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How to Choose a Couch for a Small Flat
Small flats are everywhere now, from new blocks in Sea Point to converted office buildings in Braamfontein and Rosebank. Most of them share the same problem: one living area that has to work as lounge, dining room and sometimes office. The couch is usually the biggest thing in that space, so it decides how the whole room feels. Buy one that is too deep or too long and you end up squeezing past it every single day. Buy one that is too small and nobody is comfortable on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
The good news is that you do not have to choose between comfort and space. A few measurements, some honest thinking about how you actually sit, and a short list of things to check in the showroom will get you a couch that fits the room and still feels generous when friends come over.
Measure Before Anything
Tape the couch outline on your floor and live with it for a day.
Bring your floor measurements and a room photo, and we will help you draw up a shortlist.
Start with depth, not length. Many couches are 95 to 105 cm deep, which swallows a narrow lounge. For a small room, look for something between 80 and 90 cm deep. You lose a little lounging space but gain a clear walkway, and that matters far more than you think once a coffee table goes in.
Arms and Legs
Chunky rolled arms can add 30 cm to a couch without adding a single seat. Slim, square arms give you more sitting room in the same footprint. Raised legs help too. When you can see the floor under the couch, the room looks bigger, and cleaning underneath is easier. Avoid skirted bases that sit flat on the floor.
A three-seater with thin arms often fits where a two-seater with fat ones did. Before you give up on the bigger couch, check the arm width. Then measure your front door, the passage and the stairwell too, because the couch still has to get inside the flat.
