What's in this collection
L-shaped sofas at Shawcross are fabric-upholstered corner configurations with a longer chaise section on one side. They suit households that want more than a straight sofa can offer without committing to the full footprint of a U-shape.
The longer section on an L-shaped sofa is what distinguishes it from a standard corner sofa, where both sides tend to be more equal in length. That extended side adds a genuine lounging surface rather than just extra seats, which makes the format particularly well suited to households that use their sofa for more than upright sitting.
Fabric is the material across this collection, which is a practical choice for a sofa of this size. A piece that gets heavy daily use from a family benefits from an upholstery that's comfortable in all weathers, resilient to daily wear, and holds its appearance over time without needing too much attention. The fabric sofas page has more on material options if you're comparing.
Left hand or right hand: getting the orientation right
This is the question that causes the most confusion on L-shaped sofas, and it's worth getting clear on before you order.
Orientation refers to which side the longer chaise section falls on when you're sitting in the sofa, facing outward. A left-hand sofa has the extended section on your left. A right-hand sofa has it on your right. The convention is consistent across most furniture retailers, but it's worth checking the product listing to confirm, because choosing the wrong orientation in a room where the sofa sits against a specific wall means the chaise ends up in the wrong place.
The way to work it out for your room is to stand where the sofa will go and face outward, as though you were sitting in it. Which side is the wall, the window, or the open space? If the chaise needs to run along the left wall, you want a left-hand sofa. If you want it extending into open floor space on the right, you want a right-hand. Drawing a rough plan of your room with the sofa position marked in makes this much easier to visualise. If you're still not sure, get in touch and we can work through it with you.
Measuring for an L-shaped sofa
An L-shaped sofa has two dimensions to plan around rather than one, and both need to work in the room.
Start with the total length of each arm. Most L-shaped sofas have one arm in the region of two to two and a half metres, and a longer section that can reach two and a half to three metres or more. Measure the walls where the sofa will sit and check the sofa dimensions match comfortably, leaving enough clearance for people to walk past and for doors to open without obstruction.
The other measurement to plan for is the corner junction. The sofa will occupy floor space in the corner of the room, and you need to make sure that space is genuinely available. Measure from corner to corner, check for radiators, skirting boards, and power sockets, and mark the sofa footprint on a room plan if you can. It's easier to do this on paper than to discover the problem on delivery day.
Then there's access into the property. L-shaped sofas arrive in sections rather than as a single assembled piece, which makes delivery considerably more manageable than it would otherwise be. That said, it's worth measuring your hallway width, any tight corners on the way to the room, and the doorway into the living room. If you have a particularly narrow access, let us know when you order so the delivery team can plan accordingly. We're always happy to advise on measurements before you commit.
L-shaped versus corner versus chaise: what's the difference?
The honest answer is that different retailers use these terms slightly differently, and the overlap is real. Here's a practical way to think about them.
A chaise sofa is a straight sofa with a single extended footrest or lounging section attached to one end. It's asymmetric, adds a lying-down surface, and has a smaller overall footprint than a full corner configuration. If your room is modestly sized but you want the option to stretch out, a chaise is worth considering. The chaise sofas page covers that format in more detail.
An L-shaped sofa is essentially a corner sofa with one side that runs noticeably longer than the other, giving it that distinct asymmetric shape. The longer arm provides a genuine lounging surface, and the whole piece anchors naturally in a corner. Corner sofas at Shawcross cover a broad range of configurations, including more symmetrical arrangements where both sides are similar in length. You can browse the full corner sofas collection to compare.
A U-shaped sofa goes further still, with seating on three sides and a substantially larger footprint. It's a different proposition for a different type of room.
For most households that want more seating than a straight sofa and have a corner to work with, the L-shaped format tends to be the most efficient use of floor space.
Spreading the cost
Finance is available on many of the L-shaped sofas in this collection, subject to status. A sofa of this size and configuration is a meaningful purchase, and spreading the cost over an agreed period is a straightforward way to buy the right piece rather than a compromise. Ask us when you get in touch or visit our Manchester showroom to find out more.
Why buy from Shawcross
We're a Manchester-based retailer with a showroom where you can sit in sofas before ordering. For a larger piece like an L-shaped sofa, that matters. You can check the seat depth and height, feel the fabric properly in natural light, and confirm the dimensions against your own measurements before committing. No obligation to buy, and you're welcome to come in just to look.
We deliver nationally across the UK. If you have questions about orientation, room fit, access for delivery, or which configuration suits your household, get in touch before you order. Getting the right sofa into the right space is what we're here to help with.
