Almost any living room can incorporate traditional sofa styles, whether you prefer a contemporary or classic aesthetic. Sofas have been around since the times of ancient Greece and Egypt, but they started out as hard benches. In the 1600s, the first padded chairs arrived in France, which led the way to our modern expectation of sofas and couches intended for more comfortable sitting or lounging.

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Classic Sofa Styles: An Overview
Frequently Asked Questions

Classic Sofa Styles: An Overview

Over the years, sofas have evolved to meet the expectations of more casual, leisurely lifestyles. The following traditional sofa styles, while softer and comfier than their original iterations, remain living room classics.

Chesterfield Sofa

A Chesterfield is a large couch with rolled arms that are the same height as the back of the sofa. It debuted in Europe more than 300 years ago and is traditionally upholstered with tufted dark leather. In recent years, Chesterfield sofas have been updated to suit more modern tastes, with a slimmer back and arms. They're often upholstered with velvet or other fabrics.

Modular Sofa

Modular sofas, also known as sectional sofas, consist of two or more sofa sections that can be joined together. They often include a connecting couch, loveseat, and chaise lounge.

While the modular or sectional sofa may seem like a modern concept, it's actually been around since the 1800s. The sectional was adapted from the battlefield; military leaders needed furniture that could be easily disassembled and moved to the next post. Eventually, furniture makers realized that the same type of items could work in the home, and sectional sofas began appearing in American furniture stores around the 1930s. Today's versions are cushier, cozier, and more comfortable than the early modular sofas, so you can lounge in comfort while remaining true to traditional sofa styles in your home.

Curved Sofa

The Serpentine sofa was introduced in 1950, and in the decades since, curved, snakelike sofas have made their mark on the list of traditional sofa styles. Curved sofas are sometimes called "conversation couches," since their shape makes it easier to look at couchmates face-to-face in conversation.

Chaise Lounge

Technically, a chaise lounge means "long chair." Because the chaise lounge is usually upholstered and built like a couch for one, with a seat long enough to stretch out your legs, it is a similar to a small sofa. The chaise lounge first became popular in France in the 1700s, but it remains a common addition to modern living rooms, both as a standalone piece of furniture or as an accent piece to a sectional or modular sofa.

Sleeper Sofa

The sleeper sofa, also known as sofa bed, may not seem old enough to be a traditional sofa style, but the piece has been around for more than 100 years. The first sleeper sofas appeared just before the turn of the 20th century, and by the 1930s, an incarnation similar to today's version appeared.

The sofa bed has long been popular for its ability to serve dual purposes of sitting and sleeping. Traditionally, a sleeper sofa is indistinguishable from a regular sofa until you remove the cushions and pull out the sofa bed, sometimes called a "hide-a-bed." With a sleeper sofa, you can enjoy a traditional sofa style in your living room all the time, but pull out the bed when needed for an occasional guest.

Settee

Traditionally, "settee" was a name for a long seat with a back. Over time, the settee evolved to become a smaller version of an upholstered sofa, usually with a high back and legs. Meant for sitting rather than full lounging, the settee has been in use since the early 1700s. Today, settees offer extra seating and are a great accent piece to match with a more comfy sofa for lounging.

Loveseat

The loveseat – a comfy couch designed for two people – is a traditional sofa style that has been popular since the 1700s. Originally, loveseats were simply large chairs, constructed so that women wearing large hoop dresses had room to sit. Over time, the loveseat became a favorite of courting couples, since they could sit close together. Today loveseats remain popular additions to both contemporary and traditional living rooms, providing cozy seating for two or lounging space for one. A matching loveseat and couch are often grouped together for maximum seating space.

Article by Nancy Mann Jackson.