Before you buy...

Say goodbye to the traditional three-piece suite. Our changing lifestyles mean that many of us want something more flexible when it comes to living room seating. Modular arrangements offer the greatest versatility as they can be tailored to suit your room layout and the size of your family. So if you're considering making the switch from a standard sofa and pair of armchairs, here's what to consider...

1) Family size

If you have a large family and need to fit plenty of seating into your living area, a modular arrangement will allow you to squeeze in at least a couple more people. With a corner arrangement, you should be able to seat 4 or 5 whereas before you may have only had enough space, width-wise, for a traditional three-seater sofa.

2) Room layout

Bear in mind that modular arrangements do take up a fair amount of floor space as they are deeper (and often wider) than a traditional sofa. In large rooms you can afford to let a grand design dominate, but in smaller rooms or period properties it's best to keep a more compact arrangement so that it doesn't dwarf the room. Modular arrangements work particularly well in large open-plan living spaces, as they can be positioned to define different zones within a large area.

3) Seating arrangements

When choosing your seating, you'll need to work out the most practical arrangement to suit your room, whether it's an L or U-shaped configuration, a corner grouping, long-line sofa or a sofa with chaise. While traditional sofas are often positioned against a single wall, with a corner or L-shaped grouping you may also need to think about the angle of a second wall and the position of doors, windows, fireplaces and other fittings, so that nothing is obstructed.

Aspen sofa with chaise, from £2,590, Content by Conran

Ready to buy? Click on to flick through our pick of the best modular sofas on the high street

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