds to the uncomplicated look.

A sectional gray sofa on a white painted contemporary living room

A neutral-colored rug with a small geometric pattern adds visual interest without popping too much among the other subdued pieces in the room. A soft texture brings a coziness to the room as well.

Find neutral-colored rugs at Amazon here.

7. Corner Pocket

A long sectional can cordon off a room and create a dedicated lounge in an open concept space. Pairing light and dark neutrals set this area apart from the rest of the large room while still blending in with your overall color scheme. A large rug helps delineate a perimeter as well.

A gray sectional sofa inside a modern contemporary living room

Comfy Ottoman

Ottomans can be used to mark off one side of an area as well as add extra seating.

You can find round cushioned ottomans at Amazon here.

8. Family Square

Modern sectionals have crisp angles to square off an area for hanging out with others. Placing the sofa into one corner provides the anchor to the room. Finish off the look with other accent pieces that have clean lines and neutral tones. A small rug in the middle of the furniture pieces ties them all together.

A gorgeous modern living room with gray couches, gray rug, and wooden laminated flooring

Basic Rug

A plush rug gives your feet a soft place to relax while providing a connecting centerpiece to the room.

Find soft solid rugs here at Amazon.

9. Extended L

Too many pieces of furniture in one room can sometimes feel too congested. But one extended, long sectional can solve that problem by providing lots of seating room on just one large sofa. Cushioned, flat ottomans on one end and a thin, modern coffee table keep the streamlined look without adding too much bulk. Pop some color with accent pillows and a fun plant to finish off the space.

A white modern living room with a white sectional couch, light wooden paneled flooring, and a white painted wall

Modern Coffee Table

The clean lines of this coffee table compliment the simplicity of this layout.

Find modern coffee tables here at Amazon.

In Summary

It can be tricky to place a large L-shaped sofa properly in your home. But you can use many different layouts to figure out how to best utilize a sectional in the space you have. Accent pillows and a complimentary piece of furniture will also help you finish off the look you want in your home.

To find out more about sofa layouts, check out these articles:

11 Sofa and Two Chairs Living Room Layouts

7 Square Living Room Layout Ideas