Regency Era Furniture: The Sofa

Continuing my exploration of Regency furniture, today I look at the Regency sofa. Let’s start with the most important question: is it sofa or couch?

Well, that would depend on where you come from. For the British, it’s a sofa or setee. (I’m going to say setee is less formal, because that’s the term we used in my family. We’re not posh.) For Americans, Irish, Australians, and South Africans it’s a couch.

So what’s the difference? There is actually a stylistic difference between the two. A sofa has a rigid, exposed frame and legs with a high back and arms of equal height. The upholstery is fitted tightly to the frame. A couch, on the other hand, is an American development designed to improve comfort. It comprises a simple box frame (no exposed legs) and the deeply padded cushions are not fixed to the frame.

A Brief History of the Sofa

• The word sofa dates back to 2000 B.C. and is derived from the Arabic word “suffah”, meaning bench.

• Throughout the Dark Ages seating was little more than a bench or stool. If you were lucky you had a cushion. Cushions were stuffed with horse hair, hay or dried moss.

• In the sixteenth century, European craftsmen designed the sofa to provide more comfortable seating for two or more people.

• In the 1800s, sofas were designed to be elegant, as well as functional, with deep seats. The Industrial Revolution meant mass production, so sofas became much cheaper for everyone. The later development of steel springs also improved comfort.

• Sofas, or if you prefer, couches, are no longer the privilege of the wealthy, but a household necessity.

Types of Sofa

I’m just going to list a few that I’ve come across in Georgian-era novels. If you want to know more, check the links below.

Chaise longue – we use the French name for them, but this type of sofa existed across the ancient world. Think of Romans indulging in fine dining while reclining. A chaise longue is typically a long, reclinging chair with one side raised and four exposed legs.

Love seat – this is not the romantic piece of furniture we believe it to be. The love seat can seat two, but was actually designed from the 1800s to accommodate one woman with a wide skirt. (I need to double check this.) It has a high, upright back with tightly fitted upholstery.

Chesterfield – this is the iconic seating associated with gentleman’s clubs. It was created for the Earl of Chesterfield in the 1700s because he wanted seating that was suitable for multiple people, but did not wrinkle clothing. A Chesterfield is leather clad in tufted, deep-buttoned upholstery, with rolled arms of equal height. It usually has an exposed nailhead trim.

Camelback – this was a late eighteenth century Chippendale design. As with all sofas, it has exposed legs, scrolled arms, and tightly fitted upholstery. However, it had an arched, high back that peaked at the centre and sides.

Fabrics and upholstery

Georgians liked bold colours. They loved deep blues, red velvets, dark greens and bright yellows.

I have already mentioned chintz in a previous post, but Georgians also liked to use brocades, velvets, silks and damasks to upholster their sofas. Damask uses a repetitive motif of pomegranate and leaves. The weave is structured in a way that creates a raised pattern which stands out against a shiny satin background.

By the late 1700s and the Regency, tastes became more relaxed. Pale and subtle florals were favoured, rather than the bold and bright colours chosen by earlier Georgian’s.

Sources

Sofa Sofa

Furniture of Dalton

NY Times

Furniture Cart

Etons of Bath

Jamb