Corner sofa left hand or right hand: how to choose before you buy

Corner sofa left hand or right hand: how to choose the right orientation

One of the most confusing steps when buying a corner sofa is deciding between a left-hand and a right-hand configuration. Get it wrong and you will end up with a sofa that blocks a doorway, faces away from the TV, or simply looks wrong in your space. Here is a straightforward guide to getting it right the first time.

What does left-hand and right-hand mean?

When a retailer refers to a "left-hand" or "right-hand" corner sofa, they are describing the position of the chaise or longchair extension as you stand facing the sofa from the front — the side you would sit on.

A left-hand corner sofa (LHF) has the extended section on your left as you face it. When you are seated on the sofa, the chaise will be on your right.

A right-hand corner sofa (RHF) has the extended section on your right as you face it. When you are seated, the chaise will be on your left.

This distinction trips up a lot of buyers because the language is counterintuitive. You are naming the sofa from the outside looking in, not from the inside looking out.

How to choose the right orientation for your room

The single most effective method is to take a photograph or draw a simple floor plan of your living room, then mark the key fixed elements: doorways, windows, the TV position, and any architectural features like chimney breasts or alcoves.

With your floor plan in front of you, try placing the sofa in two orientations and see which one:

— Faces the TV (or the focal point of the room) without requiring people to turn awkwardly
— Does not block access to doors or windows
— Leaves a clear walkway of at least 70-90 cm around the sofa
— Makes use of any alcove or corner space rather than fighting against it

In most living rooms, one orientation will clearly work better than the other. In a room where the sofa sits against the left wall, for example, you typically want the chaise extending along that wall — which would be a left-hand configuration.

When it genuinely does not matter

If your sofa sits in the centre of a symmetrical room, or if you have a modular sofa that can be reconfigured, the initial orientation choice matters less. Fully modular systems — like the Merlot modular corner sofa — allow you to rearrange the modules after delivery, so you are not permanently locked into a single layout.

What happens if you order the wrong orientation?

If you order a non-modular sectional sofa in the wrong orientation, your options are limited. Some sofas can be physically turned around, but the back panel is often finished differently to the front, making this look wrong. Some retailers will exchange, but this typically involves collection and redelivery costs.

The safest approach is to measure carefully and use tape on your floor to mark out the full footprint of the sofa before you order. Mark both orientations and walk around them to see which flows better in your space.

Furni corner sofas and orientation

All Furni corner sofas are available in both orientations. The Asti corner sofa and the Torino corner sofa with pull-out bed both come in left-hand and right-hand versions, and the modular Merlot range gives you the additional flexibility of reconfiguring after delivery. If you are unsure which orientation is right for your room, the Furni customer team can help you work through the floor plan before you order.