Stylish solutions for compact living: the best sofas for small spaces in 2023

Choosing the right sofa can be a tricky task, especially when you're working with a small space.

If you're living in a studio apartment, renting a compact flat or simply trying to kit out a living room that's on the smaller side, you might be finding that a standard-sized sofa looks all too overwhelming amongst your furniture, but more annoyingly, takes up a lot of that all important living space... This is where compact sofas come in!

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How to choose the ideal small sofa for your space

When finding the perfect sofa for a small space, look for streamlined designs. Many sofas feature additional cushions and elaborate backrests, but there are plenty of streamlined sofas on the market with built-in backrests and slender features. You should also make sure to avoid chunky armrests that extend the length of the sofa.

To give the illusion of a larger space, opt for a sofa with legs. Lifting the sofa from the ground can open up the space, whereas solid, boxy sofas can create a squashed, more hemmed-in vibe.

Finally, think about the delivery of your sofa. Some brands now offer sofa in a box designs for easy delivery, whereas other sofas arrive fully assembled, so remember to check whether it'll fit through your doors!

Check out our TikTok review of the Snug Rebel sofa in a box below...

The Snug Rebel 2-seater sofa review

'Snug is aimed at a new generation of sofa shoppers who value 'quality, comfort and convenience at once.' Each sofa is delivered in parts, with boxes designed to fit through even the dinkiest of spaces.

What we really love about Snug is their sofas are modular and configurable, so our compact 2-seater Rebel can also become a spacious 4-seater, or a cosy corner sofa, evolving with you and your home's needs.' - Katie Dutton, Staff Writer 

• Buy now from Snug (£999)

Read Katie's full review of the Snug sofa in a box

The best sofas for small spaces

Honeypot Harper 2 Seater Sofa

• Buy now from Amazon (£399.00)

Perfect for a contemporary space, this standout teal sofa from Amazon may be neat, but it's guaranteed to make an impact. The straight, boxy shape works well for tight spaces, and the long legs help give the illusion of more space, helping you to open up the area.

We adore the colour - teal always looks great in plush velvet, an easy way to inject some glamour into a living space.

The addition of round cushions help soften the harder lines, so you can snuggle up in comfort. If you've got the space, why not treat yourself to the matching footstool?

For more footstool inspiration, check out our favourite footstools and pouffes.

Latest Deals:

Loha Green Velvet Sofa

• Buy now from Oliver Bonas (£975.00)

The gorgeous mix of velvet, rattan cane and wood make this compact sofa from Oliver Bonas a beautiful choice. Just as we'd expect from the popular retailer, this sofa boasts an on-trend look, and the vibrant coral colour is an easy way to brighten up your living space.

It's particularly slender - just 130cm in length - which means you'll be able to slot this design into the tightest of spaces. Place by the sunniest spot in your home, by a window perhaps, to really show off this gorgeous colour. Also available in a moss green colour.

Eliza Velvet 2 Seater Compact Sofa

• Buy now from Dunelm (£239.00).

There are so many things we love about this compact sofa from Dunelm – not only is it incredibly chic and stylish, but it’s super practical too. Slimline, contemporary and designed to seat two people, the Eliza sofa is covered in an on-trend, soft touch velvet upholstery that’s also wipe clean, so it’ll easily withstand any minor spills or stains. The curved back design adds an extra level of comfort, while the subtle button detailing has a sophisticated edge that’ll suit period properties as well as modern new builds.

It’s also available in a range of colours other than this gorgeous olive green – there’s luxe navy, coral pink, steeple grey, old gold, teal and bottle green. Simply take your pick, add your favourite cushions, et voila!

Alexandria 2 Seater Clic Clac Sofa Bed

• Buy now from Wayfair (£184.99 £167.99)

This Wayfair sofa-bed is super small, making it a great option if you’re living in a studio apartment or really short on space. The width of this sofa is 122cm - so while it’s not something you’d want to sleep on every night, it makes a great extra sleeping option if you have a guest needing to crash.

This compact sofa seats two people comfortably, and we especially love its coral pink shade – it’s perfect for injecting a bit of spring-like colour into your living room. The solid wood legs also add a nice, Mid Century modern inspired touch too. Try styling this sofa next to a fresh green houseplant to really make it pop - here are the best places to buy houseplants online!

Scandi Savannah Sofa

If you’re a fan of laid back Scandi style, you won’t want to miss this Homebase sofa.

Homebase’s Savannah model has been specially designed to have a subtle minimalist look, so although it boasts a punchy teal colour, it won’t look overwhelming or fussy – always a good thing when you’re decorating small spaces. We particularly love the rounded edges on this sofa – they give it a really cosy look which is sometimes difficult to find amongst compact sofas. It also has light wooden legs that give it even more of a stripped-back, Nordic feel – try styling it with some comfy woven cushions and a woollen throw to fully embrace the hygge vibes.

Jacob Sherpa 2 Seater Sofa

• Buy now from Dunelm (£349.00)

Cosy boucle fabric is all the rage right now, and it’s no wonder – the teddy bear textured material is perfect for creating a look that’s super comfy, but still chic. Dunelm’s Jacob sofa is covered in a light, sandy coloured Sherpa fabric that’ll give your living room a laid-back Japandi style. The seats are on the firmer side, but it also has a nice high back design for extra comfort, as well as cool minimalist detailing. We also particularly love the high legs on this sofa design - they measure in at 18cm, which means there's plenty of room for must-have storage underneath.

Keaton 2 Seater Loveseat

• Buy now from Wayfair (£509.99 £449.99)

This Wayfair loveseat is available in a plethora of different colours – simply choose between dark emerald green, luxurious gold, jade, steel blue, light green, mint or a lilac and green tropical leaf pattern. Its frame is crafted from solid oak, and it also has tall, splayed solid oak legs which leave plenty of room underneath the sofa – a space perfect for hidden storage, and, not to mention, a space that’s super easy to vacuum.

Wayfair’s Keaton loveseat also has button-tufted accents on its back, as well as fully removable seat cushions – again, these make vacuuming your upholstery a breeze. This sofa also has a web suspension seat for added support, so while it’s certainly compact, you really don’t have to compromise on comfort.

Kerby 2 Seater Loveseat

• Buy now from Wayfair (£303.99 £289.99)

We love the design of this Wayfair loveseat – it retails at less than £400, but the combination of plush channel stitching, beige fabric and a pared-back Scandinavian style base makes it look super expensive and luxe. The design is inspired by classic Mid Century modern furniture, but we think it’ll look amazing surrounded by modern furniture, too. It’s upholstered in 100 percent polyester, so it’s super durable as well as wipe clean – all you need is mild soap and a cloth to keep it looking fresh for years.

Zinus Jackie Loveseat Sofa

Smart enough for a small office space, this grey loveseat offers a timeless, faff-free design that will work with a range of décor and colour schemes. The subtly flared arms add a sweet, decorative touch, and they're fairly slender which is ideal when you're working with a small space. The covers aren't removable, but you can easily clean up any mishaps with a damp cloth and mild detergent so you won't have to be too precious with this design.

The grey cover works as a bit of a blank canvas so you can have fun decorating this compact sofa with a mix of bright eclectic cushions and patterned throws.

What is a compact sofa?

A compact sofa is exactly what it sounds like - it's a sofa that has been specially designed to fit in compact spaces.

Once difficult to come by, compact sofas are now available through a number of popular high street brands including Dunelm, Homebase and Wayfair, and the great news is that these brands offer sofa models of all different colours, textures and styles - just with scaled-down proportions.

This means that you don't have to worry about compromising on your own personal style just because you're working with a small space. In fact, you can get your hands on a number of small but statement designs for really affordable prices.

How big is a standard sofa?

According to homeware giant Wayfair, standard three-person sofas tend to be between 175cm and 220cm long – the most common width being 215cm.

The standard sofa depth (the measurement from the very front to the very back) is 89cm, but some sofas can reach up to 100cm in depth.

If you're looking to purchase a sofa for a small space, keep an eye out for two-seater sofas or 'loveseats' which have a width of 160cm or under. Two-seater sofas and loveseats are essentially the same thing, they just might be proportioned slightly differently.

How do I measure my space for a sofa?

To measure your space for a sofa, you'll need to measure three different things - width, height and depth.

We recommend using a measuring tape to work out how much room you have available, choosing a sofa, then mapping out the size of your potential sofa on the floor with masking tape. This will help you to visualise whether your sofa will fit in the space, and it's also useful for getting an idea of how your sofa will sit amongst the rest of your furniture. You can also put masking tape up the walls to visualise the height of the sofa - don't forget to account for the legs.

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