Corner sofas are sold as small, standard and large, but those words are not a fixed size. One shop's "small" is another shop's "standard", and a "large corner" can mean anything from a long chaise to two equal three metre sides. The short answer: on our site, a small corner runs to roughly 210 to 240 cm on its long side, a standard corner roughly 250 to 310 cm with a shorter return, and a large corner has two long sides, usually around 260 to 310 cm each. The numbers that actually decide whether one suits your room are Length 1, Length 2 and depth, so this guide is about reading those.
The three measurements on every corner sofa
A straight sofa has one width. A corner has two, and our product pages list them like this:
- Length 1 is the long side, the one that usually runs along your main wall.
- Length 2 is the return, the side that comes back into the room from the corner.
- Depth is how far the sofa comes out from the wall, front of the seat to the back.
Depth is the one people forget, and on a corner it counts twice. The sofa comes out from both walls by that amount, so a corner with a 105 cm depth takes a square of just over a metre each way in the corner itself, before you count the seats. Two sofas with the same Length 1 and Length 2 can feel very different in a room if one is 86 cm deep and the other is 105 cm.
Which side the return sits on (left hand or right hand facing) is a separate question from size. We cover that in our guide to universal corners, so we will not repeat it here.
Real sizes from our range
Here are some corners we have in stock as we write this, with the measurements straight from their product pages. Prices are per sofa, and colours and stock change, so check the product page for what is available today.
| Sofa | Size group | Length 1 | Length 2 | Depth | Seats | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harley Jumbo Sofa Grey Left Hand Facing Corner | Small | 212 cm | 164 cm | 87 cm | 3 | £898 |
| Capri Sofabed Universal Corner | Small | 236 cm | 166 cm | 90 cm | 4 | £898 |
| Palermo Universal Corner Sofabed | Standard | 250 cm | 156 cm | 92 cm | 4 | £899 |
| Jacob Sofa Left Hand Facing Corner | Standard, long | 300 cm | 150 cm | 105 cm | 4 | £1,698 |
| Nebraska Sofa Large Corner | Large | 262 cm | 262 cm | 96 cm | 5 | £1,099 |
| Santorini Sofa Grey Large Corner with Footstool | Large | 265 cm | 265 cm | 86 cm | 5 | £1,599 |
| Naples Sofa Large Corner | Large | 308 cm | 308 cm | 102 cm | 5 | £1,998 |
A few things stand out once the numbers sit side by side. The size group does not tell you the price: the Nebraska is a large corner at £1,099, while the Jacob, a standard shape, is £1,698. It does not reliably tell you the depth either: the Santorini is a large corner but one of the shallowest here. And seat count climbs more slowly than size: going from the Capri to the Naples adds more than 70 cm to the long side and more than 140 cm to the return, for one extra seat.
Small corners: for rooms where a 3 seater nearly fits
A small corner makes sense when you have one decent wall and a short second wall, or when you want corner seating without the corner taking over the room. The Harley Jumbo Sofa Grey Left Hand Facing Corner is 212 cm by 164 cm, only a little longer than many straight 3 seaters, and seats three. The Capri adds a fourth seat at 236 cm and also opens into a bed with a 200 x 125 cm sleeping area, which is useful if the living room doubles as a guest room.
What to check: the return. On a small corner Length 2 is often the side that decides it, because it has to clear a door, a radiator or a window sill on the second wall.
Standard corners: one long run, one shorter return
This is the shape most people picture when they say "corner sofa". The long side sits on the main wall, facing the TV or the fireplace, and the return closes off the seating area without blocking the room. Length 1 on our standard corners runs from about 250 cm up to around 310 cm.
Near the top of that range is the Jacob Sofa Left Hand Facing Corner, three metres long with a 150 cm return and a 105 cm depth. That is a lot of sofa along one wall and not much along the other, so it suits a long, narrow room better than a square one. If you like to lie along a sofa, a long Length 1 with a deep seat is the thing to look for.
Large corners: two equal sides
In our range, "large corner" usually means a symmetrical sofa: Length 1 and Length 2 are the same. That has one useful side effect. Because both sides match, the sofa sits into either corner of the room, so there is no left or right to choose.
The Nebraska Sofa Large Corner is 262 cm each way and seats five, which makes it one of the more compact ways to get five seats. The Naples Sofa Large Corner is 308 cm each way with a 102 cm depth, and needs a genuinely big room. Most of our large corners sit from around £1,100 to £2,000. You will find them together in our large corner sofas collection.
How to check a size in your room
- Measure both walls from the corner out, and note anything in the way: doors and which way they open, radiators, sockets you need to reach, window sills.
- Mark the footprint on the floor with masking tape or newspaper, using Length 1, Length 2 and the depth. Mark the depth along both walls, not just one.
- Leave a walkway. Stand at the open end of the sofa and walk past it to wherever you would normally go, the door, the window, the kitchen. If it feels tight on tape, it will feel tighter with a sofa there.
- Check the route in. The sofa has to get from your front door to the room, so look at the hallway, any turns and the doorway into the room as well as the room itself.
If you would rather not do the maths, our size finder takes your wall measurements and shows the corners that fit, checking each one both ways round.
Quick answers
Is a large corner the same as a U-shape?
No. A large corner has two sides meeting at one corner. A U-shape has three sides, with a return at each end, and takes up more of the room again.
Does a bigger corner mean more seats?
Not always. Our small corners seat three or four and our large corners usually seat five. The extra length often goes into more room to stretch out rather than another seat, so check the seat count on the product page.
Which measurement matters most?
Usually the return, Length 2, because it is the side that has to clear a door or window. Depth comes a close second.
Every corner comes with delivery to the room of your choice by a two-person team, set up for you, free on orders of £499 or more, and a 12 month guarantee. Browse all our corner sofas, or send your wall measurements on WhatsApp on 07418 613890 and we will suggest the ones that fit.
Written by Owen and Will, who spent three years collecting and refurbishing sofas around Bristol before starting Sofa Renewals. We use AI tools to help draft and check our guides; every fact about our sofas comes from our own product data.