Buying guide · Living room

The best sectionals for a large family

A family of five does not fit on a sofa. It fits on a sectional, and the right one turns the living room into the place everyone ends up. Here is how we size them in the showroom, and the pieces we would start with.

Start with the wall, not the seat count

Measure the longest wall and subtract 12 inches for breathing room at the ends. A sectional 120 inches wide needs a wall of about 11 feet; a U-shape of 130 by 130 wants a room at least 14 feet each way, because people have to walk around it.

Then measure the depth you can give up. Most sectionals sit 38 to 42 inches deep; a chaise end runs 60 to 70 inches out into the room. Mark the footprint on the floor with painter’s tape and live with it for a day.

Wide sectionals, 120 inches and over

U-shape for the crowd, L-shape for the conversation

A U-shaped sectional seats the most people facing one screen, which is what a movie night wants. An L-shape with a chaise seats fewer but leaves the room open and gives one person a place to stretch out.

With small children, a chaise at the end doubles as a play surface and a nap spot. With teenagers, two chaises (one each end) stop the argument.

U-shaped sectionals

Reclining sectionals, if the room is deep enough

A reclining seat needs about 36 inches behind it when it is laid back (a wall-hugger needs 6 to 10). Power recline is quieter and easier for kids and grandparents; manual recline costs less and has nothing to fail.

Count how many of the seats actually recline. On most reclining sectionals it is the two or three end seats, not the middle ones.

Reclining sectionals

Fabric that survives a family

For a house with children, a performance fabric or leather is the difference between a sofa that lasts and one you apologise for. Ashley’s Nuvella fabrics clean with water; leather and faux leather wipe clean. Mid-tone colours and a light texture hide more than a flat pale fabric.

Fixed back cushions stay put; loose ones can be flipped when one side wears. Both are fine, as long as you know which you are buying.

Easy-clean sectionals

Getting it into the house

Sectionals come in pieces, and each piece has to pass the narrowest point on the way in: the front door (most are 32 to 36 inches clear), a hallway turn, a stair landing. A piece 40 inches deep usually goes through a 34-inch door on its side; a sleeper piece or a power piece with a fixed frame may not.

Tell us the door and hallway widths when you order and we check each piece against them. Modular sectionals, where every seat is its own piece, are the safe answer for a tight entry.

Modular sectionals

Asked in the showroom

How wide should a sectional be for a family of five or six?
About 120 inches along the long side gives five adults a seat; six wants a U-shape or a sectional of 130 inches or more. Children fit two to a seat, so a family with young kids can go smaller.
Will a sectional fit through my door?
Each piece is delivered separately. A piece up to 40 inches deep passes a 34-inch door on its side in most homes; the limit is usually a hallway turn or stairs rather than the front door. Give us your door and hall widths and we check before delivery.
U-shaped or L-shaped?
U-shaped seats more people around one screen and needs a room about 14 feet each way. L-shaped seats fewer, keeps the room open, and gives one person a chaise.
Do you deliver sectionals outside the Bay Area?
Yes. Ashley, Flexsteel, Acme and New Classic sectionals are delivered and set up by our own crew across Northern California, from the Bay Area to Sacramento and the Central Valley. Our own East Bay line ships anywhere in the U.S.

Tell us the room and we find the furniture: your personal designer, or call (925) 325-8537.

More guides

  • Kid- and pet-friendly sofas — Sofas and sectionals that stand up to children and dogs: performance fabric, leather and faux leather, the construction details that matter, and the pieces we would choose.
  • Furnishing a new-construction home, room by room — Moving into a new build in Brentwood, Tracy, Manteca or Elk Grove? The order to buy in, the measurements to take at the walkthrough, and the sets we deliver and set up across Northern California.