Sideline the Sofa: 15 Great Couch Alternatives

15 great couch alternatives
Every living room needs a couch, right? Well not necessarily. Why not break with convention and sideline the sofa. Take a look at these 15 great couch alternatives for a living room with a twist.

15 great couch alternatives

The sofa is often the centerpiece of the living room. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a home that doesn’t use the sofa as it’s main gathering point.

But, why not change it up? If you’re looking to spice up your home decor and make a unique space to gather in, consider a couch alternative. There are hundreds of alternatives to the classic sofa, and we’re going to go over a number of them here.

There are styles from foreign countries, schools of thought, and just plain-old innovations that can boost the feeling and style of any living room.

15 Couch Alternatives For Your Home

When you’re considering what you want to do with your living room, think about the kind of gatherings that you’re looking to have, or what you’re going to spend the most time doing there.

For example, you wouldn’t want to use floor cushions if you’re going to be watching a lot of television. Alternatively, you wouldn’t want to have a single loveseat if you’re planning to host a lot of intimate parties with quiet conversation.

Once you know what kind of feel you’re going for, look through the following couch alternatives for some food for thought!

1. Chairs

Starting with the basics, consider the thoughtful placement of a few chairs. This could go a lot of directions based on the lighting and shape of your living room. A common set up is just four chairs facing one another in a square.

This is a great way to create an intimate setting, conducive to conversation. If you wanted to place a coffee table between the chairs, this setting would be exceptional for board and card games.

2. Daybeds

A daybed is similar to a couch, but provides a more relaxing feeling to your room. It’s essentially what you think of when you think of a psychiatric couch that a person used to lay on. With a flat bed and rolling pillow-arms, the daybed is a great way to relax with the windows open on a summer day.

It also allows for more space in the room. A couch can often serve as a sort of wall, separating different aspects of a living room. The daybed, however, doesn’t have a prominent back, allowing it to leave open space for the room to breathe.

3. Seat Cushions

You may have seen seat cushions in representations of high-society. These are essentially low, strategically placed cushions that are arranged around a central table or placemat.

Seat cushions give a grounding feeling, and are a great way to eat dinner or drink tea in an unusual way. They are also a way to leave space in the room, not blocking any aspect of the flow in the furniture.

4. Hanging Swings

This one may require you to install some hooks on your support beams. A hanging swing is a fresh take on the classic idea of the sofa. Serving the same function as a couch, a hanging swing takes on the feeling of porch seating.

Something about the slight swing, comfortable cushions, and unique presence gives the hanging swing a bright, summery feel.

5. Bean Bags

What could be more fun and relaxing than a combination of high-quality bean bags? If you’re planning to have fun, relaxed gatherings, a set of bean bags could be just the thing for you.

A sofa can give a stingy feeling, like you’re sitting down to have a serious talk with your parents.

But, when you plop down on a bean bag, you feel like you’re crashing with your friends, preparing for a sleepover. This company, for example, has a lot of bean bag-like options.

6. Abstract Furniture

Here’s one that may require some personal research. That being said, if you have a particular idea of what you’re looking for, searching for specific atmosphere, or love the eclectic vibe of shows like Frasier, look out for some abstract furniture pieces.

Big, small, in any form or design, abstract furniture can provide a unique seating experience for you and all of your guests.

7. Cuddle Pit

The cuddle pit is essentially two recliner chairs paired into one. This allows you to snuggle up with someone and watch a movie or television show. Or, if you have a great view out of a living room window, the cuddle pit might fit exceptionally well as a viewing station.

8. Home Architecture

A lot of times, your house already has some built-in seating in the architecture. By placing emphasis on the seating already available in your home, you open up a wealth of space for the room to feel more atmospheric.

Think of the divide that a couch puts up between different sections of a room. This constriction can feel trapping, whereas seating along the walls can provide a lot of room for other pieces to take space in your living room.

9. Floor Cushions

Different from seat cushions, floor cushions are essentially the cushion of a couch on the floor.

These items provide a lot of the same benefits as seat cushions do, but can be used in a more relaxed setting.

Where seat cushions are more formal, conversationally based pieces, floor cushions are meant to be more for relaxing. These are also exceptional items to place in spots where the architecture of your home is raised up a little bit. In those situations, they can have the feeling of a couch without taking up as much space.

10. Hammock

Installing a hammock may seem like a hassle, but it may just be the most relaxing thing you ever do for your home. Hammocks are becoming much more common as a living room piece.

They are typically more oriented towards individual preferences. By this, we mean that a hammock may not be the best item to entertain guests and host parties. The hammock is geared toward those who want to relax, take a nap, or read a book in the comfort of their own living room.

11. Nothing!

It may seem like a stretch, but having a well decorated living room without seating can provide as a great conversation starter, place to convene and enjoy company, and area to display other focuses of the room.

If you possess a lot of fine art, or other furniture that you’d like to be the focus, standing is the best way to appreciate those things. This setup also forces those in the room to be together, find things to discuss, and interact in new and unusual ways.

Of course, you should have somewhere in your house that allows your guests to sit! The point of this arrangement would be to force people to get together, sit on the floor, or laugh at the fact that they’ve never seen a living room without seating furniture!

12. Built-in Bench Seat

The built in bench seat is similar to the built in architecture seating, but would usually require a remodel, or addition. Consider placing it next to a window, fireplace, or piece of art.

This variety of seating provides a way to sit on the same piece of furniture, converse with one another, and enjoy company in a setting that is comfortable, yet semi-formal.

13. Bar Seating

Sometimes it’s useful to create a setting that people are familiar with. This allows one to feel as they would at a hometown bar, or any other setting that utilizes bar stools.

14. Repurposed Furniture

Taking things like movie seating and car seats, you can create an atmosphere of fun in your living room. What better talking piece is there than a set of old fashioned car seats to relax on while you eat dinner or play games.

There are a lot of old movie seats on the market that people are looking to get rid of. A good thing about this kind of furniture is that it is easy to upholster and adjust to the likings of your specific room. While it may be difficult to find classic car seating, there are certainly a number of options that are affordable and easily accessible.

15. Restaurant Booths

Our final option for couch alternatives is restaurant booths. These can be crafted to your liking or taken from a restaurant going out of business. There are also a lot of options online for vintage booths that are ready to be picked up and put in your home.

This would be an excellent addition to a living room that already has an eclectic feel, and can provide a spot to converse in the ever-comfortable setting of a booth.

Research Your Own Living Room Alternatives

There are certainly thousands of more options for you and your family to explore in your search for a unique living room. Again, take the time to analyze what kind of feeling you are going for with the room.

You may find that when you pick your couch alternatives, the rest of the room will fall together.

For example, when starting with an abstract piece, you might feel like you want to create an entirely eclectic, entirely you, living room.

If you’re looking for more creative ways to spice up your home decor, contact us and we’d be happy to help.

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