There are many kinds of sofas out there — where do you start? I’m a big fan of mid-century modern and sectional sofas. A mid-century modern sectional is my favorite couch. You may be cringing at the thought of a sectional in your living room — many people don’t like them, but I do. Fortunately, there are many styles to choose from, including other sofa styles that you may not be familiar with. The thing is, there’s a sofa or two for everyone. Here are your options.
1. Sectional Sofa
Sectional sofas are multi-piece sofas. A common number of pieces are three and five. It can be arranged in a number of configurations. The more pieces, the more configurations. Ideally, any sectional you purchase will include fixtures that connect the pieces to keep them from separating. Due to the massive and growing popularity of sectionals, there are many, many styles, designs, and materials to choose from. Some are huge and can span large rooms, while others are much smaller, making one of the types of sofas for small spaces. Sectional sofas differ from sectional couches, however, they are often used interchangeably. Sectional couches are also less common than the former, although they may have the same height. Two common configurations are L-shape and U-shape.
2. Chesterfield
The Chesterfield sofa is known for its “quilted” or “tufted” style. It’s more of a fancy couch compared to other couch designs featured in this article. Some have the tufted design on only the back and arms (see my illustrated guide to different sofa arm styles here), while others include it on the seating bench section as well. It continues to be one of the types of sofa styles that still rank with current sofa trends.
3. Lawson-style Sofa
This sofa style is designed for comfort. Its signature design element is a back comprised of pillows separate from the frame. The reason for this design is to create a softer, more cushioned sofa with large cushions that aren’t taut within the frame of the sofa. It continues to be a popular sofa design today. You can buy a Lawson-style sofa in many sizes, colors, and materials. In addition to being uber-comfortable, you can move the large pillows around for ultimate comfort. The Lawson sofa is a relatively new design – the first one was created for financier Thomas W. Lawson in the early 20th century. He desired a sofa that was modern in design and comfortable. Apparently, it’s a derivative design of the tuxedo sofa.
4. Mid-Century Modern
From the 1930s to the 1970s, mid-century modern furniture reigned supreme, but don’t count it down and out yet. It’s making a comeback and looks like it will continue as it has now passed the time-test. This style of sofa is all about minimalist design and clean lines. There are many varieties. It’s designed to look good and be comfortable — they got it half right — it’s not the most comfortable furniture, but coupled with the right home design, it can look fabulous.
5. Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Sofa
I’m including a section for modern sofas because it’s a commonly used term when referring to contemporary mid-century modern furniture. Strictly speaking, what’s commonly referred to as modern furniture is really a mid-century modern design. Moreover, mid-century modern should not be confused with contemporary furniture — it’s different. Contemporary is a term used for current furniture… but it’s always based on a particular design style, such as a contemporary Chesterfield or contemporary camelback.
6. English Roll-Arm
The English sofa (aka English roll-arm) is known for low arms in relation to a high back. Upholstery is tight throughout, yet decently cushioned all over, including the arms. While similar to the Bridgewater, it’s distinguished by the tautness of the upholstery and low arms. In fact, some English rolled-arm sofas have arms so low as to appear to be armless. Characterized by tight back and large, plush, loose seat cushions and distinctive rolled arms slightly lower than the back, the English roll-arm sofa is a timeless piece that’s perfect for a formal living room or parlor, but also coordinates well with any modern furniture. First appearing in the early 20th century in British country manors, the neatly tailored English roll-arm sofa is one of the most comfortable couches you can find anywhere. In fact, it’s actually been described as the furniture equivalent of a “meatloaf”. This sofa is ideal if you choose to use slipcovers on your furniture. This way, you can either remove or replace a soiled or worn cover while preserving your sofa’s beauty for years to come.
7. Bridgewater
Casual and comfortable define a Bridgewater sofa design. The arms are slightly rolled to the side and are lower than the sofa back. While the Bridgewater design fits in most room designs, it’s seldom going to be the room’s stand-out feature. Consider the Bridgewater style if you want a traditional and reasonably comfortable sofa. It’s still a staple sofa style today… but it’s not nearly as popular as it once was.
8. Camelback
The camelback sofa’s main design feature is a higher back in the center, which descends in a continuous line into the arms of the sofa. There are also designs with two arches on the back. This type of sofa is also recognized for exposed wood legs as well as frequently exposed wood on top of the back and arms (although not always). While a classic design, you can buy contemporary camelback designs (that are more comfortable than the antique featured here).
9. Cabriole
The cabriole sofa’s trademark design element is a continuous, equal-height back and arms — often, the arms curve inward, creating a long line from arm to arm. Some designs include ornate elements, such as the sofa featured here; however, more often (and especially contemporary cabriole sofas), substitute ornate for more comfortable features, such as more cushion throughout (especially the seated portion of the sofa). Also, cabriole sofas are known for an exposed wood trim along the top of the back and arms. However, you can find contemporary cabriole sofas without the wood trim in the classic cabriole design.
10. Chaise Lounge
Chaise lounges are still popular, especially in today’s massive primary bedroom suites. Some chaise lounges have an arm, while others have no arms. Also, the chaise lounge is extremely popular as a patio furniture item typically found poolside. However, for this article setting out the various sofa designs, our featured chaise lounge is one you’d find inside. Many believe the first type of chaise lounge was of Egyptian origin and was a combination of chair and daybed features. Dating back to approximately 3000 B.C., the Egyptians constructed their primitive lounges of palm stalks that they secured with pieces of rawhide or cord. Later, affluent Egyptians reclined on lounges constructed of wood. In ancient Greece, it became popular to recline on daybeds rather than to sit at a table for drinking or reading. This furniture featured layers of draped fabric and cushions for headrests. The ancient Romans also used a type of chaise lounge, known as a “lectus,” for reclining during meals and banquets. The chairs were constructed of wood and featured comfortable cushions. The words “chaise lounge” are taken from the French words “chaise longe,” meaning “long chair.” A chaise lounge is simply a sofa shaped like a long chair that can support itself structurally. The French chaise lounge became popular in the 1500s. By the time of the French Rococo period, the lounge was a social status symbol and was constructed of rare, costly materials. Modern chaise lounge sofas are considered more of a decorative addition than a necessary piece of furniture in the home and are usually found in a bedroom or other room where relaxation dominates.
11. Pull-Out Sofa Bed
Probably the most popular form of sleeper sofa are pull-out sofa beds. They’re mightily improved from 20 years ago (I know because growing up, I had an old wire job that offered an uneven, creaky bed). These days, sleeper beds are well-designed and offer a great sleeping solution for guests. A pull-out sofa bed is distinguished from a futon in that the sofa back remains upright while the sleeping surface folds under the belly of the sofa from where it is stored and pulled out.
12. Convertible Sofa
A convertible sofa doesn’t have a mattress like sofa beds or pull out couches have. The bed “mattress” results from the couch pillows, as shown in the image on the left. This can be more or less comfortable than a pull-out bed, depending on the quality of the mattress with the pull-out bed (the quality range is substantial).
13. Futon
The futon is a sofa/bed combo. Generally, the back of the sofa folds or releases downward to create a large, flat, cushioned sleeping surface. Similar to the futon is the convertible sleeper couch, which is a couch made up of pieces that rearrange into a large flat sleeping surface. The mattress is comprised of the sofa’s cushions. The convertible-style sleeper is often a feature of sectional sofas. The history of the futon dates back to 17th-century Japan; the word “futon” has been derived from the Japanese word for “bedding.” The Japanese stuffed cotton and wool and spread their “bedclothes” on flooring made of rice straw or “tatami.” Because the flooring was so lightweight, the mattresses needed to be lightweight, as well, and were thus constructed of long-staple cotton. The mattresses were even portable and could be rolled up and stored when not in use. At first, only the wealthy and nobility could afford the futon. However, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution and cotton manufacturing in the 1700s, all social classes gained access to bedclothes. American GIs who returned home from the Far East following World War II described the comfort they experienced when sleeping on a Japanese floor mattress. To accommodate the increasing interest in such an exotic type of bed, American furniture manufacturers created a piece of furniture that combined both a bed frame and mattress to suit particular Western tastes and preferences. For Americans who prefer an authentic Japanese-style futon without the frame, there’s the option of stacking several mattresses to achieve the experience while sleeping higher above the floor.
14. Daybed
While asking guests to sleep on a daybed wouldn’t be cool, it can be a great place to kick your feet up for a nap. The daybed looks similar to a chaise lounge, except the daybed has ends or backs on each side. The problem with many daybeds is they don’t accommodate tall people very well unless you don’t mind resting your legs elevated.
15. Bunk Bed Sleeper
The bunk bed sleeper is not a common sofa design. It’s akin to a concept sofa, but they are available. Without question, kids love them because kids love heights as well as anything that transforms them. The bunk bed sleeper is a great solution for cabins and vacation homes, or any residence where extra sleeping accommodations are needed for kids.
16. Loveseat Sofas
The loveseat sofa is an umbrella term for a sofa made for two people. They’re often part of a living room set. Like sofas, loveseats come in many styles and designs, such as camelback, cabriole, etc. My favorite use of a loveseat is to create a small sitting area in the bedroom or as a bench at the foot of a bed. Otherwise, I’m not too keen on them because you can’t fully stretch out.
17. Divan
A divan is a sofa without a back and is usually lower to the ground. Therefore, they require being placed against a bare wall against which you can arrange pillows for a cushioned back. While not the most practical because you’re restricted to where you can place them, they offer some versatility with respect to pillow placement. You might like the look of a backless sofa (i.e., cushioned bench) against your wall. The red sofa featured here isn’t 100% divan because it has some back support, but it’s ideally designed for placement against a wall for proper support.
18. Settee Sofa
A settee is a wide chair. Today’s closest version is the loveseat, but historically, settees were narrower than loveseats. They’re also much less comfortable since they’re designed like a wide dining room chair with arms. You can hardly sit two people on these seats, and I doubt anyone would want to sit there for long… but they have an old-world charm. In fact, they make for nice foyer pieces.
19. Recliner Sofa
The reclining sofa is a fairly new type of couch but has grown in popularity given they’re great for watching television and reading. While not the best pick for a formal living room, they’re terrific for family rooms and media rooms. In fact, with a little carpentry work, building a platform in a TV room, and getting a couple reclining sofas, you can make a fine home media space.
20. Tuxedo Sofa
A tuxedo has a high arms level with the sofa back that cuts straight across. While not the most comfortable due to the lack of a reclining angle, it’s a classy-looking sofa with straight lines. The tuxedo is applied to loveseats and chairs as well. Interestingly, the tuxedo sofa isn’t that old – it was first seen in the 1920s in Tuxedo Park, a wealthy New York State enclave. Also of note, it’s Tuxedo Park is also widely considered the birthplace of the tuxedo suit, but that’s not quite true. The tuxedo suit dates back to 1865, first worn by Edward VII, then Prince of Wales).
21. Low-Seated Sofas
Another particular kind of sofa is a low-seated sofa, which spans multiple styles and can be used in different rooms such as a living room, family room, bedroom, and pretty much any type of room for lounging. The typical height of a sofa seat is 17″ to 18″. A low-seated sofa is one where the seat is lower than 17″.
22. Pallet sofas
Pallet furniture is popular. Most people build it themselves, but you can actually buy pallet furniture such as pallet sofas. A pallet sofa is often built against the wall, where the back is the wall with cushions placed against it. However, you can also create a pallet couch with its own back so it has a slight recline and’s more comfortable than against the wall.
