Contemporary Modular Sofas & Sectionals

Modular sofas and sectionals are contemporary modular furniture pieces made popular for their ability to ease some of the challenges that come with choosing and purchasing sofas and sectionals for homes of all sizes.

What Is a Modular Sofa or Sectional?

A modular sofa is a sofa or sectional composed of independent modules that can be separated. Those modules can be rearranged and combined with additional modules, kind of like building blocks, to produce different sofa or sectional configurations ideal for spaces of different sizes and shapes. Typically, modular sofas and sectionals also offer a wide variety of upholstery fabric materials to choose from, so you can further customize your sofa or sectional to your functional and aesthetic preferences.

A key difference between a modular sectional sofa and a standard sectional sofa is that modular sectional sofas can be broken down into independent modules, while standard sectional sofas either can’t be broken down at all or break down into larger pieces that can’t be rearranged or combined with any other pieces. Many modular sectionals with chaises are reversible, meaning you can arrange the chaise so the sectional is either a left- or right-facing sectional.

Why Choose a Modular Sofa or Sectional?

Modular sofas and sectionals are ideal for large or small spaces that could benefit from the ability to add, remove, or rearrange sofa modules at will. They make great investment pieces for early renters or homeowners who anticipate moving into a larger space in the future – with a modular sofa or sectional, you can graduate from a two-seat sofa to a three-seat sofa to a full U-shaped sectional by simply adding sofa modules, rather than replacing your entire sofa with a larger model.

Modular couches are also easier to move with or have delivered. Because their sections come apart, modular sofas either deliver in pieces or may be disassembled upon delivery for easier transport up stairs or through narrow hallways or doorways. Thus, they make excellent sofas for small spaces and apartments where large, one-piece sofas or sectionals may not fit through the entryway.

How to Choose a Modular Sofa or Sectional

Choosing a modular sofa or sectional is just like choosing a standard sofa or sectional, with the added benefit that you can expand or rearrange your couch as you see fit. It can be helpful to create a rough outline of the sofa or sectional size you’d like on your living room floor using tape, then measure the outline to get an idea of the sofa or sectional dimensions that will work in your space. If you’re worried a larger modular unit won’t fit in your space, downsize to a smaller version – you can always add sections if you’d like a larger couch.

Modular sofas and modular sectional couches are typically available as parts of sofa collections complete with all the necessary building blocks to produce myriad sofa or sectional configurations: two- or three-seat sofas, L- or U-shaped sectionals, and lounge sectionals with chaises or sectionals without chaises. At HAY, these collections include the Hackney Lounge Sofa and Sectional Collection, the Mags, Mags Lounge, and Mags Soft Low Sofa and Sectional Collections, the Quilton Sofa and Sectional Collection, and the Pandarine Sofa and Sectional Collection. Keep in mind that not all the sofas and sectionals in these collections are truly modular, and not all of these modular sofa collections have single-seat modules (with and without arms) available for purchase.