38 of the best modular sofas on the high street
Modular sofas are the ultimate staple for urban living. No other piece can offer such flexibility, and adapt so cleverly to its surroundings and the evolving needs of a home.
Modular sofas are made up of individual sections, or 'modules' that can be moved around and arranged to suit your living space, or even your mood. These sections come in a range of sizes and styles – arm and back pieces, and often a left or right-hand chaise – that can fit in various configurations, making them an incredibly versatile and practical investment. Modular sofas can just be arranged to seat two people, much like a regular two-piece suite, or they can be extended into vast L or U shapes to accommodate 10 or more – perfect for large families and socialising.
What’s the difference between a modular sofa and a sectional sofa?
A modular and sectional sofa are similar – both have two or more connected pieces – and the terms are often used interchangeably, but there are key differences. A sectional sofa typically refers to an L-shaped corner sofa that combines a sofa or loveseat and a chaise, and most importantly, it isn’t designed to be rearranged. The very purpose of a modular sofa by contrast is to be moved and configured at will.
The different types of modular sofa:
1. Chaise modular sofa
A modular sofa with a chaise is a great option for adding a bit of extra comfort in narrow living rooms where the width of your sofa is restricted. While adding a chaise does create an L-shape (see below), it's usually intended for lounging rather than seating extra people.
2. L-shaped modular sofa
L-shaped modular sofas resemble two sofas meeting at a 90-degree angle. These are brilliant for small families, and can fit neatly in the corners of your living room without taking up too much floor space.
3. U-shaped modular sofa
A wraparound U-shaped modular sofa is a bit of a luxury for those with ample space. It's great for entertaining and usually designed with very generous proportions to sit guests next to and across from one another.
4. Modular sofa bed
The ultimate in multifunctional furniture. If you don’t have a spare bedroom, modular sofa beds are a super practical option. Even a small two-seater modular sofa can usually offer a deceptively large pull-out bed.
5. Modular storage sofa
Modular sofas with hidden storage are perfect for urban living. Usually, the seat or chaise section will be set on hinges or springs so they can be easily lifted to store clutter, freeing up valuable floor space.
Are modular sofas worth it?
Modular sofas can be overlooked, but there are arguably more benefits to choosing a modular sofa than a regular sofa.
Modular sofas are totally adaptable to your needs – it's common to break up your modular sofa when you have company, placing a coffee table in between units to make your living space more conducive to socialising. They can fit perfectly in any room, reducing wasted floor space and adapting to awkward layouts. Individual sections will always manoeuvre through doorways (there's nothing worse than receiving a sofa only to discover it won't fit through your front door), which also gives you the option of moving your sofa between rooms. And, if your modular sofa is damaged, it's far more cost effective to replace individual units.
Here, we've scoured some of our favourite sofa brands and retailers, from John Lewis & Partners to DFS to find the best modular sofas for the ultimate in flexible living...
Chenille Large Double End Chaise
We love the Ada for its oversized U-shape and extra deep seats that encourage lounging. The low profile feels contemporary and unobtrusive despite its generous size, and should you wish to go for something smaller, Ada is available as a large sofa, chaise sofa and corner sofa too.
John Lewis Lozenge Chaise End Sofa
As well as the on-trend boucle fabric on this John Lewis Lozenge modular sofa, it takes on a wonderful cocooning form with its rounded back and curved chaise. A handy matching footstool is available too.
John Lewis + Swoon Rubik Modular Sofa
Rubik is a chunky modular sofa with a wooden plinth that looks far more appropriate than spindly legs. With a generous chaise unit, it can accommodate the whole family, and while we love the midnight blue velvet, it comes in softer greys and creams and graphites.
House Beautiful Layla Modular Sofa
This clever Layla modular sofa from our own House Beautiful collection at DFS is the ultimate in multifunctional design. Each piece can be lifted to reveal hidden storage below to keep your living room totally clutter-free.
Modular Cruz Olive Velvet Reversible Chaise Sofa
The use of green in our homes is going nowhere fast, which makes this green velvet modular sofa from Dunelm a great investment. One of the many joys of modular sofas is that they can be dismantled and moved with you to a new home, so a perennially on-trend colour is a wise choice.
Full Circle Austin Natural Tonal Weave Sofa
Dunelm's Full Circle range is designed with circularity in mind, with 5 units that fit together in different arrangements to suit your needs. This also means that each piece is repairable should the need arise and easily disassembled for recycling.
The Lounge Co. Isobel Modular Corner Sofa
The Lounge Co. design exceptionally comfortable sofas you’ll never want to leave. The fully modular Isobel can be as small or large as you like – £4,845 is for an XL five-seater – and whilst we love this iridescent indigo blue upholstery, it's also available in a pleasing array of neutrals.
£4845.00 at furniturevillage.co.uk
Nygard Modular Sofa
The team at Swoon spent 14 months perfecting the squish in the cushions and bounce in the springs of this fabulous modular sofa to create something truly lounge-worthy. We love the relaxed Scandi silhouette, and it comes in a choice of wool, leather, linen or velvet.
Brooklyn Small Left Hand Modular Sofa
You can always rely on Dusk to offer something contemporary and fuss-free in a calming and neutral colour palette. The Brooklyn modular sofa is made with a premium textured chenille fabric in this warm stone colour, ivory, olive green or gunmetal grey.
Tokyo Modular Sofa
This Tokyo modular sofa from John Lewis sits low to the ground, with extra feather-filled cushions for sink-in comfort. It's available with a storage table in matching fabric that can be placed at the end of your configuration, or between two seat units for a handy spot to pop a cup of tea.
Togo Sofa by Ligne Roset
The modular Togo sofa is like the jewel in the crown of the vintage revival. Shown here in the Insta-famous living room of Lisa Dawson, it has gone viral on social media many times over for it relaxed 1970s silhouette and peppy colours.
Artenis Fabric 5 Seater Corner Modular Sofa
When we talk about sofas with a 70s feel – it's one of the biggest interior trends of the year – this is what we mean. The low profile deep seats, sloped back cushions and delicious olive green upholstery is just the right amount of retro.
£5249.00 at barkerandstonehouse.co.uk
Edie Modular Corner Sofa with Footstool End
This curvy modular sofa feels a little retro-futuristic, owing to its mix of 70s-inspired chenille and low seats, and the clever rounded arms and back. A really unique piece that can take you from a single armchair to a U-shaped configuration.
Adessa Modular 5 Seater Sofa with Footstool
Here's a pre-made modular sofa set for an instant living room upgrade. This five-seater corner modular set from Barker & Stonehouse comes with a leather footstool, all included in the price.
£5775.00 at barkerandstonehouse.co.uk
Lilli 3 Seater Sofa by Heal's
Don't be fooled by the upright shape of this Lilli modular sofa. With generously oversized seats and super low arm and backrests, this is a sofa for lounging. Choose a pale colourway to create a real life cloud in your living room.
Lisbon Large Corner Garden Sofa
Modular sofas come into their own in a garden setting, where units can be broken up or fixed together to accommodate guests. Dusk's Lisbon garden sofa is made from a classic rattan and robust steel, with removable linen look cushions and a compact frame that will sit neatly in a corner.
Alba Modular Sofa in Oyster Boucle
The Alba modular sofa from Next has a chunky profile with pie crust edging and textured boucle upholstery. Pared-back and endlessly practical, we love it in the L-shaped configuration with the XL footstool. It's available in a cream tweed and a tan faux leather too.
Cohen Modular Sofa in Pavilion Pink
This is a contemporary handmade piece from Sofa.com in a delicious pink fabric. We love the curved detailing here on the arms and backrest – great for back support. If you're not a fan of pink, this modular piece comes in a vast selection of colours and fabrics, from soft leather to boucle.
Rava Modular Sofa
There are a lot of appealing design details in this Rava modular sofa from Soho Home – the fluted backrest that looks as though it is draped over the arms, its stout, carved wooden legs and all-over olive velvet. Its modules piece together with discrete crocodile clips to offer various seating arrangements to suit your own space.
Penny Corner Sofa
Rose & Grey sofas are some of the chicest out there. The Penny corner sofa is super inviting, with squidgy seats, 10 plum scatter cushions and a smart trim detail. It comes in 40 colours – including a fabulous red stripe for the confident decorator.
Border Grand 4 Seater Sofa
There are some really lovely design details on the John Lewis Border sofa that make it feel relaxed – the french seams, linen upholstery, low arms and individual back cushions all contribute to a design that is casual and lived-in.
Brooklyn 3 Seater Sofa - Ivory
A much-maligned shade for pet owners and parents. A pristine white sofa can look like it has been lifted from the pages of a glossy magazine – and this Dusk sofa certainly does – and invites a minimalist design scheme with a sophisticated yet sparing use of accessories.
Pillow Nap Modular Corner Sofa Bed
Loaf's Pillow Nap is function piled on top of function. Not only is it entirely modular – growing or shrinking as needs must between an L-shape and a great big corner sofa – but it also hides storage space and a sprung mattress to convert into a sofa bed.
Modular Arne Tan Faux Leather 3 Seater Sofa
This is a contemporary faux leather modular sofa in classic tan with deceptively slim arms and backrest – remove the central module and this piece would be great for smaller homes. If you have the space, we highly recommend adding the footstool to your configuration for the best lounging.
Squishblocks Modular Sofa
Contemporary sofas with their sculptural shapes and low backs risk putting style over comfort, but as the purveyors of super squishy seating, Loaf have managed to combine the two.
Nicoletti Theron Fabric Chaise Sofa
Pink sofas are making a comeback, hastened by the popularity of the Barbie movie. This contemporary modular piece from Furniture Village has a really interesting silhouette, sitting low to the ground – a big sofa trend this year – with a prominent black frame. It's available in 11 modular configurations, and you can add a recliner too.
£5095.00 at furniturevillage.co.uk
Boro Stripe Kori Modular Armless Sofa
Anthropologie has a selection of three design-led modular sofas in this fantastic rounded pebble shape. This striped version is a favourite for its durable cotton rug upholstery and tropical hardwood frame.
Model 03 3 Seater Right Chaise
From two seats to 10, left or right corner, with or without an ottoman and in a choice of 43 fabrics – the Model 03 from Swyft is the picture of versatility. This modular sofa is totally stain resistant to withstand the threat of spilled drinks or muddy paws.
Milani 4 Piece Modular Sofa
We love an alternative to the usual line up of velvets, and this terracotta corduroy is a real standout. Plump and boxy cushions are always really enticing, and encourage full on, feet-up lounging.
Vivienne Modular Four Seater Sofa, Boucle
The Vivienne modular sofa from Soho Home is a real design treat. It's cut from a sumptuous cloud-like boucle fabric with a wraparound back for extra cocooning. The seat is low to encourage lounging.
Wodge Deep Modular Sofa
This is a generously proportioned and deeply squidgy modular sofa from Loaf. Wodge is available in 159 different fabrics for the ultimate customised piece – we're fans of the spill-resistant linen in soft rose pink, the deep cinnamon velvet, and alabaster bamboo.
Savoy U-Shape Modular Sofa
A large, U-shaped modular sofa is a great choice for people who love to entertain. You can accommodate five or more guests on this Savoy sofa from Sofa Club and sit facing one another to better facilitate conversation.
Ferrara 2 Piece Chaise End Sofa
Seventies design references are everywhere this year, and the Ferrara modular sofa from DFS captures its fair share – the lovely chocolate velvet, oversized curved silhouette, and low-slung seat are all perfectly retro.
Cooksbridge Corner Sofa
Sofa & Stuff are a real go-to for patterned upholstery. This Cooksbridge modular sofa is one of their most popular models for its classic scroll arms, high cushioned back, and a choice of hundreds of patterned and plain fabrics.
SÖDERHAMN 4-seat sofa with chaise longue
As usual, Ikea have created one of the most convenient and widely customisable sofas on our list. The Söderhamn can go from a two-seater to pretty much as big as you want, and it is available with or without this loose cover, which is handy for washing. There is also an interactive Söderhamn planner on the Ikea website to help you build your modular sofa.
Model 06 Modular Sofa
We love a classic velvet sofa, especially in a sophisticated inky blue. Model 06 from Swyft is generously proportioned, with deep seats and ample room for lounging.
Pembrey Modular Garden Sofa
This elegant modular sofa set from Neptune is perfect for large outdoor spaces and smaller urban gardens alike. It's crafted from teak with weather-resistant upholstery for a robust and low maintenance finish.
JÄTTEBO Chaise Longue Modular Sofa
This versatile modular sofa from Ikea has a number of really attractive design features – its chaise longue module contains some handy hidden storage, its innovative corduroy fabric is super resilient and easy to clean, and of course this design can be mixed, matched and assembled without tools to take you from a small armless chair to a generously-sized corner sofa.
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