A sofa is the largest object most living rooms carry, so its size decides the layout more than any other piece. The numbers below are the widely accepted ranges for European and UK furniture. Real models vary by a few centimetres, so measure the exact sofa you are looking at, but these are close enough to plan a room before you buy.
Sofa dimensions by size
Width is the number that matters for fitting a sofa to a wall. Depth and seat height barely change across sizes.
| Sofa | Width | Depth | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loveseat / 2-seat | 1.6 m | 0.9 to 1.0 m | 2 |
| 3-seat | 2.1 m | 0.9 to 1.0 m | 3 |
| 4-seat | 2.6 m | 0.9 to 1.0 m | 4 |
| Corner (L-shape) | 2.4 to 2.8 m per side | 0.9 to 1.0 m | 4 to 5 |
| Large sectional (U-shape) | 2.8 to 3.4 m per side | 0.9 to 1.0 m | 5 to 7 |
The clearance a sofa needs
A sofa's footprint is not just its width and depth. Add the gap to the coffee table and the walkway behind or beside it, or the room stops flowing. These are the clearances the sofa itself asks for.
| Gap | Minimum | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|
| Sofa to coffee table | 40 cm | 45 cm |
| Walkway past the sofa | 60 cm | 75 cm |
| Main route through the room | 75 cm | 90 cm |
| Sofa end to a side wall | 10 cm | 30 cm |
| Back of a floating sofa to a wall | 10 cm | 30 cm |
In practice a three-seat sofa needs roughly 2.1 m of wall plus a 40 cm gap to the coffee table and a 75 cm walkway, so budget around 3.3 m of depth for the sofa-table-walkway stack. The full set of clearances lives in the furniture clearance and walkway spacing guide.
How to measure your wall for a sofa
- 01Measure the clear wall, from corner to corner or to the nearest obstacle (a radiator, a door frame, a window that opens inward).
- 02Subtract 20 to 60 cm so the sofa does not jam wall to wall. A little air on each side reads as intentional, not squeezed.
- 03Check the height of anything above: a low windowsill or a light switch that the sofa back would cover.
- 04Match the remaining width to the table above. If 2.1 m fits with air to spare, a three-seat works; if only 1.7 m is clear, size down to a loveseat.
The delivery test: will it get in?
A sofa that fits the room can still fail at the front door. Before you buy, run the doorway and stair test so delivery day is not a surprise.
- Doorway: measure the narrowest door the sofa must pass, width and height. A sofa can often go through on its side, so compare the door width to the sofa depth (0.9 to 1.0 m), not its full width.
- Turns: a straight hallway is easy; a 90 degree turn into a door needs the diagonal of the sofa to clear. Measure the turning space, not just the door.
- Stairs: check the width and any half-landing turn. Tight winder stairs are where big sofas get stuck.
- Lift: if it goes up in a lift, measure the car depth and the door. Many three-seaters will not stand up inside a small lift.
Sizing a whole small room? See how to plan a small living room and arranging a 4x5 living room, or the full furniture dimensions guide for every other piece.