Are Backpack Sofas the Next Big Thing?

While it’s not unusual for sofas to be multi-purpose (think sofa beds…), this one caught our eye because we feel it takes multi-purpose to whole new level.  As Dave LeClair writes in Gizmag.com:

“For anyone who has a ton of stuff in their house that they just cannot find a place for, this new Eastpak sofa might be right up their alley. It’s sort of like a backpack and couch combined into one piece of furniture. It has pockets for your tablet, laptop, remote and almost anything else you could want to store in your couch.

This couch might look a little odd, but for people in small spaces where storage is at a premium, it could be a useful fix.” [Read the full article here]

The Eastpak certainly appears to be functional and is guaranteed to be a conversation starter, but we really don’t feel it will be featuring in the majority of living rooms any time soon.

We’re not saying that the Eastpak doesn’t have a market.  Though the price is a bit steep for a piece is a bit steep for many people who reside in smaller living spaces (based on the assumption that, if money were no object, then larger accommodation would be sought), we can see such these sofas being popular outside the lounge, e.g., teenagers’ rooms or even family rooms where clutter is often a risk.

However, we strongly believe that a lounge is for lounging, and there are other sofas on the market that fulfill the needs of those with smaller living areas more adequately.

For example, when space is limited, sectional sofas like the one pictured above are well worth considering.  Though the Rieti is not as versatile as some, it can still fully utilise the corner of a room, without taking up valuable space with ‘arms’ in the way that other seating options do, and the chaise is reversible so you’re not restricted to a particular corner, etc.

Basically, these sofas (often known as corner sofas) tend to offer more seating for less floor space, without compromising on the sort of comfort we expect from a sofa that’s fit for a lounge.

Small leather sofas for multi purpose rooms

Do you have a home office that could double as a guest bedroom with the right choice of furniture? If so, you’re not alone! As Lynn Underwood points out in article ‘Turn your home office into a holiday-guest bedroom‘ for The Taunton Daily Gazette:

“For most of the year, they function as flex spaces for offices, playrooms, dens or craft rooms. But when overnight guests descend for the holidays, it’s time to transform those spaces into quiet sleeping quarters as warm and cozy as a fleece robe.” (Click here to read more)

Small leather sofas are great options for home offices. They create an air of sophistication and professionalism, while being sufficiently compact to fit into a limited space. And the good news is that you can buy small leather sofas with built in beds!   We’ve had a look some small leather sofas with sofa bed options that are available online and would invite you to check out the Hilton 2-seater sofa bedfrom Harveys, pictured below, which has a big discount on the price at the moment (a £773 saving on the after event price).

  These small leather sofas have arm pads that are cushioned, which means they are both stylish and comfortable at the same time! Also, there are a number of neutral colours available for this one. We’ve shown the Brown shade in the image above. The ‘Extra Comfort’ cushions have centre stitching feature and are filled with fibre.

As well as some great deals at up to half price in the Harvey’s sale, online customers can get an extra 5% off selected products until 4th February 2013.  The voucher code for this discount is AFFJAN13 and please note that it can’t be used in conjunction with any other offers/promotions.   The code applies to the following ranges:  This code applies to the following ranges: Monty, Clarissa, Cassie, Maine, Leo sofabeds, Oasis, Juno, Liberata, Modena, Vesuvius, Astoria, Charlie, Mica, Devon, Manhattan sofa bed and Francisco.

Another option for a room with limited floor space is a corner sofa, or sectional sofa, and it is possible to find these small leather sofas with sofa beds included in the structure. The advantage of corner sofas is that you don’t waste space with arms in the way that you do with a more traditional sofa.  The video below shows some examples of small sofas, which includes corner sofas.

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Posting on the Futility Closet website, Greg Ross provides an answer to the following:

“In 1966, Austrian mathematician Leo Moser asked a pleasingly practical question: If a corridor is 1 meter wide, what’s the largest sofa one could squeeze around a corner?” [Read the full post here]

If you click on the link, you will find an answer of sorts.Though this answer may be frustratingly inconclusive, the question got us thinking about where our focus often lies when it comes to purchasing a new sofa, and whether it was worth reconsidering…

On this very blog, we have been known (0n more than one occasion…) to stress the importance of measuring rooms and items of furniture you intend to keep, to ensure the sofa you are planning to purchase will fit in with your existing pieces, etc.However, what can you do if you find a sofa that’s just the right size for your room, but then find out that you can’t get it through the door or up the stairs?!?This hilarious Friendsstoryline demonstrates the point perfectly:

Funny, eh?
Rather than ascertain whether your new sofa will fit in with your existing decor, ideally you need a way to find out if your couch will fit into your home at all!Doorways are easy to measure, but corners are more complex.However, help is at hand in the form of this clever interactive demonstration from Wolfram Mathematics:

So now you know how it’s done!However, if you want to try to avoid the problem altogether, you might want to consider corner sofas, often known as sectionals because the pieces can be moved around.Although not foolproof, separating the pieces of a sofa can make negotiating corners and gaps in doorways far easier than the more traditional ‘all in one’ alternatives.

To end, let’s return to the fantastic Friends and watch this blooper video to find out what really happened on set that day…

Ever heard the oft-quoted phrase ‘time is money’? Well, we think ‘space is money’ should be quoted every bit as often. After all, the more space you want to live in or work in, the more you need to pay.

This is Bathadvertorial feature, Maximise your space with corner sofas and creativity, makes a good point:

“Unfortunately, not all of us are lucky enough to be able to live in a three-story townhouse or huge country estate. However, if you’re one of the growing numbers of people who are willing to compromise on space in order to join the excitement of the urban sprawl, there’s no reason you can’t make the most of the space in your flat, no matter how small it might be. With just some small changes to layout, some key pieces of furniture and just a dash of creativity, you can easily maximise the space in your home.” [Click here to read the full article]

One advantage of smaller accommodation is that it will often cost you less to furnish and less to keep clean, but you have to be clever about your furniture choices – especially sofas – to avoid your home feeling cluttered. As the article states, corner sofas are a brilliant way of getting the most seating from the smallest floor space because you are not wasting space with chair arms, etc. The Maximise your space with corner sofas and creativity feature also includes tips on clever shelving and other storage possibilities and this kind of smart thinking can be just as valuable for larger living spaces, too.

It is often said that people have a tendency to fill a home to capacity, regardless of its size. Indeed, many people who downsize after only a few of years living in a larger space are surprised at how their belongings appear to have expanded considerably in a short space of time.

In the end, it’s probably a good idea to remember that, if you are in smaller accommodation than you would ideally like, making good choices when it comes to things like sofas and storage could mean that you don’t feel like you’re lacking in space after all.

So what is the problem with small rooms?

Small rooms are often difficult to furnish. You want to maximise the use of space, which makes armchairs a problem because, although an armchair is smaller than a sofa, two armchairs are definitely not. After all, if you opt for a couple of armchairs over a single sofa, you will need space for four arms instead of two!

So two small sofas could be a solution. However, corner sofas could be even better! With corner sofas, you have even less arms than you would on two small sofas. Also, you don’t lose seating space in the often wasted corner area of the room.

So what are the options for corner sofas?

These days, corner sofas, which are often referred to as sectional sofas or corner units, come in a wide variety of colours and styles. Leather is often considered to have a look of high quality, but tends to have a high price tag, too. One way to get around this issue is to opt for faux leather, which is typically far cheaper to buy. Faux leather corner sofas are becoming more popular, possibly due to the harsh economical climate, where people want a feeling of luxury without having to pay the price that they might have done in better times.

Luxury in a small room

Another thing that is a common feature with corner sofas is a reclining mechanism. Recliners seem to represent the height of comfort for living room seating and it is often possible to fit these into smaller rooms.

A small room ideally needs a light shade on the walls, as dark shades can easily ‘shrink’ the space. It is not so necessary to choose light coloured seating, though, as this can be brightened quite simply through clever use of cushions and throws

Look online for deals on corner sofas

If you search online, it is easy to find lots of different options for corner sofas and there are usually good deals to be had on furniture if you know where to look.