More than any other item of furniture in your living room, a sofa is an investment. It’s something you’ll rest and relax on at the end of the day, a place you’ll entertain and consume media and a piece of furniture that, if properly cared for, can last for decades.
Today, sofas come in a massive range of styles, from modern favourites to design classics that have been around for longer than a century. Below, we’ve listed five timeless sofa styles that are every bit as versatile as they are classic, making them perfect for almost any living room.
Lawson
Effortlessly casual and extremely comfortable, the Lawson sofa is one of the most popular sofa designs in the world. This type of sofa was first designed for financier Thomas Lawson over 100 years ago and remains just as popular and acclaimed today as when it first appeared.
Key features of the Lawson sofa include a moderate back height and seat depth, giving it quite a versatile feel that suits people of different sizes. Lawson sofas also have arms that are lower than the seat, making them ideal for stretching out while enjoying a good TV show or movie.
Settee
Perfect for small apartments, settees offer a comfortable seating surface and a small footprint, allowing them to squeeze into corners and provide a place to sit down and relax in the tightest apartment living rooms.
Settees come in a variety of designs, materials and sizes, although most are designed to seat two people comfortable. The Knole settee, one of the first settees designed and built, remains popular for small homes and apartments.
Camelback
Defined by their arched, camel-like back, camelback sofas use a timeless design that’s perfect for late-20th century houses and apartments. With more space than a settee, a camelback sofa is a good option for larger living areas.
Like settees, camelback sofas are available in a range of classic and modern styles, as well as in an equally large variety of materials. Most sofas of this type offer more than enough space for three people, making them a good choice for families.
Chesterfield
An icon of British furniture design, Chesterfield sofas have been attracting praise and attention for more than three centuries. Although no one knows their exact origins, it’s believed that this type of sofa was first designed for Lord Phillip Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield.
Despite undeniably being a classic sofa design, Chesterfields have such a distinctive look that they can fit into almost any living room as a design centrepiece. Although they’re available in a variety of materials, Chesterfields tend to look best in dark, boldly-coloured leathers.
Tuxedo
A modern classic, the tuxedo sofa is an icon of Mid-Century design. Sleek, light and stylish, this type of sofa typically offers seating for three people, with a relatively thin cushion and high arms that make it a supportive yet not overly plush place to sit.
Thanks to its Mid-Century design that blends modern and classic, a tuxedo sofa can fit equally as well into modern and traditional living spaces. Like Chesterfields, sofas of this type look best in dark colours, although they’re equally as impressive in fabric as they are in leather.