L shaped sofa - opinions please

[another20]

Planning a small formal entertaining room - is an L shaped to informal? Any pros and cons ? Often think that no one sits in the corner space so what the point?

I love ours and the corner spot is the coveted seat! Even the dog favours it.

I second what @Musseswoofles says - me and the cat often fight over it!!

The corner seat is for teenage sprawling, so definitely not formal. You'd be better off with a pair of sofas. They offer more flexibility, too.

The corner seat of the sofa is always in demand. It's a standoff between the 12 year old and the cat most days. I sometimes try to get it myself but one or either of them always tricks me into getting up.

I love our corner sofa, although they are very casual. Ours (and many I’ve seem) have deep seats requiring you to sit with your feet up most of the time, very comfy but also very casual. The corner is the best, mostly taken up by the dog!

L shaped is not formal. It is for sprawling over with your feet up.

In the end I split ours back down into two sofas (it's one of those modular ones) - I got bloody sick of being wedged into one arm rest while people staged foot invasions over the corner bit. The dog resorted to downright dirty tricks being a greyhound with those long legs and to be frank was taking the piss completely sticking her nose and tongue out and doing the tail stuck out like a poker thing as well to manage to take over 4 seats of a 5 seater L sofa.

Endofdisco - I am crying !!!!

@endofdiscone hahaha that comment has made my day

We have one and I love it. It looks tidier in a limited space than two. Ours is squashy grey corduroy and has slept two people on occasion too.

But it really only seats four unless you count kids in the corner.

My concern is that I like an arm rest - so even if it sat 8 - only 2 people get the best seats - rather than 4 people if I got 2 two-seaters

That's true.

If it's a formal entertaining space then do you want to be squished up in a line with your guests?! A pair of two seater, or a two seater and two arm chairs might work better for conversation.

L shaped is not formal. It is for sprawling over with your feet up

^This - they are for family to sprawl over. I think seperate sofas and maybe an arm chair or two is a better fit for a formal space.

Also when I had only a corner sofa and one armchair it was kind of awkward (can't think of a better way of describing it) when there was more than one guest. Not only is the corner not usable for sitting properly but the first seat either side of the corner aren't great because the people sitting there have their feet and legs trying to use the same space.

It's not formal.

Not formal, I agree.

We have a big one upstairs in the TV room for lolling. We take turns for the long end

Downstairs in the more formal living room we have 2 sofas facing each other either side of the fireplace. Then 2 small armchairs at the end facing the fireplace. That way you're all facing each other to chat.

Yes I think then that I need a sort of “U” shaped arrangement - combination of 2 seat sofas and armchairs - we have an L shaped in family room for lolling about