Home > A guide to every sofa style

A guide to every sofa style

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may make a small profit at no expense to you. For further information, please view my policies.

In this article, we will be exploring every type of sofa!

From sectionals to loveseats and everything in between! And some that you probably haven’t even heard of before.

restoration hardware modular cloud sofa
Restoration Hardware

You know I love a bit of history, so let’s start things off with a bang, aka some etymology… everyone’s idea of a party right? I think so!🤣

So depending on where you live in the world, you might call it a sofa, a couch or a settee. Nowadays, those three terms are used interchangeably and they all mean the same thing.

But historically they were actually all different things!

The term COUCH originally referred to piece of furniture used for lying down or sleeping on. It only had supports at the ends, and no back support. The word is said to come from the french verb, coucher, which means “to sleep”.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word SOFA comes from the arabic word suffah and was ‘a part of the floor raised a foot or two, covered with rich carpets and cushions, and used for sitting upon’.

And the term SETTEE comes from the old english word setl– a “settle” back in the day was typically a long bench made of wood, which could also feature an intricately carved back rest.

Now that we’ve gotten our history lesson out of the way, let’s jump in and look at all the various types of sofas that exist.

Watch the video instead!

Chesterfield

bright yellow leather chesterfield sofa
CDiscount

The chesterfield is a very traditional style of sofa.

Legend has it that the very first sofa in the Chesterfield style was commissioned by none other than the 4th Earl of Chesterfield himself, hence the name.

Chesterfield style sofas have a low, deep seat and usually feature deep tufting. The arms are typically rolled and sometimes flare out from the sofa. The arm rests and the back are the same height and a classic chesterfield will often be seen upholstered in leather with nail head trim.

I grew up in Canada, and it was actually common for Canadians to refer to any kind of sofa as a chesterfield.

But all the Canadians reading now know, the chesterfield is a specific style of sofa. 🙃🇨🇦

Tuxedo

pink tufted tuxedo sofa
Home Depot

Tuxedo sofas and Chesterfield sofas are similar, in that they both have arms and backrests at the same height.

The main difference is that the arms on a tuxedo sofa are usually perpendicular to the floor, the silhouette tends to be a little slimmer, and the design is a little cleaner.

On a tuxedo sofa, the back pillows can be attached or loose. They often have a tufted back and matching bolster pillows. Channel tufting is also popular.

The style is thought to be from the 1920s, so if you’re going maybe for an art deco type look, then this is a sofa style that might be worth considering.

Tuxedo sofas also radiate pretty formal energy, so if you’re looking for a way to bring formal vibes into your space, then I would try a sofa in this style in a neutral color.

contemporary velvet tuxedo sofa from article
Article

Many contemporary sofas that you might think don’t fall into any category, often fall into the tuxedo category. For example, the teal sofa above would also be considered a tuxedo, even though it looks pretty different from the pink tuxedo picture a few paragraphs up.

For a great dupe of the sofa above, check out this post!

Mid-century Modern

mcm style sofa in beige
Modway

The key elements to a mid century sofa are the unmistakable tapered legs and sleek overall silhouette. There are no ornate details although sometimes midcentury style sofas can feature a wooden plinth as a base.

Despite the fact that the overall sofa feels low to the ground, the frame is almost always kept elevated off the ground with wooden tapered legs.

Learn more about the midcentury modern design style here!

English Roll Arm

yellow english roll arm sofa
Roger + Chris

The English roll arm has a very traditional silhouette but also manages to feel quite relaxed and inviting at the same time. At least I think so!

Typically, this type of sofa will have a deep seat, statement legs sometimes on casters, sloped arms and a tight back.

(A tight back on a sofa means the back pillow is built directly into the frame.)

The English roll arm sofa goes by a few names, such as William Birch sofa, birch arm sofa, and Bridgewater style sofa. William Birch produced furniture for Liberty London in the late 800s/early 900s – this is one of William Birch’s original armchairs:

an original Bridgewater style armchair
Hunter & Rose

The English roll arm is also sometimes called a Howard style sofa; Howard & Sons was a British 19th century upholsterer and furniture maker and one of their designs was originally named the Bridgewater.

So anyways, names aside, if you’re wanting to bring that classic English countryside vibe into your home, then definitely try an English roll arm!

Lawson

lawson sofa also known as the ektorp sofa
IKEA

If you’ve ever seen an IKEA Ektorp sofa, then you’ll recognize a Lawson sofa.

Lawson style sofas feature loose back cushions, and the back is usually about as high above the seat as the seat is deep. The arms are usually rolled and are lower than the back.

Often the Lawson is skirted, but exposed legs keeps this sofa style looking a little more contemporary. A tailored skirt will give it a more traditional feel, and a ruffled skirt will push it more into the farmhouse/country realm.

The biggest difference between English Roll Arm and Lawson is that back cushions of the Lawson are not attached to the frame. Also the arms on a Lawson are a little chunkier and not usually sloped.

I’d say the Lawson frame overall could be considered slightly more rigid and boxy compared to an English roll arm.


What’s the difference between modular and sectional sofas??

‘Modular sofas’ and ‘sectionals’ are both types of sofa that are assembled through connected pieces, so it’s easy to confuse them, but that’s where their similarities end. Modulars and sectionals are actually two different things.

The main difference between the two is that sectionals are usually inflexible whereas modular sofas offer more flexibility. One is not better than the other, they’re just different.

Sectional Sofas

green velvet sectional from anthropologie
Anthropologie

A sectional usually has 2 or 3 pieces, and is usually meant to be placed in an L or U configuration.

Usually there’s a left hand facing or a right hand facing chaise, or sometimes both if you’ve got a U configuration, and those can’t be moved to another position. The pieces of a sectional have to be attached to each other in a specific way to make the whole piece work. Even the way they’re upholstered often will dictate their position.

Basically: the pieces of a (non modular) sectional can’t stand alone or be separated from the other pieces. Whereas …

modular Sofas

… Modular sofas are made up of MODULES, basically many independent pieces. So how are modular pieces different from sectional pieces? Here’s a cool bird’s eye view of a modular sofa.

bird's eye view of a collection of modular sofa pieces
Bernhardt

When your sofa is modular, you can mix and max your sofa’s pieces in any way you want.

With modular sofas, every piece can either stand alone or be attached to any another in an infinite number of ways. With a regular sectional, you can only place your sofa in one configuration. I hope that clears up any confusion!

Chaise Longue

red chaise lounge

A chaise, or a chaise longue, means “long chair” in French, and that’s pretty much exactly what it is.

It’s basically an upholstered sofa that is long enough to support the legs. They were created in France so that the rich could rest without the need to go to their bedrooms because wouldn’t THAT be inconvenient! 😅

Chaise longues always have a back, and can have one, two or zero arms.

Some chaises are curved and contoured, while others have a more contemporary upright shape.

contemporary red velvet chaise longue
Alberta

One-armed chaises are also called Meridiennes, or fainting couches.

And in case you’re wondering, yes: chaise “LOUNGE” is another name for chaise longues. Somewhere along the way, the french word “longue” was transformed into lounge because… languages are hard, I guess? 😙

Recamier / Backless Sofa

recamier sofa in beige

A traditional recamier sofa has raised scrolled ends, and nothing in the middle. The recamier sofa gets its name from this portrait:

potrait of Juliette Recamier, painted by Jacques-Louis David
Wikipedia

Pictured above is Juliette Recamier, a French socialite painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1800. The piece of furniture she’s lounging on has since been named after her.

The original sofa from this portrait can actually be seen today at the Louvre museum in Paris, so that’s pretty cool if you’re a furniture/history/art nerd like me.

A recamier can work great in a living room that needs extra seating where you want to keep the flow open.

If you’re searching for a more contemporary take on the Recamier, try searching for “backless sofa”. You’ll find several more options that way.

Daybed

beautiful rattan daybed from cb2
CB2

A daybed is a cross between a bed, a sofa and a chaise longue.

Daybeds usually feature a back and sides and use a twin size mattress.

Sometimes daybeds will also feature a trundle so that it’s possible to expand sleeping capacity – great for a kid’s or a guest room.

Daybeds are pretty versatile, since they can be used as a couch by day and a sofa by night. So they’d be great for rooms that need to serve more than one purpose, like a spare room, an office, or maybe even in a teenager’s bedroom if they’re hanging out with their friends in their room a lot.

A divan is pretty much the same thing as a daybed, only it doesn’t have a back, so you’d use pillows against the wall to sit up on it.

love seat

Everyone knows what a love seat is right? It’s a sofa that seats two people.

Another form of loveseat that is not as common is the kind that’s arranged in an S shape, called a tête-à-tête, courting bench, kissing bench, gossip’s chair, or conversation bench.

pink velvet conversation bench from anthropologie
Anthropologie (this model no longer available)

This type of design was created so that two people could talk while still facing each other and be within arm’s reach, yet still have a bit of barrier between them so as to avoid any mischief! 😅

settee

settee
ONE KINGS LANE

As we said at the beginning of the article, in some parts of the world the word settee refers to any type of sofa.

But in the design world, when we say settee it’s actually referring to a specific type of sofa.

It’s similar to a loveseat but it tends to be more upright and slender. Being on the slimmer side, a settee is more portable and can be great for placing at the foot of the bed, in an entryway or even as as seating option at the dinner table.

image showing the difference between settee and love seat

knole settees

photo of a more contemporary knole sofa
1ST DIBS

The original Knole settee is from the 1600s and it was a sort of throne constructed for the monarch. It was wide enough for two and was apparently one of the first ever upholstered sofas. Here is a picture of it:

photo of the original knole sofa

Knole sofas feature adjustable sides and a deep seat, which like on a tuxedo, are all the same height. Traditional knole sofas sometimes also have exposed wooden finials in the rear corners.

Knole settees and sofas are named after Knole House, an English country house in Kent, and you can actually see the original Knole sofa there today.

(Not to be confused with Knoll, which is an American design company!)

Cabriole

this is what a classic cabriolet sofa looks like

A cabriole sofa is a type of upholstered sofa dating back to about the 18th century, where the back curves into the arms in a single smooth line, often via a carved, exposed wooden frame. The arms are always upholstered and usually it has a tight seat and back.

The name cabriole sofa comes from the French word (again!) cabriolet. A cabriolet was a single horse drawn vehicle and it was thought that the shape of the sofa resembled the carriage of a cabriolet.

Let’s talk about the legs.

Most sources will tell you that a cabriole sofa always has curved legs. It’s true that they often do, but you can also find cabriole sofas with straight legs, such as the blue cabriole sofa pictured below. I think the confusion comes from the fact that there is a type of curved furniture leg, that also happens to be called a cabriole leg.

pin stripe silk cabriolet sofa with straight legs
Museum of Fine Arts Houston

So in summary, you can have a cabriole sofa with, or without a cabriole style leg. ✅

Sleeper Sofa (aka hide a bed, sofa bed)

pink velvet sofabed from anthropologie
Anthropologie

As the name suggests, a sleeper sofa is a sofa that transforms into a bed.

We’ve already covered one kind above, the daybed, but there are other kinds as well, like futons, pop up sleeper sofas or just your standard fold out sofa bed.

Camel Back

jade colored velvet camelback sofa
ONE KINGS LANE

If you’re going for a traditional look and you’re tired of straight lines, then a sofa with a camel back might be a great option to look into.

bright cheerful room with camel back sofa featuring a long yellow lumbar pillow
Adelene Simple Cloth

Camel back sofas obviously get their name from their resemblance to the back of a camel. The hump can be either one or two, or sometimes even three, depending on the style.

Camel back sofas also usually have tight backs.

Reclining Sofas

If you’re ready to sacrifice all style for comfort, then I highly recommend buying a reclining sofa. 😉

This type of sofa has a mechanism that allows for the base of the sofa to be elevated and turned into a footrest, and for the back to recline.

And since you’ve totally given up on having any style whatsoever, don’t forget to go all in and get all the bells and whistles, including handy USB ports, a massager, light up cup holders and built in coolers.

Just kidding, just kidding! 😄😄😄 Recliners are great!😄


If you want even more information on what to look for when buying a sofa, sizing tips and all that good stuff, then be sure to read this post next!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

One Comment

  1. Afton Jackson says:

    Sectional sofas really look like they can bring an imposing look to your living room if they’re used correctly. With how much work our living room needs, I can see this being something that can be the focal point of it all if we get one big enough. I’ll go and look for any furniture stores that can help us get a brand new sectional couch for that room.