The History of the Sofa

The sofa as it is today known, has been given many different titles, settees, couches, loungers, davenports, chesterfields to name but a few. Then we have style differences, two-seater, three-seater, chaise lounge, corner sofa, then we have sofa beds, futons and let's not forget the cosy love seats.

Historically, the first items of upholstery to be discovered date back to around the period of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, when Pharaoh's were buried in their tombs with goods and items to make their journey into the afterlife more comfortable. When archaeologist, Howard Carter entered the tomb of the boy King Tutankhamun on November 26, 1922, he found among the many treasures a number of Royal couches and other items of furniture that had been specifically crafted for the spirit of the dead King. When one looks at the images of those items it is clear that Egyptian furniture makers were advanced in their techniques and craft, they were supremely skilled wood workers. Much of the furniture, including the sofa was so carefully pieced together that it has survived for several centuries, its joints would be difficult for modern day craftsmen to achieve. The name sofa probably originates from ancient Arabic where the word 'suffah' exists, translated this has a partial meaning of 'long bench'.

The ancient Roman's continued to create elegant and more ornate looking loungers, sofa's and couches which became an accepted piece of furniture in the royal and more affluent households.

It has to be said that in the Western world, upholstery and the manufacturing of the sofa or settee as they were commonly referred to, a title which remains today, was slow to develop. In the furniture era known as the Oak period (1500-1650) houses contained little or no furniture, except perhaps a basic wooden or straw lined bed and perhaps just a few other necessities. To own a settee during this time was potentially viewed many as a luxury item and those that did exist would be made from Oak. The Oak was harvested through cutting a seasoned Oak tree down, once felled, it was cut into quarters and carved, so forming a long box like bench object that was suitable for a number of people to sit upon. These long wooden lengths of Oak tree were resilient and didn't warp, they were known as settles.

In comparison, the early sofa or settee was, by design, similar to the early settles, they too had long roughly formed sections of oak, with excellent carpentry creating panelled arms and seat backs, some would have ornately carved friezes. This style of sofa/settee was reasonably common in more affluent homes around 1620, there was a defined similarity in appearance between them and church pews the Gothic-style and panelling giving them an almost regal look. Some settles had different uses, for instance, the high-backed settle was ideal for blocking doorways and keeping out drafts. They were ornate and some had specially built shelves attached to their back for housing a candle that would be lit at night.

The sofa or settee only really began to appear and was accepted as a piece of household furniture when building architecture began to rapidly improve and houses became more structured and soundly built.

In times predating the 16th century, it had always been the case that the inhabitants of houses used tapestries to hang from the inner walls as a form of insulation thus providing an element of insulation, the woven material helped to absorb the moisture and the damp. In some cases water would ingress through rainfall, and so the tapestry or wall covering would, as a priority be regularly replaced. The closest item of furniture, if it be classified as such, that resembled the sofa or couch was a hard wooden bench upon which people could sit together. However, this cannot be classed as a forerunner to the sofa or couch

With housing construction improving, the cold damp and wet conditions often found in homes became less of a problem, sound roofing and improved building techniques made houses more comfortable and much warmer. It was in the 16th century that creative artisans began to see different uses for the fabric wall coverings. No longer was the fabric only suitable for wall hangings, it had other more decorative uses and in design became more intricate, and it became fashionable to have fabrics hand fitted over pieces of furniture, some materials were also resilient and hard wearing.

It was the Germans who introduced horsehair as a type of padding for seats and sofa's and mattresses. In the United Kingdom, dried sea moss was commonly used as a source of stuffing. Elsewhere, it was Italians who were first to realise the need for backrests and arms on seating during the Renaissance period.

So it was that the sofa, generally made with a comfortable cushion generally made of down came to be, it was essentially an extension of the upholstered chair. The comfort improved as alternative forms of stuffing and design were identified, the use of buttons for example, gave the sofa a luxurious appearance.

The Walnut Period (1660-1730) was definitely a time when furniture crafting flourished, particularly so in 17th century in France where the extravagant Baroque styles of the Regence and Louis XIII were prominent. So the stage was set for an entirely new type of furniture, this was referred to as the 'double chair,' a true forerunner to the sofa/settee.

There was intense excitement as the first double chairs were created, not a new invention but in style they were much different. Comfortable padding on the seat and arms. The reality was that these items were typical in design to chairs of the 17th century, the design slightly changing to accommodate an extended seat and higher and longer back. The double weren't the most attractive or inventive in structure, they had the appearance of two chairs affixed together. The seat had fixed central legs to support the elongated seat, the overall form was rectangular in shape, with nicely formed arm rests that blended into the piece giving it an air of comfort.

By the time of the 17th century the day bed had become the most popular sofa of the period in the united Kingdom. In France, the sofa nor any item of bespoke seating existed in any home during the 1660's, people would sit on beds that were positioned close to a fire, nearby there might be some wooden hard chairs indeed, comfortable seating did not appear until around 1670. Several decades later, French furniture was regarded as an object of beauty, carefully manicured designs in wood and seat fabric provided an almost majestic feel and appearance to the sofa. Yet come the revolution in 1789 areas of this comfortable began to disappear. it was then that the country's finest, most luxurious homes were devastatingly gutted, many things destroyed or looted as the basic buildings were opened to the public.

A new term was introduced into 18th century furniture terminology, that of the upholder it was this person who transformed the architects sketches and vision into a reality. The upholder held multiple skills, and these are most commonly referred to as a mixture of creative design and those of a decorator. As the idea of the sofa began to accelerate, many well known cabinet makers of the era, such as Yorkshire born Thomas Chippendale who branched out, and created from his workshop in St Martin's Lane, London, into designing and creating luxurious and reliable sofa's that were built from wooden frames that were stuffed and finally upholstered in the finest materials.

Suddenly across the world, the sofa or settee was appearing in different formats and styles. In England the William & Mary period was over and brought about furniture design that was clean in its lines and shape. Now, tall, straight backed seats and sofa's were prevalent with subtle curves present in the legs and arms of these pieces.

In France, Baroque settees were very similar in design and construction to the Baroque chairs, with squared backs and neat, elaborate framework. Here, the quality and style of upholstery was of great importance, the back covering of a sofa or settee was seen as a blank canvas for stylists to decorate, so ornate patterns and designs for some spectacular needlework and stitching. Each one being unique and in style speaking volumes about its owner. These pieces of tapestry often told a story.

In the United States of America, the situation was similar, in that upholstered furniture and sofa's could only be afforded by the rich or more affluent members of society, these were generally covered in what was known as Turkey work. This was a form of knotted embroidery that was also popular and practiced in England during the 16th century through to a time around the mid-18th century, it was mainly exported overseas. In design it was an imitation of the Turkish carpet, the designs ranged from floral to human and animal forms and bees and thistles were also popular.

It is interesting to note that a document dating from the reign of William III (1689-1702) states that the number of Turkey-work chairs made per annum in England as being in the region of 60,000, which, considering that so few are to be found across the United Kingdom, is a huge quantity for export purposes alone.

The American two-chair settee was limited and designed for its functionality as opposed to an ornate creative seat. Designs such as the 'wagon-chair' were popular, these had a ladder-back and a rush-seat that was easily transported between the mobile carriage and the household fireside between the years 1700-1750. Also during this period, 1725-1750, the popular Dutch, Queen Anne-style double chair and settee became common, with the Chippendale double- chairs making an appearance towards the latter end of the era.

Different versions of Rococo and Chinese settees with individual chair backs were popular across America, these would often be joined by a narrow strip of wood that bound them together in the centre, alternatively, the top back rail was made of a continuous piece of wood that enhanced stability and robustness of the piece.

The Mahogany Period of 1750-1830 saw great advances and progression in furniture making as a whole. The use of Mahogany, with its tight, dense grain allowed for more creative decor and carving. The increasingly popular Chippendale sofa and settee, in Rococo style gave the appearance of two or three chairs being joined together to form one long seat. Chippendale also produced camelback sofa's, plus a Chinese-style settee featuring a neat fretwork-carved back and a more Gothic settee which was altogether more severe. Other popular designers were Hepplewhite & Sheraton who created a delicate settee's with a chair back and Thomas Hope whose Grecian couches were described as being simple yet beautiful.

This period also saw groups of styled furniture becoming more popular, for instance the Louis XVI settee came as a set and came with chairs which were viewed as ideal as formal seating options in the homes and household of Paris.

The Hepplewhite and Sheraton chair back sofa and settee were altogether more softer, feminine-like appearance, featuring slightly tapered legs, curved slim seat rails and just enough stuffing to make it comfortable, they were produced in soft pastel colours, and all had the signature shield type, rectangle and oval back. It was Thomas Sheraton who referred to sofa's and settee's as being the same piece of furniture, he preferred to refer to them all as sofa's.

This period was significant in the manufacturing of sofa's and settees, it introduced classical uses and designs for the furniture. It was well documented that ancient Greeks and Roman philosophers would lounge on a day bed or sofa and pontificate or discuss important worldly matters. The sofa was suddenly seen as a piece of furniture used by intellectual people, and so became popular in an affordable format, among the masses who wished to emulate the philosophers of old.

Sofa's during this era and right through until the 19th century were often regarded as ladies loungers, however, the more affluent male business owner would also stretch out on a sofa when need called, such as after a day's work. As times progressed through the 19th century, and with the advent of the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom, major developments occurred across all areas of upholstery, as more modern techniques were introduced. In 1850, coil springs were invented and were being used as an alternative to horse hair stuffing. In the United States of America, shortly after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on 14 April, 1865, his wife, Mary keen to start a fresh life no doubt and rid herself of the memories of her husband's death, purchased an expensive parlour suite for her new home. Included in the suite was a large comfortable sofa which is believed to have been manufactured by J. & J.W. Meeks & Sons of New York.

Perhaps the greatest invention to hit upholstery was actually created in 1790 by Englishman Thomas Saint, who designed and built the first sewing machine. The design was altered in countries across the globe in the decades that followed right through to its present form today, with Jones and Singer machines being the most popular. Singer sewing machines are still trading, while Jones was bought out by the Chinese based Brother organisation in 1968. Sewing machine meant covering fabrics of types could be pre-cut and stitched prior to being fitted onto the framework of the sofa.

One invention made during the 19th century was that of the rocking settee. This piece of furniture allowed a mother to multi-task, while keeping her baby safe and relaxed by the constant rocking motion. The settee had a gate that safely held the baby basket, allowing the mother to do things like prepare food, knitting, or to read perhaps. The popularity of this item wasn't great, but it did serve a purpose for those mothers who saw it as a useful and helpful tool.

Different types of sofa

Sectional Sofa

The section sofa is a multi-piece sofa. Commonly using 3-5 pieces

Chesterfield

The Chesterfield sofa is known for its "quilted" or "tufted" style

Lawson-style Sofa

Designed for maximum comfort. Its signature design is a back that comprises of pillows that are separate from the frame.

Mid-century Modern

From 1940 to 1970 mid-century modern furniture was extremely popular.

Contemporary Mid-century Modern Sofa

A commonly used term used to refer to contemporary midcentury modern furniture.

English

The English rolled arm sofa has low arms and a high back. The upholstery is tight fitting.

Bridgewater

A Bridgewater sofa has arms that are slightly rolled to the side and lower than the back of the sofa.

Camel back

The camel back sofa's most obvious feature is a high central back which descends into the arms.

Cabriole

The cabriole sofa has a continuous back that is of equal-height, and arms. The arms can curve inward creating a solitary line from arm to arm.

Cabriole sofas generally have an exposed wooden trim which runs along the top of the back and arms.

Chaise Lounge

Class and luxury. The Chaise lounges remains extremely popular. A less luxurious form of Chaise lounge can be commonly seen as outdoor patio type furniture. Genuine classic Chaise lounge that are built as indoor pieces of furniture may have an arm.

Sleeper Sofas

Because of their versatility, there are many sleeper style sofa's available, these range from pull-outs to futons, daybeds, and bunk-bed sofa combinations.

Pull Out Sofa Bed

The most popular sleeper sofa is the pull out sofa bed. Great advances have been made in the manufacture of these items. They are easily transformed from sofa into bed by sliding out the underbelly of the sofa which forms into a bed, while the sofa back remains upright.

Futon

A combination of a sofa and a bed the Futon sits low on the floor and folds down creating a large cushioned flat bed type area, when folded up in transforms into a sofa.

Daybed

The daybed is similar in appearance to a chaise lounge, the differentiating point being the daybed has ends or backs on each side.

Bunk Bed Sleeper

The bunk bed sleeper is uncommon a sofa design. It has the appearance of a regular sofa, however, in bed format the seating area and arms and back can be raised in one piece and click into place. This forms an upper sleeping bed and a lower bed.

Loveseat Sofa

Essentially this is a compact sofa made for two. They come in variety of different styles and designs camelback, cabriole, etc., and colours.

Divan

A divan is a sofa without a back. In bed form they should be placed against a wall allowing pillow support. As a piece of furniture the divan is highly impractical because of their size and low functionality.

Settee Sofa

A settee sofa is simply a wide chair with arms. They are very similar in appearance to a two-seater sofa or a Loveseat.

The sofa as it is today known, has been given many different titles, settees, couches, loungers, davenports, chesterfields to name but a few. Then we have style differences, two-seater, three-seater, chaise lounge, corner sofa, then we have sofa beds, futons and let's not forget the cosy love seats.

Historically, the first items of upholstery to be discovered date back to around the period of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, when Pharaoh's were buried in their tombs with goods and items to make their journey into the afterlife more comfortable. When archaeologist, Howard Carter entered the tomb of the boy King Tutankhamun on November 26, 1922, he found among the many treasures a number of Royal couches and other items of furniture that had been specifically crafted for the spirit of the dead King. When one looks at the images of those items it is clear that Egyptian furniture makers were advanced in their techniques and craft, they were supremely skilled wood workers. Much of the furniture, including the sofa was so carefully pieced together that it has survived for several centuries, its joints would be difficult for modern day craftsmen to achieve. The name sofa probably originates from ancient Arabic where the word 'suffah' exists, translated this has a partial meaning of 'long bench'.

The ancient Roman's continued to create elegant and more ornate looking loungers, sofa's and couches which became an accepted piece of furniture in the royal and more affluent households.

It has to be said that in the Western world, upholstery and the manufacturing of the sofa or settee as they were commonly referred to, a title which remains today, was slow to develop. In the furniture era known as the Oak period (1500-1650) houses contained little or no furniture, except perhaps a basic wooden or straw lined bed and perhaps just a few other necessities. To own a settee during this time was potentially viewed many as a luxury item and those that did exist would be made from Oak. The Oak was harvested through cutting a seasoned Oak tree down, once felled, it was cut into quarters and carved, so forming a long box like bench object that was suitable for a number of people to sit upon. These long wooden lengths of Oak tree were resilient and didn't warp, they were known as settles.

In comparison, the early sofa or settee was, by design, similar to the early settles, they too had long roughly formed sections of oak, with excellent carpentry creating panelled arms and seat backs, some would have ornately carved friezes. This style of sofa/settee was reasonably common in more affluent homes around 1620, there was a defined similarity in appearance between them and church pews the Gothic-style and panelling giving them an almost regal look. Some settles had different uses, for instance, the high-backed settle was ideal for blocking doorways and keeping out drafts. They were ornate and some had specially built shelves attached to their back for housing a candle that would be lit at night.

The sofa or settee only really began to appear and was accepted as a piece of household furniture when building architecture began to rapidly improve and houses became more structured and soundly built.

In times predating the 16th century, it had always been the case that the inhabitants of houses used tapestries to hang from the inner walls as a form of insulation thus providing an element of insulation, the woven material helped to absorb the moisture and the damp. In some cases water would ingress through rainfall, and so the tapestry or wall covering would, as a priority be regularly replaced. The closest item of furniture, if it be classified as such, that resembled the sofa or couch was a hard wooden bench upon which people could sit together. However, this cannot be classed as a forerunner to the sofa or couch

With housing construction improving, the cold damp and wet conditions often found in homes became less of a problem, sound roofing and improved building techniques made houses more comfortable and much warmer. It was in the 16th century that creative artisans began to see different uses for the fabric wall coverings. No longer was the fabric only suitable for wall hangings, it had other more decorative uses and in design became more intricate, and it became fashionable to have fabrics hand fitted over pieces of furniture, some materials were also resilient and hard wearing.

It was the Germans who introduced horsehair as a type of padding for seats and sofa's and mattresses. In the United Kingdom, dried sea moss was commonly used as a source of stuffing. Elsewhere, it was Italians who were first to realise the need for backrests and arms on seating during the Renaissance period.

So it was that the sofa, generally made with a comfortable cushion generally made of down came to be, it was essentially an extension of the upholstered chair. The comfort improved as alternative forms of stuffing and design were identified, the use of buttons for example, gave the sofa a luxurious appearance.

The Walnut Period (1660-1730) was definitely a time when furniture crafting flourished, particularly so in 17th century in France where the extravagant Baroque styles of the Regence and Louis XIII were prominent. So the stage was set for an entirely new type of furniture, this was referred to as the 'double chair,' a true forerunner to the sofa/settee.

There was intense excitement as the first double chairs were created, not a new invention but in style they were much different. Comfortable padding on the seat and arms. The reality was that these items were typical in design to chairs of the 17th century, the design slightly changing to accommodate an extended seat and higher and longer back. The double weren't the most attractive or inventive in structure, they had the appearance of two chairs affixed together. The seat had fixed central legs to support the elongated seat, the overall form was rectangular in shape, with nicely formed arm rests that blended into the piece giving it an air of comfort.

By the time of the 17th century the day bed had become the most popular sofa of the period in the united Kingdom. In France, the sofa nor any item of bespoke seating existed in any home during the 1660's, people would sit on beds that were positioned close to a fire, nearby there might be some wooden hard chairs indeed, comfortable seating did not appear until around 1670. Several decades later, French furniture was regarded as an object of beauty, carefully manicured designs in wood and seat fabric provided an almost majestic feel and appearance to the sofa. Yet come the revolution in 1789 areas of this comfortable began to disappear. it was then that the country's finest, most luxurious homes were devastatingly gutted, many things destroyed or looted as the basic buildings were opened to the public.

A new term was introduced into 18th century furniture terminology, that of the upholder it was this person who transformed the architects sketches and vision into a reality. The upholder held multiple skills, and these are most commonly referred to as a mixture of creative design and those of a decorator. As the idea of the sofa began to accelerate, many well known cabinet makers of the era, such as Yorkshire born Thomas Chippendale who branched out, and created from his workshop in St Martin's Lane, London, into designing and creating luxurious and reliable sofa's that were built from wooden frames that were stuffed and finally upholstered in the finest materials.

Suddenly across the world, the sofa or settee was appearing in different formats and styles. In England the William & Mary period was over and brought about furniture design that was clean in its lines and shape. Now, tall, straight backed seats and sofa's were prevalent with subtle curves present in the legs and arms of these pieces.

In France, Baroque settees were very similar in design and construction to the Baroque chairs, with squared backs and neat, elaborate framework. Here, the quality and style of upholstery was of great importance, the back covering of a sofa or settee was seen as a blank canvas for stylists to decorate, so ornate patterns and designs for some spectacular needlework and stitching. Each one being unique and in style speaking volumes about its owner. These pieces of tapestry often told a story.

In the United States of America, the situation was similar, in that upholstered furniture and sofa's could only be afforded by the rich or more affluent members of society, these were generally covered in what was known as Turkey work. This was a form of knotted embroidery that was also popular and practiced in England during the 16th century through to a time around the mid-18th century, it was mainly exported overseas. In design it was an imitation of the Turkish carpet, the designs ranged from floral to human and animal forms and bees and thistles were also popular.

It is interesting to note that a document dating from the reign of William III (1689-1702) states that the number of Turkey-work chairs made per annum in England as being in the region of 60,000, which, considering that so few are to be found across the United Kingdom, is a huge quantity for export purposes alone.

The American two-chair settee was limited and designed for its functionality as opposed to an ornate creative seat. Designs such as the 'wagon-chair' were popular, these had a ladder-back and a rush-seat that was easily transported between the mobile carriage and the household fireside between the years 1700-1750. Also during this period, 1725-1750, the popular Dutch, Queen Anne-style double chair and settee became common, with the Chippendale double- chairs making an appearance towards the latter end of the era.

Different versions of Rococo and Chinese settees with individual chair backs were popular across America, these would often be joined by a narrow strip of wood that bound them together in the centre, alternatively, the top back rail was made of a continuous piece of wood that enhanced stability and robustness of the piece.

The Mahogany Period of 1750-1830 saw great advances and progression in furniture making as a whole. The use of Mahogany, with its tight, dense grain allowed for more creative decor and carving. The increasingly popular Chippendale sofa and settee, in Rococo style gave the appearance of two or three chairs being joined together to form one long seat. Chippendale also produced camelback sofa's, plus a Chinese-style settee featuring a neat fretwork-carved back and a more Gothic settee which was altogether more severe. Other popular designers were Hepplewhite & Sheraton who created a delicate settee's with a chair back and Thomas Hope whose Grecian couches were described as being simple yet beautiful.

This period also saw groups of styled furniture becoming more popular, for instance the Louis XVI settee came as a set and came with chairs which were viewed as ideal as formal seating options in the homes and household of Paris.

The Hepplewhite and Sheraton chair back sofa and settee were altogether more softer, feminine-like appearance, featuring slightly tapered legs, curved slim seat rails and just enough stuffing to make it comfortable, they were produced in soft pastel colours, and all had the signature shield type, rectangle and oval back. It was Thomas Sheraton who referred to sofa's and settee's as being the same piece of furniture, he preferred to refer to them all as sofa's.

This period was significant in the manufacturing of sofa's and settees, it introduced classical uses and designs for the furniture. It was well documented that ancient Greeks and Roman philosophers would lounge on a day bed or sofa and pontificate or discuss important worldly matters. The sofa was suddenly seen as a piece of furniture used by intellectual people, and so became popular in an affordable format, among the masses who wished to emulate the philosophers of old.

Sofa's during this era and right through until the 19th century were often regarded as ladies loungers, however, the more affluent male business owner would also stretch out on a sofa when need called, such as after a day's work. As times progressed through the 19th century, and with the advent of the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom, major developments occurred across all areas of upholstery, as more modern techniques were introduced. In 1850, coil springs were invented and were being used as an alternative to horse hair stuffing. In the United States of America, shortly after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on 14 April, 1865, his wife, Mary keen to start a fresh life no doubt and rid herself of the memories of her husband's death, purchased an expensive parlour suite for her new home. Included in the suite was a large comfortable sofa which is believed to have been manufactured by J. & J.W. Meeks & Sons of New York.

Perhaps the greatest invention to hit upholstery was actually created in 1790 by Englishman Thomas Saint, who designed and built the first sewing machine. The design was altered in countries across the globe in the decades that followed right through to its present form today, with Jones and Singer machines being the most popular. Singer sewing machines are still trading, while Jones was bought out by the Chinese based Brother organisation in 1968. Sewing machine meant covering fabrics of types could be pre-cut and stitched prior to being fitted onto the framework of the sofa.

One invention made during the 19th century was that of the rocking settee. This piece of furniture allowed a mother to multi-task, while keeping her baby safe and relaxed by the constant rocking motion. The settee had a gate that safely held the baby basket, allowing the mother to do things like prepare food, knitting, or to read perhaps. The popularity of this item wasn't great, but it did serve a purpose for those mothers who saw it as a useful and helpful tool.

Different types of sofa

Sectional Sofa

The section sofa is a multi-piece sofa. Commonly using 3-5 pieces

Chesterfield

The Chesterfield sofa is known for its "quilted" or "tufted" style

Lawson-style Sofa

Designed for maximum comfort. Its signature design is a back that comprises of pillows that are separate from the frame.

Mid-century Modern

From 1940 to 1970 mid-century modern furniture was extremely popular.

Contemporary Mid-century Modern Sofa

A commonly used term used to refer to contemporary midcentury modern furniture.

English

The English rolled arm sofa has low arms and a high back. The upholstery is tight fitting.

Bridgewater

A Bridgewater sofa has arms that are slightly rolled to the side and lower than the back of the sofa.

Camel back

The camel back sofa's most obvious feature is a high central back which descends into the arms.

Cabriole

The cabriole sofa has a continuous back that is of equal-height, and arms. The arms can curve inward creating a solitary line from arm to arm.

Cabriole sofas generally have an exposed wooden trim which runs along the top of the back and arms.

Chaise Lounge

Class and luxury. The Chaise lounges remains extremely popular. A less luxurious form of Chaise lounge can be commonly seen as outdoor patio type furniture. Genuine classic Chaise lounge that are built as indoor pieces of furniture may have an arm.

Sleeper Sofas

Because of their versatility, there are many sleeper style sofa's available, these range from pull-outs to futons, daybeds, and bunk-bed sofa combinations.

Pull Out Sofa Bed

The most popular sleeper sofa is the pull out sofa bed. Great advances have been made in the manufacture of these items. They are easily transformed from sofa into bed by sliding out the underbelly of the sofa which forms into a bed, while the sofa back remains upright.

Futon

A combination of a sofa and a bed the Futon sits low on the floor and folds down creating a large cushioned flat bed type area, when folded up in transforms into a sofa.

Daybed

The daybed is similar in appearance to a chaise lounge, the differentiating point being the daybed has ends or backs on each side.

Bunk Bed Sleeper

The bunk bed sleeper is uncommon a sofa design. It has the appearance of a regular sofa, however, in bed format the seating area and arms and back can be raised in one piece and click into place. This forms an upper sleeping bed and a lower bed.

Loveseat Sofa

Essentially this is a compact sofa made for two. They come in variety of different styles and designs camelback, cabriole, etc., and colours.

Divan

A divan is a sofa without a back. In bed form they should be placed against a wall allowing pillow support. As a piece of furniture the divan is highly impractical because of their size and low functionality.

Settee Sofa

A settee sofa is simply a wide chair with arms. They are very similar in appearance to a two-seater sofa or a Loveseat.