Jennifer Sheahan: Find the perfect sofas and armchairs for a tiny home

Small-space living doesn't mean compromising on style or comfort

Enchanted Home Ted Baker four-seater Grove sofa, DFS: A smaller sofa with armchairs may suit your space better than one large sofa, if you entertain frequently.

Whenever I write about living room furniture, I always struggle with whether to call it a “couch” or a “sofa”. I’m not sure I’ve ever actually said the word sofa out loud. I would always say couch, but for some reason, it feels funny to write couch. So today I’m opting for sofa. Either way, what I call it is the least of our worries. Finding the right sofas (or couches) and armchairs for our living rooms could be a whole professional field in itself, such is the scale and complexity of the challenge. 

I blame TV — too many movies and TV shows have convinced us we need something huge and squishy to sprawl out on or curl up into, and if you’re living in a small home like me, then that may not be realistic. In fact, it may turn your living room into an obstacle course. We don’t have to sacrifice comfort or style, we just need careful consideration of scale, proportion, versatility and visual weight. Here are some guidelines to help you do just that.