A Sofa for an Impossible Corner at Reflections

Reflections at Keppel Bay is both famous for its striking architecture and infamous for its many odd angled interior layouts. Our client’s living room featured a particularly tricky corner that was angled twice with one gentle acute turn and another at an obtuse angle.

Before coming to us, the client used a Chinese antique-style daybed with an uncomfortably tall seating height that left their legs dangling. The seat cushion was also too thin and made long hours in front of the TV feel more like punishment than pleasure.

To make matters worse, its rigid, rectangular shape clashed with the odd geometry of the room, creating awkward gaps and wasted space.

Templates, Tape, and a Plan

We visited the home with our usual tools: a fabric roll for templating, tape, and open ears. On the spot, we created a template that followed the room’s odd angles. We also discussed important questions:

• 1. How far should the seat extend?

• 2. Should the corners be softly rounded or sharper for definition?
  
  Comfortable Back Support 

• We advised against a fixed backrest for the sofa and proposed a more flexible solution of two movable, weighted backrests paired with 58cm-tall back cushions. The tall back cushion may have looked unconventional, but it offered more back support and a built-in lumbar section for comfortable lounging.

• We also made extra back cushions that our client can use to lean against an adjacent wall, expanding how the client uses the space without committing to a bulky fixed frame.

• Seat Height at a Goldilocks Dimension

• The final seat height was set at 43cm comfortable enough for lounging but not too low for older users who may find it hard to stand up. The new sofa also extends 40cm longer than the previous daybed, comfortably seating two people without crowding the space.

• A Surprising Outcome

• We went in thinking we were solving for a difficult corner. But once the sofa was installed, the entire room changed. Where the previous daybed amplified the oddness of the living room, the sofa hid the odd angle and made the space feel more regular, more intentional.