Double sided sofas: how to furnish the centre of the room

A double sided sofa has seats facing two directions, sometimes three or four. Instead of standing against a wall, it sits in the middle of the room like an island. You can face the fireplace from one side and the garden from the other, and there is no bare back to hide.

In our showroom in Messina we have been furnishing homes since 1930. Here are the Italian models we would choose today, and what to check before you order one.

When a double sided sofa makes sense

• Open-plan living areas. The sofa divides the living room from the dining area without building a wall. Light still runs through the whole space.
• Large rooms with two focal points. A fireplace on one side, a view or a TV on the other.
• Hotel lobbies, lounges and villas. Guests sit in small groups, back to back, without feeling crowded.

If your sofa has to go against a wall, a double sided model is wasted. It needs space all around it.

Living Divani Extrasoft: the original double sided sofa

When people talk about sofas you can sit on from every side, most of them have Extrasoft in mind. Piero Lissoni designed it for Living Divani in 2008, and it is still the brand’s best-selling sofa.

Living Divani has built much of its story on sofas you can sit on from every side, and most of them carry the name of Piero Lissoni. Architect, designer and art director, he has drawn many of the brand’s upholstered collections, with simple forms and a precise balance between looks and everyday use.

Extrasoft has no fixed shape. You start from low, deep seating bases and add backrests and armrests where you need them. Put the backrests along the centre line and you get two seating sides. Leave some bases open and the sofa becomes a three- or four-sided island, with irregular edges that look composed rather than assembled.

You can mix fabrics and leathers in different colours on the same composition, and add wooden modules that work as side tables and break the rhythm of the cushions. Extrasoft also exists in an outdoor version.

See Living Divani Extrasoft

More double sided sofas from Living Divani

Extra Wall. A play on geometric volumes, built from the same family of seat bases as Extrasoft (68 × 94, 94 × 94, 120 × 68 and 120 × 120 cm). Seats, backrests and armrests combine freely, so the backrests can run down the middle and leave two sides open. Fabric or leather upholstery. See Extra Wall

Lorentz. Designed by David Lopez Quincoces and presented at the Salone del Mobile 2024. Modules of different sizes hook together into the shape you need, and the black aluminium feet make the sofa look as if it were floating. Covers in fabric or leather come off with zips and Velcro. See Lorentz

Kasbah, for outdoors. Also by David Lopez Quincoces, in solid Burma teak with supports moulded from recycled polyamide. Seats are wide and the cushions can be turned in any direction, so the same sofa can face the pool in the morning and the sunset in the evening. See Kasbah

Meridiani René Suite: a sofa designed for the centre of the room

René Suite is one of the newest sofas in this guide, presented by Meridiani in 2026. It grows out of the René sofa, but it was conceived from the start to stand in the middle of a room, with double sided layouts built in.

The system works with seat modules of different depths and several comfort levels, plus curved elements that soften the corners. Ceramic trays are integrated into the structure, so you have a place for a cup or a book without adding a coffee table. Upholstery comes in a wide range of fabrics and leathers.

See Meridiani René Suite

Baxter Miami Soft: leather, handmade in Italy

Miami Soft is Paola Navone’s softer version of Baxter’s best-selling Miami Roll, presented at the Salone del Mobile in 2022. The frame is in firm leather; the feather cushions and rollers are in soft leather, with small stitched details that recall a mattress. Every piece is made by hand in Italy.

Miami Soft is made of free modules finished on every side, so nothing has to stand against a wall. Place two modules back to back and you have a double sided sofa in leather. We draw the composition on your floor plan with the right modules.

See Baxter Miami Soft

Lema Cloud and Niveaux

Cloud. Francesco Rota designed it for Lema as “a big unit game”: eleven units and three types of arms, in different sizes, shapes and heights. The free, organic shapes can be matched or set against each other, which makes Cloud a natural island in the middle of a room. Every module can have its own cover, chosen from more than 100 fabrics, eco-leathers and leathers. See Lema Cloud

Niveaux. Designed by Federica Biasi in 2022. Square, rectangular and asymmetrical seats combine with side tables and with free-standing backrests weighted with metal, which you can move wherever you want to lean. Turn the backrests the other way and the seat opens on a second side. Covers are removable. See Lema Niveaux

Special shapes: Arketipo Night Fever

For those who want a sofa that is also a sculpture, Night Fever by Giuseppe Viganò for Arketipo has irregular, playful shapes. The seat cushions are separate and can be placed freely, so you can build unusual compositions that work from more than one side. See Night Fever

How to choose

Space. Leave a walkway of about 80–90 cm on every side you will use. Measure the room before falling in love with a composition.

Fabric or leather. Leather (Miami Soft) ages well and is easy to wipe. Fabric (Extrasoft, René Suite) is warmer and comes in more colours. On Extrasoft you can mix both.

Depth. Deep seats invite you to lie down; shallower ones are better for conversation. Extrasoft and René Suite let you combine both in the same sofa.

Who will use it. A family living room needs washable covers. A hotel lounge needs modules that can be rearranged.

Ordering from abroad

We are an official dealer of Living Divani, Meridiani and Baxter, and for about fifteen years we have delivered to clients outside Italy. Every shipment is insured. Within Europe, delivery takes about two weeks after production; to the USA, about three weeks by sea, customs clearance included.

Our architects prepare the composition on your floor plan, and our team speaks English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

Frequently asked questions about double sided sofas

How much space does a double sided sofa need?

The sofa itself, plus about 80–90 cm of walkway on each side where people sit.

Can a double sided sofa be used as a room divider?

Yes, that is one of its main uses. It separates two areas while keeping the room open.

Can I mix fabric and leather?

On Extrasoft, yes: each module can have its own cover.

Do you ship to the USA?

Yes, with insured sea freight. Allow about three weeks from shipping, customs included.

How much does it cost?

It depends on the composition and the covers. Send us your floor plan and we will prepare a quote.

Request a quote