From the aristocratic lounger to the American household staple, the couch has come a long way in it’s journey to King of the Living Room. This family room essential is basically a combination of a settee and a sofa, two very established furniture pieces. However, other couch-like pieces out there make choosing the right lounger for your family room a game of “Guess Who?”.

There are four basic pieces used for sitting in America. They are the couch, settee, loveseat and the sofa. Each has its own, distinct characteristics and role in furniture history.

Sofa

The sofa was the beginning of the couch’s evolutionary chain. It was a lounge that had one arm, a back. Sofas were fully cushioned and primarily intended as furniture on which ladies could lounge. Sofas were created around the 17th century for the aristocrat’s bedroom.  These bedrooms were even larger than today’s version of the Master Bedroom and had a great focus on relaxation.

The parlor was in fashion around this time and was primarily used for funerals and receiving guests. Surprisingly, comfort was rarely a point of concern as stiff chairs furnished the room. Comfort was reserved for bedrooms with plush bedding and the sofa lounge.

After the Industrial Revolution, large furnishings like the sofa were mass produced and thus cheaper. The lower classes could finally afford these comfortable pieces of furniture. However, the working family’s bedroom was very small.

Consequently, the sofa was placed in the largest room which came to be known as the Living Room. The sofa gained another arm and was upholstered across the entire back to accommodate the family. And once the television burst onto the scene in the 20th century, the sofa evolved again — this time it was longer and came to be known as the Couch.

Settee

A Settee is a formal version of the couches we use today. It had the high back, attached to the bench seat, with arms that are meant to be a supportive rest. Settees are upholstered but not designed for comfort. The Hilltop Settee in our showroom is an outdoor version of this furniture piece. Notice how the seat and back of the settee are upholstered.

The settee was actually two steps before the couch on the furniture evolution charts, although you still may hear couches referred to as settees. It was created to be a double chair. Furniture makers soon created a version that was slightly smaller than the normal settee. It was called a “courting seat” or a loveseat.

Loveseat

The loveseat was made specifically for lovers. It soon became cushioned for extra comfort. The upholstering was on the arms, seat and back. Loveseats like the Skyline Loveseat, can also be designed as recliners. This feature only enhances the comfort factor that the seats are known for.

Choices, Choices

Deciding on the right furniture piece for your family room often involves choosing the right colors and patterns. Knowing the origins of the piece you’re sitting on not only helps to narrow the field of choices. It can also become a great conversation starter.

Tags: Bedroom, Couch, Hilltop Settee, Household, Industrial revolution, Interiors, loveseat, Settee, Skyline Loveseat, Sofa

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 at 9:47 am and is filed under Bedrooms, Furniture Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.