A left-facing corner sofa (LAF) has its chaise or long side on your left when you stand in front of it and look at it; a right-facing corner sofa (RAF) has it on your right. That is the convention most furniture retailers use, but not every seller follows it, so the safest way to order is to state the viewpoint and say where the long part should go in your room.
At Sitdesign we have been making furniture since 1983, and every corner sofa is handmade to order in our own factory in Büyükçekmece, Istanbul. The side is one of the first things we confirm with a customer. It is easy to get wrong, and a sofa that arrives mirrored can put the long seat in front of a door or on the wrong side of the TV. Below is how the naming works, why it gets confused, how to choose the side for your room and how to write it down clearly.
What left-facing and right-facing mean (LAF and RAF)
In US and UK furniture retail, sectional pieces are labelled LAF and RAF: left-arm-facing and right-arm-facing. The side is always read from the position of a person standing in front of the sofa and facing it, not from someone sitting on it. A chaise labelled RAF has its arm, and its long seat, on your right as you look at it. When a whole corner sofa is called right-facing, it usually means the same thing: the chaise or the return is on your right when seen from the front.
Plan view from above. Left: you stand in front of the sofa and the chaise is on your right, a right-facing (RAF) layout. Right: the chaise is on your left, a left-facing (LAF) layout.
A quick test: stand in front of the sofa and point at the long part. If your arm goes to the right, the sofa is right-facing under this convention.
Why sellers name the same sofa differently
Not every seller uses the same rule. In Turkey, for example, sellers commonly say "sağ köşe" or "sol köşe" (right corner, left corner), but there is no common rule behind the words: some read the side while facing the sofa, others while sitting on it. Sitting turns everything around, so the same name can describe two opposite sofas.
- Facing the sofa: the chaise on your right is "right". This matches the LAF/RAF convention.
- Sitting on the sofa: a chaise that is on your right while you sit is on the left when seen from the front.
Product photos are almost always taken from the front, which helps: in a front-view photo you see the sofa from the facing viewpoint. Compare the two front views below.
Front views. Left: Athena, with the long part on the right as you face it. Right: Isabella, with the chaise on the left.
Seen from the front, the Athena corner sectional in this photo is right-facing and the Isabella is left-facing. Ask someone sitting on them and they may tell you the opposite. That is why a name alone is not enough.
How to decide which side suits your room
Before thinking about names, decide where the long part should sit in the room. Make a rough sketch of the room and look at these points:
- Door and entry path: the chaise should not reach into the route from the door; people should pass behind the sofa or past its open end, not walk around a long seat.
- TV or focal point: the main run of seats should face the TV, fireplace or view; the corner and chaise then go on the side that keeps that line clear.
- Window and daylight: a chaise by the window makes a good reading spot, but check where the sun falls during the day.
- Walking paths: as general guidance, keep about 75–90 cm free for a main walkway past the sofa.
- Radiator and sockets: avoid pushing the long side against a radiator, and check where you will need lamps and chargers.
- Who stretches out where: if someone in the house always sits with their feet up, put the chaise where they usually sit, within reach of a lamp.
Our article on how circulation patterns shape furniture placement goes further into walking routes through a room.
Isabella corner sectional in white; in this photo the chaise is on the left as you face the sofa.
In the room above, the Isabella stands along a plain wall with the chaise on the left as seen from the front. Picture it mirrored and you will see how much the side changes which part of the room stays open.
How to state the side when you order
A clear order leaves no room for two readings. Whatever word the seller uses, give these details:
- State the viewpoint: "seen from the front, standing facing the sofa".
- Say where the long part goes in the room: "the chaise on the window side" or "the return along the wall with the door".
- Send a simple sketch with the walls, door, window, radiator and TV marked.
- Measure the space for both legs of the L. Our guide to measuring L-shaped and U-shaped sectional sofas shows how.
- Ask the seller to write the side back to you on the quote or the order sketch.
Some modular corner sofas can be rearranged later so that the chaise moves to the other side; others are fixed. It depends on the model, so ask us before you order. If you are still choosing between a corner sofa and separate pieces, see sofa set configurations: 3+2+1, 3+3 and corner layouts.
Ego corner sectional in dark grey fabric, with a chaise at the right end, in a large room open to the garden.
Larger rooms allow bigger arrangements, like the Ego above, but the rule stays the same: describe each end as seen from the front. Our corner sofa collection includes Ego, Isabella, Athena, Toronto, Semerkand, Charlie and other models. Custom dimensions are available on request, and the lead time for upholstered pieces is 3–4 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What does RAF mean on a corner sofa?
RAF stands for right-arm-facing. When you stand in front of the piece and face it, the arm, and on a corner sofa usually the chaise or long side, is on your right. LAF, left-arm-facing, is the mirror image.
Is a left corner sofa named while sitting on it or facing it?
Under the LAF/RAF convention it is named while facing the sofa. Not every seller follows that rule, especially with terms like "left corner", so always say which viewpoint you mean and where the long part goes.
Can a corner sofa be changed from left to right later?
Only if the model is modular and its pieces can be rearranged; a fixed corner sofa cannot be mirrored once it is made. Ask us about the specific model before you order.
Send us your floor plan or a photo of the room with the door, window and TV marked, tell us the side as seen from the front, and ask for leather samples if you are choosing the cover. You are also welcome to visit our factory in Büyükçekmece and see the showroom. Contact us to get started.
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