Plush, supportive and infinitely comfortable, a bean bag sofa is a natural addition to any living space. If you're tired of rigid, straight-back couches and sectionals, it's time to upgrade and elevate your interior with this creative and playful design. Whether your personal style is modern and minimalist, bohemian and funky or somewhere in between, you can find a bean bag sofa to meet your needs and complement your existing decor. You may also want to consider adding a bean bag ottoman. Not sure how to seamlessly incorporate this new piece into your home? Today, we're sharing five ways you can rearrange and adjust your current layout to make space for these functional loungers!
What Is a Bean Bag Sofa?
Before we dive into the many ways to situate one in your home, let's briefly discuss the basics behind a bean bag sofa. In short, a bean bag sofa works exactly as its name implies. It's an elongated sitting space, or a combination of multiple sitting spaces, that you'll fill with beans and place any living area in your home. Our bean bag sofas look great in a formal living room, a casual den, a playroom, or even a home theatre. Note that we supply the furniture covers only, and beans are not included. On our website, you'll find that we offer a wide variety of bean bag lounges. These oversized bean bag chairs are designed to be wide and cradle you in comfort, but they're also portable and lightweight! Need one for watching movies under the stars with the patio projector? Take a look at our Outdoor Media Lounge, one of our top-selling commercial-grade lounges. Not only does this lounge offer waterproof, convenient seating for outdoor events, but it also incorporates smart features that help it last for years, whether you're festival-hopping or simply kicking back at home. These include sturdy YKK zippers for double protection, as well as ultra-durable 1680D polyester fabric.
The Brooklyn
A bean bag sofa is similar to the lounge described above, as well as many others on our site. It combines the practicality and extra space of a bean bag lounge, with the addition of other modular pieces to make it as long as you need. Looking for a bean bag sectional that will rival even the finest traditional sofa? Our Brooklyn Modular Bean Bag Couch more than fits the bill. The three superstars of this piece include the:
- Ottoman
- Corner chair
- Armless chair
These individual components are sold separately but fit together gorgeously. The bean bag ottoman requires 200 litres of beans, the corner chair needs 300 litres, and the armless chair needs 400 litres. The high-quality fabric is not only water-repellent and fade-resistant, but it also wipes clean in seconds. Especially if you have a house full of energetic little ones, you'll appreciate how easy it is to care for and maintain this piece. That said, how can you help it fit into your home? Let's take a look at five key considerations to keep in mind.
1. Strive For Balance
Any time you're adding a new piece of furniture or arranging existing pieces, it's always important to keep balance top of mind. This is a leading principle of many design theories, including Feng Shui, and it's easy to see why. A living area with balanced proportions simply feels better. You can move about it more easily and things appear to fall into place. How can you make sure your new bean bag sofa doesn't throw off that equilibrium? Once you've brought it into the room and placed it where you want it, take a look around. Does it seem as though most of your visually dynamic pieces are in one centralized area or on one side of the room? If so, see if there is any furniture you can rearrange. For instance, if you have a long antique sideboard in the same room as your Brooklyn bean bag couch, try to position the two eye-catching pieces opposite from one another. This gives the room visual interest and prevents one side from looking too heavy. You can also add two armchairs across from your sofa to reduce visual tension and add harmony. Instead of conventional wing-back chairs or recliners, why not keep the trend going and add a pair of our bean bag chairs? The Merlin is a best-seller and looks especially elegant in a rich, vibrant hue.
2. Maintain Traffic Flow
Especially if your room is on the smaller side, a bean bag couch can take up quite a bit of space in the room. In most cases, this is a good thing! It helps fill the room and give it warmth. While minimalist decor can be gorgeous, it can also read a little stark if there aren't at least a few cozy pieces to add dimension. Before you place your bean bag sofa, consider the traffic pattern that currently exists in that room. Where do people usually enter and exit it? Do you need to leave a certain path clear so they can get from one end to the other? These are all considerations to keep in mind as you determine the ideal spot. If possible, you never want to place your furniture in the direct way of someone, requiring them to walk around it to pass through your room. Taking the time to consider this element can help you avoid risky tripping hazards down the road. If you're placing a coffee table in front of the sofa, it's also important to keep traffic flow in mind. People should be able to easily walk between the table and the sofa, and then sit down. If these two pieces are too close together, people could fall. If they're too far apart, the table ceases to be functional. Usually, about 18 inches of space will suffice.
3. Bring It Away From the Wall
If you're limited in size, you might have no other option but to push your new bean bag sofa against the wall of your living room. While this can open up space in the middle of the room, it can also leave an awkward area that's difficult to decorate around. Instead, consider floating the sofa at least a few feet away from the wall. This can help with the aforementioned traffic patterns, and also injects breathing room into your design. When you make this one little move, you'll also notice that it becomes much easier to add accessories around and beside your bean bag sofa. For instance, you can place a floor lamp on one side to accommodate late-night reading! Then, you may add a small side table or magazine rack on the other. Wondering where you should place your sofa if the wall is off-limits? Try a few of these locations instead:
Near a Window
You don't want to block any windows, as they can be excellent sources of natural light. However, if the back of yours is relatively low, you may have space to place it directly below your windowsill. Leave about a foot of space to allow for window treatments, if you prefer. One tip? It's best to keep the blinds or curtains drawn during the hottest part of the day, so the sunshine doesn't fade out your material. Still, this can be a lovely spot to curl up and relax!
Facing Another Sitting Area
As we've mentioned before, a sofa that sits across from another sofa, two chairs, or a loveseat creates a beautifully balanced look. Want to incorporate a few more of our designs here? Try our two-toned Uluwatu Bean Bag Chair and you'll offer guests plenty of sweet places to sit!
Across From a Mantel
Do you plan to install your bean bag sofa in your living room? If so, you can always position it to sit facing your mantel. Many homeowners choose to install their television directly over their mantel, so this is a natural spot if you plan to relax on your couch to watch the big game! In this case, the mantel is most likely the centre focal point of the room, and it makes sense for your sofa to face it.
The Middle of the Room
This design suggestion can be a little surprising for some, but you might be surprised at how well your bean bag sofa works right in the middle of your room. To avoid blocking or breaking up the view, stick with couches that have lower backs and side profiles. Our Brooklyn model definitely works in this regard. One benefit to taking this daring approach is that situating your sofa in the middle of the room creates instant conversation areas. This makes it a great choice if your living space is larger, or if you live in an open-concept home where the living, kitchen and dining areas are all intermingled.
4. Incorporate Art Tones
The Brooklyn is available in two neutral colours. This means you can really have fun with the art that you use to accent it! Wall art is a great way to showcase the different tones of the furniture in a room. If you want to hang a complementary piece, look for a moody midnight landscape with touches of tan and inky black. Or, you can do the exact opposite with a piece that contrasts! In that case, stick with light-hued, upbeat prints, such as a colourful geometric design. If there's a wall near the back of your sofa, position the wall there. That way, when someone's looking at the room as they enter, they can catch all of the colours at once.
5. Add an Area Rug
Your bean bag sofa is already luxuriously cozy, thanks to its soft fabric and the beads you'll fill it with. However, you can make it even more so by adding an area rug in a coordinating tone. When choosing the perfect rug, consider your family's needs and how you plan to use the space. If you have lots of kids or pets, it's usually best to stick to a low-pile rug. These are usually easy to clean and hold up well under years of wear and tear. Conversely, ultra-long shag rugs also conceal pet hair and spots relatively easily, so it's truly a personal preference! The most standard sizes are 8-foot by 10-foot and 9-foot by 12-foot. Not sure how to choose the right size for your living room? The general rule is that the rug should be at least six inches wider than your sofa on both sides, with eight inches being ideal. If it's much smaller than that, it can look disproportional. If it's much larger, it can make your bean bag sofa seem smaller than it really is. As you're putting your furniture into position, keep in mind that most sofas run the length of a rug, rather than the width. You can always measure out your rug with painter's tape before you make the decision to buy it! This can help you visualize how the size will actually work in your space.
Find Your Perfect Bean Bag Sofa Today
A bean bag sofa can be one of the most unexpected, yet delightful, additions to your living room. It offers the ultimate in laidback style and can easily be dressed up with throws pillows and blankets to look high-end. Our Brooklyn sofa is a great place to start if you're looking for one of your own. All you have to do is add your filler and you're ready to enjoy your new piece for years. While the above tips can help you place your sofa with ease, we're also here to help you highlight your new piece and make it stand out. Feel free to shop our full selection of bean bag chairs, lounges and more online. Along the way, feel free to reach out to our team with any questions.
