A sofa is not just a piece of the household fixture. It is the most used furniture in a home in which fun memories of a family are made. Happy childhood memories consist of moments spent on the family coach. This is where everybody hangs out, receives friends, relatives, and it is an integral part of every home.
We all know that the couch is our favorite place to hang out. But do you know the 11 popular kinds of sofa styles to elevate your living rooms atmosphere? What are the sofa styles that will fit your home design and its functions that will complement your living room’s decor? If you’re looking for the perfect sofa that fits perfectly with your home’s design and is at the same time functional, read up!
Feel free to click into the pictures if any of these styles interest you to see similar couches and compare prices. It is also a great way to help support our blog to share more design ideas with our great readers! Many of these couches can also be found at the other popular furniture stores so do your best to shop around and pick that perfect couch you fall in love with.
Vintage
If you’re looking for an elegant, refined look, creating an ornate feel like you were in the 17th century. Cabriole sofas also known as a Vintage couch must be your first choice to add character to your room. This sofa style is characterized by carved wooden frames exposed, distinct wooden curved legs, back and arms of equal height, and no separate back cushions. It is a fascinating piece of sofa that can be customized with jewelry pieces, wooden carving, velvet upholstery either just the classic look.
This perfectly fits houses with grand open spaces, high ceilings, placed against a wall, window, or in the fireplace. If you have wooden furniture pieces, like the coffee table or side table, the Cabriole will fit perfectly because of its wooden leg. Cabriole Sofa styles can also be seen in hotel lounges or used in receiving areas. [1]
Camelback
A popular sofa design preferred by aristocratic families from England in the 18th century is the Camelback. The dramatic camelback sofa will never go out of style thanks to its dramatically “hump” back. Obviously, the name “camelback” was coined thanks to the main characteristic of the design, which has high points at both ends and an arched middle. Modern of these sofas are called humpback since it has one or two humps.
The Camelback Sofa is perfect in the living room setting, a formal room, traditional houses, grand mansions, chic look, and informal living areas. Some of its varieties have exposed wooden legs, and there is some versions are not. Since sofas nowadays can be upholstered and are available in different colors and designs, you can choose the suitable camelback sofa that blends perfectly to the “design vibe” that you’re after.
Chesterfield
If you’re looking for a vintage yet elegant sofa style for a classic sitting room, maybe a man cave, library, or home office, the Chesterfield sofa style never goes out of style. This popular sofa design with British roots is initially characterized by its masculine look with dark-colored upholstered leather. It is a large couch with uniform back height, rolled arms, thick-layered arms and back, deep button tufting, and nailhead trim.
Modern variations of chesterfield style sofas have upholstered velvet or other cloths, light-colored leather, taller legs, and slimmer arms and back. The timeless and classic elegance of the chesterfield sofa goes well with wooden floorings, cushions to accentuate the design, wood furniture, a big rug in front of it, and two table lamps beside it. You can never go wrong with this cozy and classic look to receive guests or create memories with your family. [2]
Chaise Longue
The practical and comfortable design of a chaise lounge is perfect for a day bed for power naps. Thanks to its long design, you may sit upright because it,s long enough to stretch the legs. A chaise lounge is characterized by its backrest at one end, perfect for napping, reading, or relaxation time.
It has been considered as luxurious furniture ever since and until now in modern homes. Its design has been traditionally associated with psychoanalysis, as recommended by Sigmund Freud. You’ll notice that up to this day; psychiatrists use chaise lounge sofas during patient sessions. Aside from the living room, it also fits perfectly for office and bedroom settings.
Daybed
This one of the favorite sofa styles these days because it is practical and has a dual purpose. The daybed can be a sofa at day and can serve as a bed at night. Unlike the chaise lounge designed for napping only, a daybed is usually wide and long enough for a comfortable 8-hour sleep. It can serve as an extra guest bed and an item of practical furniture for small apartments.
Daybeds do not have armrests, some do not have back support, so it needs to be placed against the wall, or there are foldable design with backrest and makes a wide bed. Daybeds have come along way and are now available in different shapes and sizes, and some even have storage compartments. You can also buy day beds that look like a sofa but with a secret feature that can be turned into a bed.
Modern Couch
By technical definition, a modern couch is anything produced or designed after the 19th century. This can be a sofa that evolved into a modern couch or a combination of two or more sofa styles. These days, modern furniture is characterized by how consumers in the mainstream market react to it.
Usually, modern couches nowadays have tight and smooth cushions, minimalist look, maybe upholstered into a leather, velvet, or common couch materials. A modern sofa combines comfort, functionality, and trend to fit in any type of setting.
Multi-function Sofa
Sofas are not just for sitting and napping anymore, and it does so much more than that. Thanks to the innovative design throughout the years, there are multi-functional sofas designed to make our lives easier while saving space. Examples of multi-functional sofas have storage compartments, and they can be turned into a full-size bed, laptop provisions, and anything that transforms into functional furniture to adapt to your way of life.
Multi-functional sofas come in different styles, shapes, colors, sizes, and designs. The options are endless. There are even sofas that can be converted into a bunk bed or a dining table.
Theater Sofa
Who wouldn’t want a theatre sofa in their house? Theatre sofas are usually recliner chairs or a combination of a chaise lounge and a recliner. Some designs are suitable for single or group settings and enable extending the legs for comfortable seating. These are literally what you see in more luxurious movie houses like the iMax. The original designs are made of leather, armrest with cup provisions, and has a head and leg rest.
Modern theatre sofas now have velvet upholstery, a chaise lounge design, and automatic buttons to adjust the chair’s head and feet. There are even thermal seats and massage features incorporated into theatre sofas to ensure maximum comfort. These are favorite chairs of dads perfect for living rooms or the bedroom. It is commonly used in home theatres and hospital settings for outpatient treatment (dialysis and chemotherapy).
Modular Sectional Sofa
Modular section sofas refer to a sofa set assembled by different small pieces to make one big furniture. The wide variety of pieces os beneficial because you can modify the seating arrangements and have a single seating option if you have a lot of guests. If your apartment is hard to reach because of the many flights of stairs, and bringing in a big couch is not an option, you may want to choose a modular sectional sofa.
Since this sofa style is designed to be rearranged, moved around, and reconfigured, the individual pieces usually have different designs. Imagine it like a puzzle, individually designed to fit each other, to form one big furniture.
English Rolled Arm Sofa
When you see a sofa set with an armrest rolled downwards to fit your arm perfectly, that is an English Roll Arm Sofa. The classic, comfortable, also relaxed design enables deep seating. It may differ from one to three seat cushions, has a backrest, and movable legs. This sofa style is perfect for both modern minimalist homes or contemporary classic designs.
Settee
Last but not least is the Settee sofa style. This elegant design, usually for secondary seating, can accommodate two people. It usually has high and straight back designs, shallow seating, and wooden legs. This is best for formal living rooms and bedrooms. This is a perfect furniture for complimentary seating, small apartments, or office settings.
Tips When Choosing A Sofa Color
The greatest tip when choosing the perfect sofa color is choosing a shade that complements your existing decor, floor, and wall color. You can choose a neutral color to match any space or choose a bold color that compliments the room.
Tips When Choosing an Upholstery Type For Your Couch
The types of fabrics commonly upholstered in sofas are:
- Cotton: The most common and cheapest natural fiber for sofas. There is no question of its comfort, stability, and durability. However, it easily catches dust, dirt, and stain, so it’s a little tricky to clean it.
- Silk: One of the more expensive upholstery options designed for a formal living room and would be perfect for vintage-designed couches like the Cabriole. When it comes to spills and soils, it’s also expensive because it needs professional cleaning.
- Wool: The wool is durable, sturdy, resistant to pilling, and staining. Wool is an excellent choice of fabric; however, it may catch an odor that is hard to get rid of when it gets wet.
- Leather: If you’re looking for comfort, durability, and have pets in the house, leather is a perfect choice. It’s easy to clean, lasts long, and is very comfortable. The downside, however, is sweating, especially in prolonged seating.
- Linen: This type of fabric easily wrinkles and stain easily. This is not the best choice if you have kids and pets inside the house. Its intricate designs are affordable, need professional cleaning, avoid damage, and shrink when washed.
- Polyester: This is the most preferred choice for outdoor sofas. When combined with cotton or other fibers, it adds to the wrinkle protection and helps retain dye.
- Polypropylene: This is the most durable, cleanable, and great option for sofa fabrics, second to polyester.
- Velvet: The versatile, royal, and historical look of velvet fabric never goes out of style. It’s easy to clean, lasts longer with proper care, and have that glamorous finish. [3]
Final Thoughts
Now that you know these 11 different sofa styles, their functions, and how they can fit your home’s design, you now have a much better understanding when making a choice to elevate your homes design. Just remember that a sofa is often the center-piece of a room that will create a lot of happy memories with your family and friends, choose wisely and make it worthwhile.
References:
[1] https://medium.com/learning-about-interior-design/10-main-sofa-styles-226f47187ed6
[3] https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-choose-upholstery-fabric