How to Style a Sectional

by: Crate & Barrel Editor

Interior Design

6 min read

Chances are, your sectional is one of the most frequently used pieces of
furniture in your house. When it comes to styling your sofa, it’s all about
striking the perfect balance between color, texture and comfort. Read on
to discover our top tips and advice—from how many throw pillows you’ll
need to layering that blanket or throw just right.

challenges of styling a sectional sofa

Sectionals take up a lot of real estate, and keeping the look cozy yet cohesive means balancing accessories and breaking up the look with plenty of softness and other inviting textures.

planning your living room around your sectional

Configuring your living room to fit your sectional depends on what shape it is. The most common sectional shapes are: the U-shape, the L-shape and the semi-circular shape. If you’re working with a small space, you might only be able to do a sectional with a chaise and an apartment sofa as opposed to a sectional and additional armchairs.

Also consider the traffic pattern of your room. A chaise may sound great, but if it’s on the wrong side, it may be more of an annoyance if you have to always walk around it. A good rule of thumb is to place the chaise on the side with the least amount of traffic.

add dimension with throw pillows & blankets

No matter how you use them, decorative pillows and blankets soften the visual edges of a room and almost always make the space more inviting. Plus, these elements show off your personal decorating style, and are an affordable way to update your decor and make the room look fresh. Keep reading to learn our top tips on all things throw pillows and blankets.

choose your throw pillow & blanket color palette

Let your sofa’s upholstery inspire your pillow and blanket color palette. If your upholstery is warm, pick a warm palette. If it’s cool, pick a cool one. This makes the sofa and accessories feel more cohesive and intentional. When you have a large sectional with multiple pillows, high contrast is not your friend. It makes everything feel less relaxing. Instead of mixing lots of bold patterns, mix textures with subtle patterns—natural hide, velvet, linen. These all work together and add great depth and visual interest without making the sectional (and your room) look busy. You want your decor to enhance and compliment your furniture, not overwhelm it.

Pro Style Advice

A chic throw blanket can provide more than just style and warmth.Use it to cover up a sofa seam you’d like to hide. It can also prevent theseam from hitting your back in a weird place.

throw pillow styling

Making your sofa inviting starts with lots of layers. Generally you’ll want throw pillows in a range of sizes between 12” and 20”. Start by placing the larger pillows first so smaller pillows aren’t hidden and every layer is exposed. But don’t go overboard. If you have to move a mountain of pillows out of the way before sitting down, you probably have too many. On average, a sectional is decorated with seven to nine throw pillows while a traditional sofa has three to five.

It may be tempting, but don’t crowd your sectional corners with pillows. If you pull your throw pillows away from the corners, your sectional will look less boxed in and more inviting. Check out our throw pillow styling guide for even more tips.

Most importantly, have fun styling it. Take your time, play around with different pillow configurations and enjoy the process of creating a space that you love.