What Is a Traditional Sofa?

Definition

• Commonly referred to as a couch or chesterfield, the word sofa actually comes from an Arabic word referring to a bench-like piece of furniture. It was adapted to the English language to define furniture with a seat that was stuffed and used for sitting. Today, the word sofa specifically describes an upholstered bench that has two arms and a full back.

Styles

• Sofas are available in different styles and sizes. Love-seat sofas are designed to seat two people and sectional sofas can seat four or more and fill large spaces in a room. However, a traditional sofa is designed to seat three comfortably. Many sofas recline or can be turned into beds, but a traditional sofa is designed for sitting and not reclining.

Changes in Features

• Upholstery styles and types of filling have varied over the years in traditional sofas. Some used horsehair or moss to fill their sofas, whereas down and foam are more common today. The addition of buttons to hold the material and coil springs to add comfort were not even introduced as a regular part of manufacturing sofas until the 20th century.