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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Can the floor sofa seat be made less deep than 39 inches?

Also asked as:30 inches possible instead of 39 inches?110 inches long and 29 inches deep

Depth on a floor sofa is shared property. The backrest takes its cut first; the seat gets what's left.

Answered by

The Pattern Engineer of Detroit ·

Dusty rose and cream velvet floor sofa below a shelf of trailing pothos, with knit blanket, mug and open book on the floorSave
A lived-in reading corner: floor sofa, trailing plants, a knitted blanket and coffee within reach.

The quick answer

Sometimes: the floor sofa's standard 39 in (100 cm) depth has been made as shallow as 30 in (76 cm) from a note in the personalization box. Backrest cushions take part of that depth, though. At 28 in (71 cm) total, only about 16 in (41 cm) of seat remains, and the shop advises against 29 in (74 cm). Non-standard widths may not fit the L-shaped backrest.

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Key facts

  • Standard floor sofa depth is 39 in (100 cm).
  • A 30 in (76 cm) depth has been made from a note in the personalization box.
  • At 28 in (71 cm) total depth, the seat area is about 16 in (41 cm).
  • The shop advises against 29 in (74 cm) once backrests are in place.
  • A 48 in (122 cm) wide single module can be made, but the L-shaped backrest won't fit it.
  • The floor sofa ottoman is 39 in (100 cm) deep.

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Total depth against the seat you actually get

Total depthSeat in front of the backrestWorkshop's answer
39 in (100 cm)Full standard seatThe default
30 in (76 cm)ReducedMade once from a personalization note; another request was pointed to the ottoman
29 in (74 cm)Not enough to sit onAdvised against
28 in (71 cm)About 16 in (41 cm)Possible, but tight

Where the depth goes

A floor sofa is a seat with a backrest cushion parked on it. The depth you order is the total, front edge to wall, and the backrest sits inside that number.

Run the 28 in answer backward: 28 in total, about 16 in of seat, so the backrest cushions are using roughly 12 in (30 cm). The backrest doesn't shrink just because the sofa does, which is why the seat disappears fast below about 30 in. The workshop's replies aren't unanimous, partner: one 30 in request got a yes, another got pointed to the 39 in ottoman. Treat 30 in as the floor, not the target.

Width has its own catch. Change a module's width and the standard L-shaped backrest may stop fitting; a 48 in (122 cm) single module has been made, but without the L backrest. The modular floor sofas hub shows the standard pieces, the buying guide covers room planning, and seat depth is defined in the glossary.

Before you ask for a shallower sofa

  • Measure the nook from the wall to where you want the front edge, ± ¼ in
  • Subtract about 12 in (30 cm) for the backrest to see your real seat
  • Keep the standard 39 in width if you want the L-shaped backrest
  • Write the depth you want in the personalization box
  • Look at the small-apartment layouts before shrinking anything

Floor sofa depth under about 30 in (76 cm) gets tight: 39 in (100 cm) is standard, and the backrest cushions claim roughly a foot of it.

Nate
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Could you make the floor sofa 110 in long but only 29 in deep?

    The workshop's answer

    The shop advised against it: a 29 in (74 cm) seat doesn't leave enough room to sit once the backrest cushions are in place.

  2. A common question

    Can I get the sofa shallower, around 30 in?

    The workshop's answer

    In that case the shop pointed to the ottoman, which is 39 in (100 cm) deep, rather than offering a 30 in version.

  3. A common question

    Can the sofa be 30 in deep instead of 39 in?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. The buyer wrote the 30 in depth in the personalization box, and the sofa was made to that size before shipping.

  4. A common question

    Could you make a very narrow floor sofa, about 28 x 72 in, for a small nook?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, but at only 28 in (71 cm) deep, the seat left in front of the backrest would be about 16 in (41 cm).

  5. A common question

    Can a single floor sofa module be 48 in wide?

    The workshop's answer

    The standard single module is 39 in (100 cm) wide. A 48 in (122 cm) version can be made, but the L-shaped backrest won't fit it.

Questions buyers ask next

How much depth do floor sofa backrest cushions use up?

Going by the workshop's 28 in (71 cm) example, which leaves about 16 in (41 cm) of seat, the backrest cushions take roughly 12 in (30 cm). Subtract that from any total depth to see the seat you would really get.

What depth is the standard modular floor sofa?

39 in (100 cm) for the seat modules, and the matching ottoman is 39 in deep too. Shallower depths are possible on request, but below about 30 in (76 cm) the workshop discourages it because too little seat is left.

If I change a module's width, will the L backrest still fit?

Not always. A non-standard width can stop the standard L-shaped backrest from fitting: a 48 in (122 cm) single module has been made, for example, but without the L backrest. Ask before you order a changed width.