Short answer: A modular sectional is made of separate modules, so you can change its shape by moving them. In our collections you can generally reverse an L by rearranging the pieces, move a chaise to the other end, and turn an L into a straight sofa or a U by taking modules out or adding them. Arms are the main catch. Cassini, Neptune and Orian use left and right arms, so a mirrored layout needs the matching arm modules, and some choices, such as Regular and XL seating, cannot be mixed in one sofa.
People often think of a sectional as fixed once it is built. A modular sofa is not, but the freedom has limits that are easier to learn before you plan a new layout than halfway through it. This guide covers the changes our product pages and guides support, and it links to our other guides for sizing and ordering.
On This Page
- What can you change when you reconfigure a modular sectional?
- Plan the new layout before you move anything
- Can you turn an L into a straight sofa, a U or two pieces?
- What stays fixed, and how each collection differs
- Moving to a new home with your sectional
- Redecorating without moving
- Our recommendation
- Explore our modular sofas
What can you change when you reconfigure a modular sectional?
Think of your sofa as a set of building blocks: seats, corners, a chaise or ottoman, and arms. Reconfiguring means putting the same blocks in a new order. These are the changes people make most often.
- Reverse the corner: a corner layout can generally be mirrored by rearranging the component pieces, so a left-facing L becomes a right-facing L.
- Move the chaise or ottoman: a Ciello or Gaia chaise can be left or right, and our ottomans are freestanding, so you can place them where you need them.
- Add or remove seats: the number of seats sets the length. Our guide to how many modules you need explains how to turn a wall length into a list of modules.
- Add or drop arms: Ciello, Gaia, Cassini and Atmosphere can be set up with two, one or no arms where the selected layout allows it. Removing arms saves width but removes a place to lean.
- Change the overall shape: a straight sofa, an L and a U are built from the same kinds of modules.
Anything that adds length, a corner or an arm usually means adding a module. If you order more later, our guide to adding to your modular sofa covers what to check first.
Plan the new layout before you move anything
Reconfiguring goes faster when the new shape is decided on paper. Measure the new wall and the floor in front of it, then mark door swings, vents and the main walking route. As general advice, not a product specification, many people leave about 30 inches (76 cm) for a walkway. Our configuration planning guide treats 24 inches (61 cm) as workable in a tight room and 36 inches (91 cm) as more generous.
Then check the full footprint of the layout you have in mind, including the chaise, ottoman and arms. The product configurator shows the complete size of each arrangement, and our sectional size guide explains how to measure. Do not add up cushion widths to estimate the total, because upholstery and module spacing are different measurements.
If you are moving, also check the route into the new home. Our guide to measuring stairs, elevators and doorways shows how, and a sectional that comes apart into separate modules is easier to carry than one fixed piece.
Can you turn an L into a straight sofa, a U or two pieces?
Yes, within the rules of each collection. Because every layout is built from the same module types, the question is mostly whether you have the right modules for the new shape. This table shows what each change usually involves.
Can you turn an L into a straight sofa, a U or two pieces?
| Change | What it usually involves | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| L to a mirrored L | Rearrange the same modules so the corner and chaise sit on the other side | Left and right arms on Cassini, Neptune and Orian |
| L to a straight sofa | Take the corner and the pieces beyond it out of the run | Whether the ends need an arm, and how many seats you keep |
| Straight sofa to an L | Add a corner module and seats on the new side | Wall space for the second leg of the L |
| L to a U | Add a second corner and more seats | The layouts offered and the floor space |
| One sectional to two pieces | Split the run into two shorter sofas, or a sofa and a chaise | Whether each new end needs an arm |
Our guide to the difference between a sofa and a sectional lists the largest layouts each collection offers, including 6-seat and 7-seat U shapes on several of them. Keep any modules you take out, because you may want them again after your next move.
A corner module sits at the bend of an L or U. If you turn a sectional into a straight sofa, the seats that replace the corner may need to be ordered. We cannot promise stock or timing, so check the product page for what is offered.
What stays fixed, and how each collection differs
Some choices are made when you first order, and they carry through the whole sofa. They are the reason a reconfigured layout still has to be a combination we offer. Use this table as a starting point and confirm on the product page.
What stays fixed, and how each collection differs
| Collection | What stays fixed |
|---|---|
| Ciello | Regular and XL cannot be mixed. Use the Original or High Angled back across the whole sofa |
| Gaia | Regular and XL cannot be mixed. The spare connector in the box can turn an ottoman into a chaise or plateau |
| Atmosphere | Regular, Storage and Sleeper seats cannot be combined. The Sleeper has no chaise or plateau |
| Cassini | Left and right arm modules are separate. No matching ottoman in the current range |
| Neptune | Both arms are required and are side specific |
| Orian | Both arms are required and are side specific |
Changing between Atmosphere Regular, Storage and Sleeper means buying a new sofa, not swapping a seat module. Modularity is flexible, but it does not mean every module from every collection connects to every other. Check compatibility before you buy anything extra. Our guide to adding to your modular sofa later lists what each collection offers, and the product guides for Ciello, Gaia, Atmosphere, Cassini, Neptune and Orian list the modules.
For sleepers, redraw the open bed as well as the closed sofa. A new layout can change how much clearance the bed needs, and our guide to how much space a pull-out sofa bed needs walks through a floor mock-up.
Moving to a new home with your sectional
A move is the most common reason to reconfigure. The modules are smaller to carry, and the new room may suit a different shape. Here is a practical order to work in.
- Decide the new shape first. Measure the new room and choose the layout using the sections above.
- Keep the small parts. Module connectors clip under two neighbouring seats, and the legs and floor pads ship with the modules. As general advice, keep them together in a labelled bag between homes.
- Keep leftover connectors. Our guide to which box has your legs and hardware says to keep spares in case you rearrange later.
- Rebuild with the setup instructions for your collection. We do not publish separate disassembly steps, so rebuild using the assembly guide for your collection. Our guide to how long a Cozey sofa takes to assemble gives a typical 20 minutes per module for several collections.
- Lift modules rather than dragging them. This is general advice that protects your floors and the legs.
Removable covers can be washed before you set up in the new home. Check each collection page for which covers come off, because on Neptune and Orian the arm and base covers are fixed.
Redecorating without moving
You do not need to move to reconfigure. Many households change the layout when the room changes: a new coffee table, a desk by the window, or guests who need the bed open more often.
- Move the chaise to the end that opens a view or frees a doorway.
- Pull an ottoman to the coffee table as a footrest or extra seat. Our guide to storage ottomans that double as seating compares them.
- Turn an L into a straight sofa to free a corner for a reading chair or a desk.
Our recommendation
Decide the layout on paper, measure the new footprint, and then rebuild in one go.
- Mirroring an L: swap the corner and chaise sides, and have the matching arm modules if you own a Cassini, Neptune or Orian.
- Going from an L to a straight sofa: keep the extra modules, and check whether the new ends need an arm.
- Moving to a smaller place: choose the shape first, then add or remove seats to match the wall.
- Not sure which layout fits: our team can help you plan it in a free design consultation.
Explore our modular sofas
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.