Short answer: At Cozey, we build seven living room looks around a modular sofa: an open-plan zone, a media wall, a reading corner, a conversation setup, a lounge L, a guest-ready room and a calm one-wood room. Each uses pieces on our site today.
A modular sofa is easy to style because it changes shape. You can start with two seats, add a corner or an ottoman later, and keep the rest of the room fixed.
On This Page
- What makes a modular sofa easy to build a room around?
- How do I zone an open-plan room around a modular sofa?
- How do I build a media wall around a modular sofa?
- How do I make a reading corner next to a modular sofa?
- How do I set up a modular sofa for conversation?
- How do I turn a modular sofa into a lounge L?
- How do I make a living room guest-ready with a sofa bed?
- How do I keep a modular sofa room calm with one wood tone?
- Which look suits which room?
- What should I check before I copy a look?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our living room
What makes a modular sofa easy to build a room around?
At Cozey, our sofas are made of separate modules, so the sofa can follow the room instead of the other way round. Each collection has its own character:
- Ciello: soft, with Regular and XL sizes, a chaise and a storage ottoman (guide).
- Gaia: soft, with a padded seat base, a high backrest and slim arms (guide).
- Cassini: low and curved, with a 45-degree wedge module (guide).
- Atmosphere: medium-firm, in regular, storage and sleeper versions (guide).
- Neptune and Orian: our sofa beds (Neptune guide, Orian guide).
Cozey Studio is our online configurator: you build the sofa module by module, choose the arm at each end and see its overall size before you order. Use it to test each look below against your own wall. Our Studio guide walks through it, and which Cozey sofa is right for you compares the collections.
How do I zone an open-plan room around a modular sofa?
At Cozey, we zone an open plan with the sofa itself: turn its back toward the dining area, and anchor the seating on a rug. An L-shaped layout works well here, because one leg can face the table and act as a soft divider.
Add a low piece behind or beside the seating to create an edge without blocking sight lines. Our Aurora credenza is 81.5 x 38.2 x 47 cm (32.1 x 15.0 x 18.5 inches) per unit, and you can join two or three units. Our guide to open-plan living room layouts covers hosting and clearances, and the rug size guide helps the rug cover the whole seating group.
Check: plan a walking path of at least 76 cm (30 inches) around the group, and measure the L in Cozey Studio first.
How do I build a media wall around a modular sofa?
At Cozey, we build a media wall from low modules under the screen and shelving beside it. Our Stella media unit is made of modules of 57 x 38 x 40 cm (22.4 x 15.0 x 15.7 inches), open or closed each, and you can link up to four in Oak or Walnut. We publish no TV size or weight rating for Stella, so compare your TV width with the modules and check the weight on the product page (guide).
Beside the TV, add the Themis modular wall system or the Altitude wall shelves. Themis shelves and cabinets are 81.3 x 28 x 61 cm (32.0 x 11.0 x 24.0 inches), can hang or stand on the floor, and each holds 23 kg (50 lb). Altitude is 24 cm (9.5 inches) deep and mounts on the wall. Cozey Studio includes Themis, so you can plan that wall as well. Our credenza and media unit guide compares the options, and the Themis guide and Altitude guide hold the finishes.
Check: the TV width against the module width, and your wall type before hanging anything.
How do I make a reading corner next to a modular sofa?
At Cozey, we suggest a low chair, a small adjustable table and a wall shelf in the space beside the sofa. Our Hubbel lounge chair is 68.5 cm (27.0 inches) wide and 83 cm (32.5 inches) deep, with a seat 40 cm (15.7 inches) high and 48 cm (19.0 inches) deep, so it stays out of the way (guide). If you like a higher seat, our Mira chair has a seat 48.5 cm (19 inches) high.
The Solis side table adjusts from 52.5 to 78 cm (20.7 to 30.7 inches) high, so it can hold a lamp and a cup at reading height (guide). Our Altitude shelves add books above, in a unit 81.3 x 24 x 81.3 cm (32.0 x 9.5 x 32.0 inches).
Check: about 76 cm (30 inches) for a walkway beside the chair, tested with painter's tape on the floor.
How do I set up a modular sofa for conversation?
At Cozey, we find a curved sofa the easiest way to bring people face to face. Our Cassini sofa has a 45-degree wedge module that bends a run of seats instead of turning a hard corner, with a seat 67 cm (26.5 inches) deep and 43 cm (17 inches) high.
Place a chair facing the curve, such as the Mira chair, which is 70 cm (27.6 inches) wide, and put a round table between them. Our Eclipse coffee table is 80 cm (31.5 inches) across and 39 cm (15.4 inches) high, in Oak or Walnut, and a round top has no corners to walk around. Our guides to arranging a curved sofa and to pairing a sofa, an accent chair and a coffee table show the arrangements.
Check: leave 36 to 46 cm (14 to 18 inches) between sofa and coffee table.
How do I turn a modular sofa into a lounge L?
At Cozey, we turn a sofa into a lounge by adding a corner and a place for your feet. A compact Gaia L, made of an armless seat, a corner seat and a second seat, measures 166 x 166 cm (65.4 x 65.4 inches). For a longer sofa, Ciello has a dedicated chaise module.
An ottoman extends the lounging area in front of a seat without a fixed chaise side. Our Gaia storage ottoman is 80 x 80 x 54 cm (31.5 x 31.5 x 21.3 inches), the same height as the seat, and the Ciello storage ottoman holds 75 litres (2.65 cubic feet). Both ottomans are freestanding, and Cassini does not have an equivalent matching ottoman. Add a Stella coffee table, which lifts from 47 cm (18.5 inches) to 67 cm (26.4 inches), for a laptop or a meal. Our sectional buying guide compares chaise sides, and the configuration guide lists which modules can be combined.
Check: the full assembled size of the L, including the ottoman, shown in Cozey Studio.
How do I make a living room guest-ready with a sofa bed?
At Cozey, we plan a guest-ready room around the open bed, not the closed sofa. Our Neptune three-seater opens about 152 cm (60 inches) into the room, Orian opens 202.5 cm (80 inches), and the Atmosphere Sleeper two-seater with a sleeper ottoman opens about 249 cm (98 inches). Sleeper sofas can sit against the wall, so the clearance that matters is in front.
Choose a table you can slide away at night, and check door swings and cabinet doors against the open bed. Our sofa bed buying guide compares the three, and our guide to a sofa bed for a studio apartment shows how they fit a small room.
Check: the open depth of your chosen layout against the floor in front of the sofa.
How do I keep a modular sofa room calm with one wood tone?
At Cozey, a calm room needs few pieces and one wood tone: one sofa, one coffee table and one closed storage piece. Our Aurora credenza and Themis cabinet keep surfaces clear, and Altitude or Themis shelves move storage onto the wall so the floor stays open.
Repeat one wood tone from piece to piece, and keep to two or three quiet shades. Our minimalist living room guide, Scandinavian living room guide and neutral colour palettes guide go deeper, and the new Aquaforte Velvet colours give you one accent if you want it.
Check: that every piece offers your wood tone on its own product page.
Which look suits which room?
At Cozey, we match the look to how the room is used. This table compares the seven looks.
Which look suits which room?
| Look | Suits | Pieces | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-plan zone | Open kitchen, living and dining | L-shaped sofa, rug, Aurora credenza | Walking path of 76 cm (30 inches); the size of the L |
| Media wall | A room built around the TV | Stella media unit, Themis or Altitude | TV width; wall type; 23 kg (50 lb) per Themis unit |
| Reading corner | A window or a quiet end of the room | Hubbel or Mira, Solis, Altitude | Space beside the chair for a walkway |
| Conversation | A room for hosting | Cassini, Mira, Eclipse | 36 to 46 cm (14 to 18 inches) to the coffee table |
| Lounge L | A family or screen-time room | Gaia or Ciello, ottoman, Stella table | Total size with the ottoman |
| Guest-ready | A living room that doubles as a bedroom | Neptune, Orian or Atmosphere Sleeper | Open depth of the bed |
| Calm one-wood | A small or quiet room | Sofa, one table, Aurora or Themis | One wood tone on every page |
What should I check before I copy a look?
Check these before you order:
- Sofa first: build it in Cozey Studio and note the overall size.
- Clearances: about 76 cm (30 inches) for walking paths, and 91 cm (36 inches) is more comfortable (general advice).
- TV wall: compare your TV width with the media unit modules.
- Wall storage: check your wall type, and the 23 kg (50 lb) limit per Themis unit.
- Finishes: confirm each piece offers your wood tone on its own product page, because finishes can change.
- The route in: use our measuring guide.
Orders have a 30-day risk-free trial.
Our recommendation
At Cozey, we suggest choosing the look by how you use the room, then building the sofa for it in Cozey Studio. Add the tables, storage and wall pieces afterwards, in one wood tone.
- You host: the conversation setup with Cassini, or an open-plan zone with an L.
- You watch TV: a lounge L with Gaia or Ciello, and a Stella media wall.
- You have overnight guests: a sofa bed with room in front.
- You want quiet: the calm one-wood room, with Atmosphere or Ciello.
Explore our living room
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.