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Left-Facing vs Right-Facing Sectional Sofa Layouts
Left-facing and right-facing are the most confusing words on a sectional order form, and getting them wrong means a chaise on the wrong side of the room. The terms describe where the chaise or return sits as you face the sofa, and they decide which corners of a room it can go into. This guide explains the convention, how to work out which you need, and how a door or radiator can make the choice for you.
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The usual convention
Most retailers name the side as you stand in front of the sofa, facing it. A left-facing chaise (often “LAF”, left-arm facing) is on your left; a right-facing one (“RAF”) is on your right. Sitting on the sofa, it is the other way round, which is where the confusion comes from.
Not every retailer uses the same convention, so check the product drawing before ordering. The picture beats the label.
Which corners each one fits
With both backs against the walls, an L-shaped sectional fits into a corner only one way round. A right-facing sectional in the bottom-left corner of a plan runs its long side along the bottom wall; in the bottom-right corner it runs up the right wall. A left-facing sectional is the mirror image. So the facing decides, for each corner, which wall the long side goes on.
When a door decides for you
Take a 150 × 110 in room and a 112 × 66 in sectional, 38 in deep with a 34 in chaise. Its long side only fits along the 150 in walls. If a door swing fills the bottom-left corner, a right-facing sectional goes in the top-right corner and a left-facing one in the bottom-right; both leave 72 in in front of the long side and 116 in in front of the chaise.
Both work here, but in different places — which matters for the TV wall, the window, and where people walk in.
| Facing | Best corner | In front of long side | In front of chaise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-facing | Top-right | 72 in | 116 in |
| Left-facing | Bottom-right | 72 in | 116 in |
Door swing reserved as a 36 × 36 in square in the bottom-left corner.
Choosing between them
- Put the chaise where it doesn’t block a door or the main path.
- Put the long side facing the TV or the view.
- Keep the open side of the L toward the room’s entrance, so the space feels open as you walk in.
- Some sectionals have a reversible chaise that can be moved to either side; check before deciding.
Left vs Right-Facing FAQ
- Is a left-facing chaise on my left when I sit on it?
- No — with the usual convention it is on your left when you face the sofa, so on your right when you sit on it.
- What do LAF and RAF mean?
- Left-arm facing and right-arm facing: which side the arm or chaise is on as you face the piece.
- Can I swap a sectional’s chaise to the other side?
- Only if it is sold as reversible. Fixed sections can’t be mirrored.
- Does the facing change whether it fits?
- In an empty rectangular room, no. Doors, windows, and radiators can make one facing fit only in corners you don’t want.
- How do I check which one I need?
- Stand where you will face the sofa and point to the corner the chaise should be in. That side is the facing you order — after checking the retailer’s drawing.
Related guides
- Measuring for a SectionalMeasure a living room for an L-shaped sectional: a simple plan, doors and radiators to keep clear, and why the footprint is smaller than the overall size.
- Sectional Walkway SpaceWhy a sectional can fit a room but not leave room to walk, how to measure the open floor in front of each section, and what to change when it’s tight.
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