Difference Between a Loveseat and a Sofa

Sofas

• Arguably the most versatile and used piece of furniture in contemporary homes, the sofa is often employed to add comfort to reading, watching television, doing homework, or even eating dinner. In addition, sofas are also status symbols, showing off the owner's taste and displaying her sense of style. Moreover, the sofa was intended to be an item of comfort and functionality. The first editions of the sofa, dating from the 17th century, often had detachable armrests so the sofa could be used as a bed. The word "sofa" is Turkish, derived from their word for the same item, "suffah."

Love Seat Origins

• Though the name "love seat" has come to refer to the shrunken sofa common in homes today, it can also refer to an S-shaped bench that enables two people to sit facing one another. First common in the Victorian Era, these love seats were often upholstered with fine fabrics and owned by the wealthy. However, they eventually went out of style due to their frivolous nature.

Couches

• Though the term "couch" is still applied to sofas today, couches were once lightly padded, straight-backed benches, though they were later equipped with springs in the cushions. Therefore, they were quite unlike the comfortable pieces of furniture on which we rest today. However the name couch was first used in the 14th century, derived from the French phrase "se coucher," which means "recline."