Do you know the difference between a couch and a sofa?



Madame Recamier reclining on a couch.



According to the Dictionary of Design and Decoration, a couch (aka recamier, named after Mme. Recamier 1800) was designed for one person to recline with one high end and frequently one upholstered arm.

Settee c. 1700s

The sofa was a later invention (mid 19th century) designed to be more comfortable than its predecessor, the settee.  Some folks in England still call it a settee, which puzzled my American friend when she visited England and was invited to sit on the settee.  She did not know where to sit.



The sofa was characterized by upholstered seating for two or more and upholstered arms on both ends.  Twenty-first century home owners live a more casual lifestyle, often reclining as well as sitting on their sofas.  So, are they couch potatoes or sofa spuds?

The Salem Sofa by Stickley Furniture

Whatever you call it, you probably want it to be comfortable - sitting & reclining.  It's a little like "Goldilocks" - observing the way different people sit and how they define comfort -- but it's wonderful when we find the one that "is just right!"