U Shape Sofas

What a U shape sofa is, and the space it needs

A U shape sofa is a long run with a chaise returning forward at both ends, so it seats a room from three sides instead of two. Some people call it a U shaped sofa, some a U shape couch or a U shape settee — it is the same piece. It reaches into the room rather than sitting along one wall, so it needs clearance on three sides: a walkway past both chaises, and room to get in at the open end. Measure the back wall, both returns and the route in — doorways and stair turns are what catch people out. The measuring guide covers all of it.

A large U shape sofa, or one for a smaller room

The Bishop U Shape is 330 cm wide with a 194 cm chaise at each end, and both chaises are armless and open at the front. That is the large U shaped sofa here, made in the UK. The London U Shape is 279 cm wide with 159 cm chaises — 51 cm narrower, and 35 cm less into the room — so if you are after a small U shaped sofa, measure against that one first. Neither is handed, so both work whichever way your room runs.

A black U shape sofa, and the other colours

Both come in four fabrics and twenty-six colours. Black is on three of them: Plush Velvet Black, a smooth short-pile velvet; Faux Leather Black, an even surface with no weave or pile; and Dapple Black, a plush velvet flecked in two tones. Colour reads differently on every screen and in every room, so order fabric samples and hold them against your own wall first.

U shape or L shape

An L shape returns on one side only, keeping the rest of the room open; a U shape asks for more floor and gives you a second chaise for it. If the L suits your room better, they are gathered as L shape sofas — or go straight to left hand, right hand or symmetrical. Still deciding between the two shapes? Our guide to choosing an L shaped or U shaped sofa walks through it.