What Are Classically-Styled Sofas?

Ancient Furniture

• Classically styled sofas mimic Baroque furniture, which evolved from a mixture of ancient and medieval furniture designs. Classical sofas take features from Greek klines, reclining, bed-like couches; Roman couches and beds; and Egyptian platform pieces like benches and beds. All three of these societies decorated their furniture with animal skins and beautiful fabrics.

Medieval Furniture

• Medieval furniture types evolved from the ancient styles. Only the richest people had chairs and couches during the medieval time period. The poor tended to have cheaply made wooden benches and stools. Medieval furniture tended to be made almost entirely out of wood, and the seating area was only occasionally cushioned or covered with some type of upholstery. The basic design of classically styled sofas reflects the simplicity of these medieval pieces of furniture.

Baroque Furniture

• At first glance, classical sofas tend to call to mind the sofas of the Baroque period of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Baroque style of furniture originated in Italy and quickly spread through the rest of Western Europe. Like the other cultural advancements of the Baroque period, the Catholic Church strongly influenced Baroque furniture. Sofas of this era took the simple, functional design of medieval furniture and added decorative carvings and seat coverings. Artistic flow was emphasized in the designs of Baroque furniture.

Appearance

• The appearance of classically styled sofas is marked by strict adherence to symmetry and balance. Because of this emphasis on balance and symmetry, classical sofas tend to look very serious. Classically styled sofas have fairly high wooden or sometimes metal legs that hold up a generally thin, rectangular sitting area. Classical sofas usually have high backs and relatively small arms, but not all classically inspired furniture adheres to these guidelines. Many different upholstery styles can be added to classically styled sofas, but most tend to be adorned with a fairly straightforward, repeating pattern on top of a simple color scheme.