A furniture system with reclining assembly is comprised of: (a) a modular furniture assembly and a reclining assembly. The recliner base of the recliner assembly remains within substantially the same footprint specifications as the modular furniture assembly in the non-reclined position. A passageway in the reclining assembly allows coupling to a slit in the modular furniture assembly. A recliner base mounted on a support surface comprises a housing and a footrest assembly that moves with respect to the housing. The footrest assembly selectively extends outwardly in a manner that the reclining mechanism is generally not visible from the sides or from the front of the footrest assembly.