When you picture a sofa, it's likely that you think of a piece of furniture that has two solid ends. This is a common design, but a visit to a furniture store that carries a large inventory of sofas should make it quickly apparent that sofas can have other designs, too. One type of product that may catch your attention is an open-end sofa. The look of these sofas can vary a lot, but they all share the common trait of having at least one open end. If you haven't previously thought of buying this piece of furniture for your living room or elsewhere in your home, it's worthwhile to consider the benefits of this design.

Ability To Add

A lot of sofas are made up of modular sections, which gives you the opportunity to add new components to your sofa over time. When you buy a sofa that has an open end, it's easy to add one or more modular sections to the end of the unit. A sofa with two enclosed ends, conversely, won't be suitable for additional sections because of the end. You might buy a standard straight sofa now, but realize in a few months that you want to turn it into an "L"-shaped sectional by adding one or more new sections. This will be easy, thanks to the open-end design.

Roomy Feel

An open-end sofa will feel more roomy than a sofa with two enclosed ends, particularly when multiple people are sitting together. For example, if you were to buy a 7-foot sofa with two ends, the two ends would combine to take up several inches of the 7 feet, clearly cutting down on your available seating space. A 7-foot sofa with one open end, however, would have a longer surface on which to sit. If you have a large family, the roomy feel of an open-end couch might be preferable.

More Ways To Sit

When you sit on an open-end sofa, you have more choice about how to position your body than when you sit on a sofa that has two ends. If you're seated close to the open end of this piece of furniture, for example, you have the option to let one or more of your legs hang off. Some people can find that this is comfortable, especially when they're feeling relaxed while watching a movie or reading a book. Browse some open-end sofas at a local furniture store.