Find the unadulterated couch for your home with our scout to some of the most common piece of furniture designs .
John Stoffer
Finding the sodding sofa can find consuming , especially if you do n’t know your options . A effective first step is adjudicate what the purpose of your seating is : Is it mostly for comfortableness and lounging ? Or is there a certain aesthetic you ’re trying to achieve ? You may want topick a couchthat matches the epoch in which your base was built , or you might prioritize other elements , such as capacity . Once you have a goal in mind , refresh our guidebook to the various type of couches to resolve which one is beneficial for your home .
Credit:John Stoffer
Couch vs. Sofa
While these two words are often used interchangeably today , " couch " and " sofa " originally had slenderly dissimilar meanings , which can help contract down your hunting for the stark seating . Historically , lounge were smaller and stand for only for sitting , while the parole sofa implies that a somebody could lie down down . If you ’re looking for something more formal , antique , or a two - seat capacity , search “ sofa ” could yield more relevant results .
10 Must-Know Types of Couches
Cabriole Couch
Edmund Barr
Known for its curved back that hang into the sleeve for a corner - comparable feel , the cabriole sofa is modeled after bearing hind end from the 1700s , when it was invented . These flowery , two - seat couch were designed in France , and thus look at home in French orFrench country - way home . Cabrioles are various though , and also fit into traditional , eclectic , and glam - stylus homes . Note that it can be tough to regain this style newfangled , so considershopping secondhand onlineand at antique stores . Using the search terminus “ settee ” will call up similar style .
Camelback Couch
John Bessler
you could recognize a camelback couch by its curve back and curving implements of war . This couch case was designed in the 1800s , and there are many vintage versions available . If you love the antique feel of a cabriole but need more seating , search for a camelback couch .
Chesterfield Couch
Kritsada Panichgul
The Chesterfield is a luxe couch fashion recognize for its arms and back , which are the same meridian , and deep tufting . It was design in the 1700s in England , and the common leather - raiment version are often used inhome librariesand studies . This sofa flair , however , is quite versatile and looks at plate in modern , glam , or countrified spaces , particularly in vivacious upholstery . Chesterfield couches that fit three mass are readily useable . However , this lounge type is more good than some , and thus it might not be the best option as your principal lounge spot .
English Roll Arm Couch
Colleen Duffley
The English roll arm is known for its humiliated “ rolling ” blazon and a slop back . It was design in England in the 1800s and has since become a theme song ofEnglish interior pattern . English roll subdivision sofas look great in older abode or if your style is traditional or pre - midcentury . Though it hail in many sizing , it ’s a swell lounge for smaller blank space because its distinctive buttocks capacity is about 2.5 . Even in small-scale sizes , English cast arm couches are great for lying down thanks to their low weapons system .
Lawson Couch
Dustin Dorr
The Lawson might be one of the most well-heeled and democratic types of couches . It was designed in the tardy 1900s for businessman Thomas Lawson and is the first sofa to have removable back shock absorber . Lawsons are discernible from other like couches by their minute arms ; whether rolled or square in profile , you ’ll never see a panoptic or overstuffed arm on this type of couch . The Lawson typically model three , and it suits mostdecor styles . The sporty , elementary design also works well with a variety show of upholstery materials .
Midcentury Couch
Justin Coit
The midcentury lounge emerged following World War II , with Americans seeking a unexampled look to represent the new geological era . graphic designer at the fourth dimension believed in good design at an approachable price point . As such , midcentury sofa tamp a fashionable but simple-minded punch , often with conical wooden legs , neat lines , and shallow tufting . Large - weave cotton and wool upholstery were typical of the epoch , but velvet is also popular asmidcentury moderncomes back into manner . This type of couch bet dandy in any dash of home and comes in many sizes , but it fits in good if there are other modern furnishings around .
Sectional Couch
Matthew Williams
The sectional is one of the most popular types of couch today , thanks to its adaptable shape and couch - well-disposed plan . Though invented in the straitlaced earned run average , the sectioned sofa became democratic in the 1950s , when it was build as completely modular with many moveable parts to adapt to dissimilar social groups . Today ’s sectionals are most commonly L - shaped with at least three seat and a daybed on one destruction , but the sizes and flesh of sectionals available are almost endless . No matter the size of your elbow room , you could likelyfind a sectionalto fit . The adaptability of this type of couch , along with its supreme point of comfort , is what makes the sectional so popular .
Modular sofasare a confining cousin to sectionals because they are made of multiple parts that can be configure in various way . That said , a sectional typically work in just one arrangement , while modular lounge parts are rightfully interchangeable and detachable from each other . If you want an extremely adaptable lounge , hunting for a modular sofa rather .
Credit:Edmund Barr
Settee
Werner Segarra
Settees are one of the oldest types of couches , in the beginning made of all wood in the 1600s . Today , they are typically upholstered , and the key lineament of settee are their two - seat capacity and a shallow , just place . Given this formal design , a settee is well used paired with a more comfortable lounge or as a lesser - used rear end at your home ’s entry or the remainder of your bed .
Loveseatsalso have a two - seat capacity and are sometimes used interchangeably with settee . The difference between these types of lounge is that a loveseat has a deeper prat than a settee , making it more appropriate for lounging or informal seating area .
Credit:John Bessler
Sleeper Sofa
Keller and Keller Photography
Modern sleeper sofa were design in the thirties to accommodate low incomes , and they ’re still a practical pickaxe if you do n’t have a dedicated guest room or you regularly host multiple guest . Modern sleeper couch are much sleek than their extremely heavy predecessors . Most have a folding occasion , rather than a pull - out brand frame . This piss them lighter and allows for a range of styles .
Some sleeper sofa unfold tight to the floor , which can make them surd to get in and out of . We recommend you look at who stays over most often and what their accessibility needs are before you decide on a sleeper lounge design .
Credit:Kritsada Panichgul
Tuxedo Couch
Annie Schlechter
The tuxedo lounge is similar to a Chesterfield in that it often features deep tufting and the back is the same elevation as the implements of war . The main deviation is that the tuxedo sofa has a square profile , whereas a Chesterfield has a rolled back and limb . The arm and back of a black tie couch might be wide , creating a place - age look , but traditionally , they ’re very narrow-minded , making this couch feel like a cozy , glamorous nook . This case of couch was plan in the 1920s and still carries the company - ready vibe of that era . It looks best in formal or gamey - glamor rooms .
Credit:Colleen Duffley
Credit:Dustin Dorr
Credit:Justin Coit
Credit:Matthew Williams
Credit:Werner Segarra
Credit:Keller and Keller Photography
Credit:Annie Schlechter
