Know How: The best compact sofas for small spaces

It’s common knowledge that the population is growing, and more and more of us are having to give up on the dream of a spacious first home, for the more realistic prospect of a one-bed or studio flat. Whether you’re a first-time buyer starting out in a small flat or you’re downsizing from a larger place, it’s time to embrace compact living with our range of compact sofas.

Compact sofas

The best small sofas for small homes

As a result of smaller property sizes and the rising need for space-saving furniture, we’ve developed a new range of compact sofas, specifically designed for when space is tight. The best sofas for small spaces have:

• Smaller proportions
• Shallower seat cushions
• Slim frames
• Slim, raised tapered legs
• Smaller overall footprint

Our Earnshaw and Ferdinand sofas are shallower and more compact than most sofas, but they still deliver maximum comfort. These mid-century designs have petite proportions and slightly shallower seat cushions, which are ideal for smaller apartments and narrower spaces like hallways, studies and home offices. They’re still just as comfortable as our larger styles but take up a much smaller footprint, leaving you more space to move around and for other pieces of furniture.

Like all of our sofas at Arlo and Jacob, they can be upholstered in any fabric of your choosing, which means that just because you’re opting for a smaller sized sofa, you don’t have to compromise on customised style and fabric.

Scandi style sofas, like the Earnshaw and Ferdinand, are ideal for smaller living spaces because the high legs allow light to pass underneath, giving the illusion of more space. The elegant, slim silhouette creates a fuss-free, clean line, unlike larger, bulky style sofas, and the feather-wrapped seat cushions still deliver the same level of comfort.

The extensive Ferdinand range includes a chair, footstool, plus a small and medium two-seater sofa, a larger three-seater sofa and a compact chaise and corner sofa. It’s our take on a mid-century icon, brought up to date with sloping, slim arms, tapered wooden legs and an ultra comfortable feather-wrapped seat cushion.

The Earnshaw is designed by renowned furniture designer Tim Fenby. It has a slim frame and wide, shallow, bench-style seat cushions for maximum comfort. Compact in size, it over-delivers on style and comfort.

Our compact, shallow sofas are perfect for first-time homes, little cottages, student flats, bachelor and bachelorette pads, London apartments, and even retirement homes. Despite their petite proportions and shallower seats, they’re still ideal for when you have guests and family over to visit.