--- title: "Floor Sofa Setup Instructions: Why There Is No Manual" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-sofa-setup-instructions-manual/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/" published: "2026-07-31" updated: "2026-07-31" keywords: "floor sofa setup instructions, floor sofa assembly, floor sofa manual, floor sofa metal support bars, vacuum packed floor sofa" --- # Is there a manual for setting up the floor sofa? *There is almost nothing to assemble. That is the design.* Also asked as: Do you have a manual for the sofa?; No instructions for the legs > **The quick answer:** No printed manual is needed, because the floor sofa's seat cushions and backrests arrive already made and only the metal bars go together, without tools. Open the vacuum-sealed package without knives or scissors and give the cushions a few days to expand. A setup picture or video for the bars often arrives with the bar tracking number, and a digital copy is sent on request. ![Ivory linen-look floor sofa with stacked base cushions, back cushions and arm blocks in a limewashed Mediterranean room](https://cushionguide.com/media/modular-floor-sofas/ivory-linen-look-floor-sofa-mediterranean-room-1600.webp "In ivory, the same cushion-built floor sofa almost melts into the limewashed wall.") ## Key facts - There is no printed manual; seat cushions and backrests arrive assembled. - Only the metal support bars go together, without tools. - The sofa is vacuum-sealed; open it without knives or scissors. - Cushions take a few days to fully expand. - A setup picture or video for the bars is sent, often with the bar tracking number; a digital copy on request. - Covers wash at 86°F (30°C) max with mild detergent, turned inside out. - Lifting off the top cushion layer turns the corner couch into a bed. ## From sealed box to first sit 1. **Open it by hand**: Peel the [vacuum-sealed](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#vacuum-packing) wrap without knives or scissors. A blade that slips finds the cover underneath. 2. **Let the foam breathe**: Lay the cushions out and give them a few days to fully expand. The [first 72 hours Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/vacuum-packed-cushion-first-72-hours/) explains what changes and when. 3. **Click the bars together**: The [metal support bars](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#metal-support-bars) have only a few pieces that slide and interlock. No tools. 4. **Arrange, don't assemble**: Seat cushions and backrests arrive finished. Place them in the layout you want. ## When the paper for the bars is missing The setup picture or video usually travels with the bar tracking number. If the paper is not in the box, ask for a digital copy. It is sent on request. Stiff joints are normal at first. Twist and push until the spring dots click into the holes, and click a stiff joint in and out of the corner piece a few times to loosen it. The [support bars Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/floor-sofa-support-bars-assembly/) has the same steps with drawings. ## Two things the box does not say The covers zip off. Wash them turned inside out at 86°F (30°C) max, with mild or extra-gentle detergent. The corner couch is also a bed. Lift off the top layer of cushions and lie down. The [modular floor sofas](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/modular-floor-sofas/) hub shows the layouts, and [floor sofa layouts](https://cushionguide.com/guides/modular-floor-sofa-layouts/) helps you plan the room. Which wall will yours sit against? No manual. A few clicks. A few days of patience. > **Tailor's margin:** Floor sofa setup comes down to the metal bars: the seat cushions and backrests arrive finished, so the only assembly is clicking a few bar pieces together, no tools. > Open a vacuum-packed floor sofa by hand, never with scissors, then give the cushions a few days to reach full height before you judge them. > > — Hana ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Do you include a manual for setup and washing? **The workshop's answer:** No printed one, because setup is simple. Open the vacuum-sealed package carefully without knives or scissors, allow a few days for the cushions to fully expand, and zip off the covers to wash at 86°F (30°C) max with mild or extra-gentle soap, inside out. The metal bars have only a few pieces that slide and interlock, and the shop helps by message if you get stuck. **A common question:** My sofa arrived without instructions for the metal frame. Where do I get them? **The workshop's answer:** The shop sends a setup instruction picture along with the metal bar tracking number, and it sends a digital copy on request if the paper is missing. **A common question:** Are there assembly instructions, and can the corner couch become a bed? **The workshop's answer:** The couches and backrests arrive assembled, so you only arrange them; instructions are included for the metal bars. Like the other models, the closed-corner couch becomes a bed when you take off the top layer of cushions. **A common question:** I can't find assembly instructions for the modular couch anywhere. **The workshop's answer:** None are needed. The pieces are simply placed together, and the metal bars go on without tools. ## Questions buyers ask next ### How long before the floor sofa looks like the photos? Give the cushions a few days after unpacking to fully expand. Vacuum packing compresses the foam for shipping, so the first hours are not the final shape. Lay the pieces out and let them recover before you arrange the room around them. ### Can I add pieces to the floor sofa later? Yes. The add-on ottoman, 39 x 39 x 13.5 in, ships with a straight backrest and a metal bar. Add it with a straight backrest for a three-seater, or with a corner backrest to make an L. ### Is the floor sofa comfortable enough for a guest to sleep on? Yes. Laid flat, the teddy floor sofa gives a roughly 79 x 79 in (king-size) surface on 28 kg/m³ cold foam that two adults can share, and buyers have used it for guest stays of several weeks. ## Related at the atelier - [What do the metal bars on a floor sofa actually do?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-sofa-metal-bars-what-they-do/): The metal bars on a floor sofa keep the backrest cushions from sliding back or tipping over when you lean on them. - [Does the floor sofa come with the metal bars, and how many should I have?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-sofa-metal-bars-included-how-many/): Yes, the modular floor sofa comes with its metal support bars, and they are needed to hold the backrests and armrests. - [What's the difference between a one-piece and a modular floor sofa?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/one-piece-vs-modular-floor-sofa-difference/): A one-piece floor sofa has a solid foam backrest fixed to the upper mattress, so nothing slides and no metal bars are needed; a classic modular floor sofa has separate, softer backrests filled with… - [Boneless sofas and couches explained: foam, metal bars and the box they arrive in](https://cushionguide.com/guides/boneless-floor-sofas/): A boneless sofa is a frameless couch built entirely from foam pieces. - [Modular Floor Sofa in Rust and Cream Velvet: Where to Spend](https://cushionguide.com/readings/rust-velvet-end-block-cream-seat-detail/): On a modular floor sofa, spend on base thickness and order every piece at once. - [Modular Floor Sofa in Rose Velvet: Craft Seen at Floor Height](https://cushionguide.com/readings/rose-velvet-floor-sofa-low-angle-sunset/): A modular floor sofa in velvet shows its finishing best at floor height in low light: a straight seam where two colors meet, clean box edges with no piping to hide behind, and pile that catches the… - [Assembling floor sofa metal bars, and keeping the sofa from sliding](https://cushionguide.com/guides/floor-sofa-support-bars-assembly/) *— Hana* --- Written by Hana Lindqvist (https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-sofa-setup-instructions-manual/