Finding your way - on the road or in life - doesn’t come easy to everyone. But I think we can safely agree that if you’re reading this, you at least know the difference between left and right.

That is, until you go furniture shopping and someone asks you something like: “Which side - Left or Right?” In a hurry? Don’t have time to read my whole blog? Who does? I get it. If you are in a hurry, then scroll to the RECAP at the very bottom of this post.

Still with me? Cool. Read on.

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UPDATE! RECENT DEVELOPMENT AS OF 2024: Several (NOT ALL) of the furniture retailers out there have dropped the “F” and are referring to their sectional pieces as simply Left-Arm or Right-Arm now. If I were the paranoid type, I’d think they did this JUST to make this blog obsolete. But it’s not obsolete - I checked. LAF/RAF is still alive and well. Continue…

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SECTIONALS, CABINETS and DOORS, OH MY!

The biggest offender to the mystifying question of left or right seems to be the sectional sofa. But it doesn’t stop there. Ever try to buy a doorknob or order an insert for a blind-corner cabinet? If you’re thinking hey, I just came here to figure out what LAF and RAF mean. Not to worry. I’ll focus on the left or right question as it pertains to the almighty sectional. It’s a hefty price tag, so you want to be sure to order correctly. I’ll save the doorknob and corner cabinet insert discussion for another blog.

NOT SO FAST. LET’S START WITH A DISCLAIMER.

For the purpose of this discussion, we are talking about sectionals that have an arm on either end. Yes, there are many “open” options. Hush. That will only confuse those who, like me, might succumb to varying degrees of overthinking. Also, for similar reasons, the following related terms will NOT be addressed in this post: LCF/RCF, LAS/RAS and LHS/RHS. Were talking about the most common terminology right now - LAF/RAF. Let’s focus, people.

Sectional sofa with chaise against a bright red wall — What is A Sectional?

Don’t overthink it.

LAF or RAF? DEFINING THE SECTIONAL

What is a Sectional? A sectional comes in pieces - or “sections” - that fit together (hence the name, SECTIONal.) Each section is either a corner piece, a middle piece with no arms, or an end piece. The end pieces (whether they are a chaise or a sofa) will have an arm on one side and no arm on the other. LAF or RAF refers to the position of the arm.

Some sectionals are simple - like a sofa with a chaise on one end. So let’s start with the simplest first. And I find that when you begin thinking about the sectional IN SECTIONS, as individual pieces that appear separately on your furniture order, then you can piece together your puzzle more logically and feel confident you’ll be ordering the right (I mean…) correct items. Below are common sectional combinations.

The simplest sectional configuration combines a sofa with only one arm and a chaise seat with only one arm. (What’s a chaise? That’s the seat that’s long, so you can put your feet up as you sit.)

Illustration of a simple chaise sectional with a chaise on the left and sofa seating on the right. A red dotted line shows where these two sections meet — The Simple Chaise Sectional

The simplest sectional configuration is a sofa and chaise combination. Here, a LAF Chaise (A) is combined with a RAF sofa (B). The red dotted line shows where they connect.

The armless sides of the chaise and sofa meet to create a single “sectional” sofa with a chaise on one end. When ordering this type of sectional you’ll be asked to choose which side you’d like your chaise - LAF or RAF? I can hear the audio of the needle scratching the record as you ask…

WHAT THE HECK IS LAF and RAF?

At this point, AF might trigger another acronym. But in the furniture world, AF stands for “Arm-Facing”. The “L” and “R” are Left and Right.

LAF = Left-Arm Facing.

RAF = Right-Arm-Facing.

OK, GOT IT. BUT WHAT DOES “ARM-FACING” MEAN?

Don’t overthink this one or you‘re a goner. Trust me. (To all you fellow grammar nerds out there, the placement of the word “facing” is the culprit, IMO - we can parse that one out in the comment section if you like.)

THE INTENDED MEANING of LAF and RAF

If you are sitting down in a sectional right now, PLEASE GET UP. If you are sitting in the sectional, you risk not being able to understand this section. I know it’s comfy, I know you're testing out how it feels. Stop that. Do you want to know how to order the darned thing or not? So get up. Now turn 180 degrees so you’re facing the sectional. FACE THE SECTIONAL. Okay, now that you’re in the correct position, you can begin understand the meaning of LAF and RAF. Got it?

(Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all aggressive there.)

If YOU are FACING the chaise sectional and the arm of the chaise is on your left, then you are looking at what is called a LAF chaise.

Illuistration showing a person standing and facing the sectional. — Facing the Sectional

This illustration shows a person standing and facing the sectional, pointing at the chaise portion, which is also on the person’s left. This is what a Left Arm Facing (LAF) sectional looks like.

Conversely, if YOU are FACING the chaise sectional and the arm of the chaise is on your right, then you are looking at what is called an RAF chaise.

If you need a sectional with a chaise on the left as you look at it, you’ll order the LAF chaise with the RAF sofa.

If you need a sectional with a chaise on the right as you look at it, you’ll order the RAF chaise with the LAF sofa.

ARE YOU STILL WITH ME? GOOD.

If not, read that part above again before moving on.

WHAT ABOUT MORE COMPLICATED SECTIONALS? Happy to oblige. Keep reading.

THE “U” SECTIONAL

U sectional illustration showing two ways a U sectional can be created using either chaise or sofa sections. — The “U” Sectional

Yup, it’s shaped like a “U”. The above image shows two chaise pieces (one LAF, the other RAF) with an armless sofa between.
The bottom image shows two corner pieces with an armless sofa between, with both an LAF and RAF sofa on either side to form the “U” shape.

A “U” sectional is made up of a center section with two (sometimes) matching pieces - one on either end of the configuration, so the result is a “U” shape. If the two matching pieces are chaises, then you’ll order a LAF Chaise, a RAF Chaise, and some type of armless chair or sofa between. If the matching pieces are sofas, then your connecting section will be either two corners and an armless sofa between, or else just a sofa that is made to add on two armless sofas (yes, a LAF and a RAF). You can also create a “U” sectional made of a chaise and a sofa combination like the one pictured below.

This is also a “U” Sectional

This version of the “U” is made of (working from left to right): a LAF Chaise, an armless sofa, a corner piece and a RAF sofa.

THE “L” or CORNER SECTIONAL

An “L” sectional is a combination of a corner or wedge piece with either 1) a one-armed chair (plus an armless chair or sofa) or 2) a one-armed sofa piece on either side. This combination creates an “L” shape. Sometimes each side of this sectional is equal in length, sometimes they are not. If you have have the #1 combo described above, your sectional has 5+ pieces and you can reconfigure your “L” by swapping the armless sections between the corner and end pieces. If you have #2 above, you have a 3-piece sectional and there is no changing it without bringing in additional pieces. It’s important to think ahead when ordering, especially if you ever want to change how your sectional sits in the room. Instead of purchasing an armless sofa on one side, consider two armless chairs instead.

Illustration of wo types of L shaped sectional — The “L” Sectional

Two examples of an “L” sectional. Some have equal sides, others have one shorter and one longer side. Both are shaped like, you guessed it, an “L.” The red dotted lines show how each sectional is configured.

RECAP

If you read the whole blog, the following should totally make sense to you now. If you skipped ahead, I appreciate your “don’t-have-time-for-nonsense” attitude, but there’s a chance you might still be confused. Go back if you need help. I won’t judge. I’m just here to help.

Here’s the scoop:

Sectionals are made of sections that fit together. Each section is either a corner piece, a middle piece with no arms, or an end piece. The end pieces (whether they are a chaise or a sofa) will have an arm on one side and no arm on the other. LAF or RAF refers to the position of the arm.

LAF = Left Arm Facing. This means as you stand, facing the sectional, the piece in question has an arm on the left as you face it.

RAF = Right Arm Facing. This means as you stand, facing the sectional, the piece in question has an arm on the right as you face it.

NEXT STEP

Now go forth and order that sect—- WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, BACK UP. Did you measure your space first? Will it fit in the door of your home? Will it make its way up or down the stairs? Will it fit in that elevator? If you hear yourself say something like “it should fit” then please for the love of all that is holy in decorating, dust off that measuring tape please! Draw a diagram. Put tape on the floor where the sectional would go. Need more help? Call me.