When making a decision for the perfect couch, there is no shortage of options. In fact, the overwhelming abundance of options may be the biggest hurdle in finding the furniture that best fits your style, budget, and space. The most important and restrictive factor in choosing the right sofa style is size.
Size and Other Considerations
Scale
When researching size, you’ll also want to take into account the scale of your furniture. Scale is the more important factor when considering the size because you want your furniture to be feel cohesive with the rest of the room. An undersized sofa makes the room feel detached, while an oversized sofa can take away the functionality of the room. If you aren’t working with a professional designer, you can simply put down painter’s tape to create different furniture sizes on your floor.
After the size of your room has been determined, you can move on to the matter of room style. Is your room going to be formal? Is the room going to present a more eclectic or casual feel? These decisions will help steer you in the right direction to get the most suitable sofa that compliments your current furnishings.
Type
Think through the different sofa types that fit your family and pet needs, living style, and upholstery preferences. Do you want your furniture to be firm, plush or somewhere in the middle? While a firm cushion has resiliency to “bounce back” in shape, the soft sofa style will look more disheveled.
Choosing a sofa style based on family dynamics is also vital. Children and pets play a pivotal role in the decision for type of sofa and upholstery choices. For example, if you have children or pets, you’d be more interested in a microfiber or a slip cover option for more durability.
Let’s look at the sofa styles out there. We’ll start with some casual options and move to more formal sofa styles:
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Sofa Styles
1. Futon
Benefits:
- Maximizes space.
- Easy to move.
- Cover and mattress can be replaced for restyling.
Originally introduced to the market from Japan, futons became popular in the 1970’s as an inexpensive option for small spaces, like the college dorm. However, modern futons have been engineered with improved frames, using high-end wood like maple, walnut , and oak. The mattress, too, has been improved with a thicker mattress and more luxurious options in fabric types.
2. Daybed (Divan)
Benefits:
- Multi-use furniture
- Suitable for many different rooms
- Many daybeds are lifted and have a trundle bed or shelving
The daybed, or divan if you’re feeling sophisticated, hails from the Middle East. In places like Persia and the Ottoman Empire during the 1800’s, the divan was usually a mattress framed with pillows. With today’s daybed or divan, you can expect a couch without a back or an open-ended configuration.
Often described as a hybrid between a chaise, couch, and a bed, this has become one highly versatile piece of furniture. Many daybeds are lifted and feature a trundle bed, shelving, or drawers for extra storage.
3. Recliner
Benefits:
- Designed with comfort and function in mind
- Highly functional with multiple options
Reclining Sofas are primarily used for comfort over style. This sofa style has gained popularity with time. The recliner began in the 1930’s when the La-Z-Boy company started putting them on an assembly line. The mechanism for recliners were produced in the 1950’s and the famous side arm lever was introduced in the 1970’s.
Since then, recliners have only become more accessorized. You can find many electronics inserted into today’s recliners. You can find electric motion options for the recline, lumber, and the headrest. Other options like cupholders, audio speakers, heated panels, and massage are becoming commonplace. You can find recliners in all sizes and upholstery types.
4. Sleeper Sofa
Benefits:
- Accommodates overnight guests
- Multipurpose
This bed is perfect for the occasional overnight guest. Most sleeper sofas have an adjustable metal frame compartment found underneath the seat casing. This sofa style can convert many different rooms into a bedroom.
The latest model sleepers have become lighter and easier to use than their back-breaking ancestors. With innovation came foam-folding options that have dramatically lessened the weight of the furniture while offering lighter mattress options. One problem this sofa style has is that it’s not very comfortable, especially when used in the long-term.
5. Loveseats
Benefits:
- Built for smaller spaces
- Can be used as accent chairs
- One of the best sofa styles to experiment with
Loveseats seem to be made for small spaces, like studio apartments. They even have a place in retreats or at the end of a bed. Loveseat sizes can vary, from oversized club chairs to mini sofas, but are always a two-seater.
In addition to the solo act, loveseats are frequently made as part of a living room suite. Loveseats can add to a sofa, making it a perfect mate for larger living rooms where two sofas would overwhelm the room. Loveseats can also be the perfect choice to deviate from the living room in a stylish way. Experimenting with different colors, textures, upholstery, even styles than your sofa can add attraction and break up the possible monotony of a single style by adding visual tension.
6. Deep-Seated Sofa
Benefits:
- Ultimate comfort
- Specially designed for tall people but awesome for anyone
- Most have superior frame construction
The deep-seated sofa boasts an exaggerated seat casing depth. While the average seat depth is 30 inches, the deep-seat will measure to a hearty 34 inches or more. That’s almost 3 feet. When the manufacturers consider the support for this sofa style, many settled on the oversized, hand-tied coil spring with a strap grid to hold heavier weights while remaining a deep-seated piece.
If there was one sofa style I would choose right now, it is the Restoration Hardware deep-seated sofa in a dark walnut wax pull-up leather. The reason…it is a snuggle lounger. Watching a movie, entertaining, whatever you do, you can do it pretty comfortably. While the price tag will deter many from the purchase, Restoration Hardware furniture would be the last furniture you’ll ever need to buy.
7.Modular Couches
Benefits:
- Highly adaptable
- Options abound
- Can fit any space
8. Sectionals
Benefits:
- Perfect for Lounging
- Entertaining
- High Capacity Seating
Sectionals have increased sharply in popularity as a response to the way families have changed in their living habits. With an increase in the amount of time families spend at home, comfort and versatility is the key. Families now-a-days…are loungers. Lounging is the sectional’s middle name.
The options for a sectional are through the roof. While the standard sectional can be a simple collection of seats grouped in the “L” shape, the sky is the limit for options. You can add recliners, make changes to the upholstery, add storage, and even reconfigure (though not to the degree of modular couches). Sectionals hold the most options of any sofa style.
Modular couches are becoming increasingly popular. They are perfect for scaling your room. The size of the room can dictate the number of modules to purchase. There is also a deep catalog of individualized parts: seats, backs, arms, and consoles that can be configured, then reconfigured to meet the needs of your situation.
Modular couches can also have many of the same options as a recliner, like power outlets, audio speakers, and massagers.
If you are looking for a great modular sofa company, LoveSac specializes in the niche.
9. English Roll Arms
Benefits:
- Customizing style
- Traditional look
This sofa style is likely what most people think of when they think couch. This is one of the most classic and traditional styles you can own. But don’t let that classic look stop you. There is nothing wrong with a classic design.
English arms are classic for a reason – they work on a great variety of room assemblies. And with the variety of upholstery fabrications these days, you can’t go wrong with this mainstay style couch.
10. Lawson Sofa
Benefits:
- Versatile
- Works well with Mid-Century Modern, and Contemporary styles
Generally credited to Thomas Lawson, an early 20th century tycoon (and apparent stock-market manipulator), the Lawson sofa was made to meet the needs of business. This sofa style features deep seat with an angled back. This was supposedly to support a better posture. The seat and back casings are overstuffed and removeable. The armrests are lower than the back frame and are never pillowed or overstuffed.
Another more customary trait is that the sofa is larger than normal, tending to be between 88 and 96 inches and can come as a sleeper sofa. This makes the Lawson a great option for larger families or a tall person who wants to lay out for a nap.
11. Cabriole
Benefits:
- Elegance
- Elevating a room’s formal appeal
The cabriole is known for its curved, exposed wood legs, armrests, and elaborate wooden frame back. Made popular by French king Louis XV, the cabriole tilts more toward the formal elegance of furniture over the comfort lounging styles of the recliner or sectional. This sofa is usually a two-seater, but can be large enough to be a three seater at roughly 84 inches.
Cabriole is about as French as it gets. This sofa style can fit well into a French provincial or country style home, an American home, or as part of an eclectic retro look. It is often a choice for the formal room or as a view piece, not for napping or casual dining.
12. Camelback
Benefits:
- Accomodates more people
- Brings the cabriole more functionality while keeping elegance
A camelback has the same look as the cabriole couch, but the cabriole’s exposed back and arms are likely upholstered. The arched back rises to a higher point in the middle and flattens the lines on the corners. As the camelback suggests, it comes with one or two humps.
Showing up in the early 20th century, the first uptick in popularity didn’t show until the 1940’s and 1950’s, when architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed several varieties. This couch can come in armless styles, giving it more seating space.
13. Chesterfield
Benefits:
- Looks great in Leather
- British style high armrests
If the cabriole speaks French, the chesterfield speaks the King’s English. With numerous deeply tufted buttons tightly pulling the leather and heavily decorated lines, the chesterfield is a marvel of couch couture. This sofa style came out during the mid-1700’s and also features rolled armrests.
These couches are traditionally made in leather, yet look great in various upholstery fabrics. A nail head trim is a common choice for this sofa style. Chesterfields also come in various sizes and can be found from chair sizes to an oversized 100 inches, or more.
14. Tuxedo Sofa
Benefits:
- Upholstered works of art
- Fits in most formal settings
If you are looking for formal, this is the route to go. Tuxedo sofas are named for their highly “tailored” look. The couches tend to be upholstered in leather or velvet and dramatically tufted. It’s important to consider other furniture carefully. The arms are also quite high in the chesterfield style. This is something to consider when looking into support pieces like end tables.
Picking Your Sofa
It should be no surprise how much of an investment can go into furniture. It stands to reason that you will need to do some homework on your purchase or find a trustworthy professional to help you to determine whether the quality of your furniture is in line with the price tag. Having the conversation about what type of wood makes up the frame or what you can expect from your upholstery, especially if the sofa in going to be upholstered in leather (which can be more difficult than you think.)