Published Date: Feb 07, 2023
If, like us, you’re a furniture aficionado and adore every aspect of interior design, finding out more about the origins of various home décor elements is always an interesting endeavour. And because we sell a pretty spectacular range of them, our team recently did a little digging to shed some light on the history of luxury sofas.
Read on for some riveting facts that will unpack the mystery of where they came from and why we love lounging on them so much!
Known today by many names from ‘couch’ and ‘settee’ to ‘lounger’ and ‘canapé’ (no, not the hors d’oeuvre), sofas have a rich history that has led them to become our go-to place for the ultimate in relaxation.
However, when they originally appeared, they were not the plush-cushioned furniture pieces we are so enamoured with today. In fact, their interesting journey is a story that reveals a lot about people and their constant quest for comfort and style.
First apparent in ancient Egypt in around 2000 BC, wooden sofas were discovered in tombs in which Pharaohs were buried, surrounded by furnishings designed to enhance their transition into the afterlife.
Incredibly, the ones found in King Tutankhamun’s collection were so intricately made that their skilled craftsmen would probably give world-renowned brand Gamma & Dandy a run for their money!
With a name derived from the Arabic word “suffah” meaning “bench”, the continuation of this sought-after item proceeded into Roman times in the form of something resembling an ornate chaise longue.
These became commonplace in the homes of royals and the aristocracy and were even used around dining tables so that people could recline while they ate. For the wealthy, soft pillows were added, but the plebians of the day couldn’t possibly afford such luxury and had to resort to a rather uncomfortable stone bench instead.
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Chat NowEurope declined after the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and the sofa was reduced to the status of a simple bench.
Living rooms as we know them today did not exist in the Medieval era. Instead, households were connected by open spaces centred around a fireplace where wooden tables and rough seats provided a resting place for the average joe (and probably a few cows).
The Church, which was convinced that comfort led to sin and that austerity was the pathway to God, set the trend using simple wooden pews to accommodate their congregation.
This became the major reason for the decline of the humble sofa, which remained on the back burner until Renaissance craftsmen rediscovered their worth as a luxury furniture item.
During this period, the sternness of the Church loosened its grip and a penchant for luxurious living ensued (a turn of events that causes modern designers to utter a heartfelt hallelujah).
Upholstery became more common in interior design at the end of the Elizabethan period and hard materials like stone and wood fell out of favour and were replaced by plusher padding made from horsehair, hay, or dried moss.
Seat backs and arms were introduced by Italian designers to make for a more comfortable perch and, for the first time, an emphasis was placed on form over utility leading to the production of beautifully detailed masterpieces.
The Baroque period was central to 17th-century French design and impacted the whole of Europe with its Louis x111 and Regency styles.
This gave rise to a double-chair sofa prototype with softer cushions on the seat and armrests, a wider base and higher backs. It was rectangular in design and had fixed inner legs for added support.
The entire ensemble was far more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing than previous sofas and established France as an authority on design in the years to come.
And then came the Restoration – a time of self-indulgent décor that celebrated bright colours and opulent fabrics which stood out against the drabness of previous eras.
During this awakening, Lord Phillip Stanhope, the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield, did a marvellous thing. He commissioned a new style of furniture that allowed a group of people to sit together without crushing their garments, causing a significant stir in the world of furniture development.
Aptly named the Chesterfield, its original form was made of leather and featured beautifully buttoned upholstery and rolled arms that were equal in height to its back, thus allowing enthusiasts to remain comfortable, beautifully poised and wrinkle-free.
To this day, Chesterfield is an iconic luxury sofa profile that ticks all the boxes for professionals who love to infuse their spaces with a sense of refinement and old-world charm.
Continuing the fabulousness of French culture, furniture production boomed at the same time that the Chesterfield reigned supreme and designs epitomised both function and form.
French nobility valued grandeur and physical comfort and lavished their wealth appropriately. As a result, new pieces like the chaise longue, love seats, settees and the canapé, a diminutive version of the cabriole (not a car), were born.
18th-century design devotee, Thomas Chippendale, was another revolutionary in the history of luxury sofas and positioned them as household necessities rather than an indulgence for the rich.
With a deeper purpose, lower manufacturing costs fuelled by the Industrial Revolution and innovations like steel springs, designers saw a gap in the ordinary market and turned their focus to perfecting affordable sofas that had both form and function.
Changes continued during the Victorian and Edwardian times and included the ‘fainting sofa’, an offering that allowed swooning ladies to recuperate with dignity after an episode of mild hysteria. After the recent success of the TV knockout, “Bridgerton”, these are making a surprising comeback and are, no doubt, gracing the living rooms of “snowflakes” everywhere.
This was followed firstly by the ornate wooden carvings of Rococo décor and then the fuss-free lines of Mission-style designs. A more simplistic approach ideal for rural lifestyles, the latter influenced most furniture trends in the first part of the 20th century.
After World War 1, more and more sofas became the property of the middle class and Art Deco and Modernism prevailed.
While Modernism celebrated a lack of clutter, clean lines and functionality that oozed aesthetic ease, Art Deco imbued homes with a splendid sense of glitz and glam. With sleek, polished finishes, pattern repeats involving geometric shapes, metallic accents and curvaceous profiles, it is a style that has remained popular ever since and is very much in vogue this year.
With 21st-century trends like the sofa bed and futon emerging to accommodate modern living, the incredible journey of the sofa continues to this day.
Now, in 2023, our focus is on sustainable materials, boucle upholstery, multifunctional profiles and ingenious modular designs - exciting times for those of us who are committed enthusiasts.
To find out more about what’s hot and what’s not, read our insightful article on 4 sofa trends to avoid this year and what to buy instead.
With our passion for fine furniture and deep fanaticism when it comes to elevating your homes, FCI London stocks everything you need in a luxury sofa. Get in touch with one of our expert designers today or pay us a showroom visit to discuss your must-haves.
You can also take a peek at our latest projects for some inspiring new ideas.
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