Popular Types and Styles of Sofas

The couch, or sofa, is usually the main piece of furniture within a living room. As such, it is also a rather diversified piece of furniture when it comes to the available styles. When you are searching for a new sofa in your Reno furniture store, it may help to have the different types fresh within your mind.

Traditional Sofas

Seating resembling the modern-day couch has appeared as early as ancient Egypt. The modern day sofa, however, began appearing around 1680. At first, this more comfortable piece of furniture was used in the homes of the wealthy, but by the 18th century it became a furniture staple in most homes. Traditional sofas usually sit two to three people at a time. Most sofas are characterized by two arms framing two to three seat cushions, and a supportive back. The arms may be overstuffed, wooden, halfway up the back, or as tall as the back. They may be straight, or lean slightly out. The back of the couch may be taller or a halfback, be square or rounded, or may be filled with pillows. Some sofas may even feature the ability to recline, or may have built in massage.

Love Seats

Love seats are a shorter version of the sofa, though they were traditionally meant to be a larger version of the chair. These sofas, sitting about two people usually, were developed in the 17th century to provide better seating accommodation for the many-layered dresses of the women of that period. Love seats have the many varied options of the traditional sofa, which they are often paired with as a set.

Sectionals and Sleepers

The sectional sofa appeared around the 1840’s, created in order to accommodate more people. The piece generally has about eight pieces, which can often be arranged in different ways. The most common shapes for the sectional sofa, however, are L-shaped and curved. This sofa can be six to 10 or more feet long, and generally sits up to 10 people. The sleeper sofa, however, was designed with saving space in mind. This sofa was developed in the 1930’s for apartment-style living. The sofa can have its cushioned removed to unfold a mattress to form a bed. While in the past many of these beds were thought as uncomfortable, many of the mattresses available at your furniture store have improved, even to include inflatable mattresses.

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