The seat is constructed in the same way, too, with feather cushions over a hand-stitched sprung base.” Sofas in the Howard style have something of a chameleon reputation, as Ben Norris of George Smith confirms. “This gives the softness of the feathers and the bounce of the springs behind.

“We make our version in the same way as Howard & Sons, with a feather bag over a sprung back,“ says Nick Loxton of Leather Chairs of Bath. Styles that pay homage to it occur in nearly every upholstery collection. With its low ‘knuckle’ arms, sprung seat and back and additional cushioning, it provides exceptional comfort. Of its many designs, the one that is copied now was originally named the Bridgewater and dates from the last quarter of the century. Howard & Sons was a leading firm of nineteenth-century upholsterers that showed at all the major events including the Great Exhibition of 1851. “On our new chesterfield, the arm curves round the back in a softer line and the bench-style seat cushion is streamlined and more comfortable.” Howard Style two seater from David Seyfried The Howard Style Sofa (above) “The traditional chesterfield was quite a firm sit and not that comfortable,” explains Juliette Barrell of Wesley-Barrell. The chesterfield can come with or without buttoning and with bun or turned feet. The chesterfield is a much loved Victorian design the name is thought to come from the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield who commissioned a long leather seat with deep buttoning.ĭefining characteristics include a low back with upright scroll arms of the same height. The comfort we expect from upholstered furniture today owes a debt to Victorian developments, which changed the shape of seating with new types of springs, increased padding and added buttoning for definition. This Cokethorpe Sofa (button back) The Chesterfield Sofa (above) Their slender shape is surprisingly curvaceous with every element raked or scrolled and pieces with show wood, which is either carved or reeded. Other settees of this period offer more restrained elegance. The iconic Regency piece is the upholstered daybed, which makes a grand statement, especially when ebonised and gilded, although it does require a room to be decorated around it. “A piece like this adds vigour to a period room.” The Katzic Sofa from Max Rollitt “The outline that this method of construction allows stays true to the original sculptural form,” Max Rollitt explains. Like the original, this is upholstered in horsehair without springs. The later eighteenth century provided a settee that is more linear and the Katzsic by Max Rollitt faithfully replicates one made in Lancashire in 1780. It is also sometimes called the chippendale after the pieces Thomas Chippendale designed in this style. With shaped back, scroll arms and square or cabriole legs, its restrained elegance suggests it as a drawing room piece, as it promotes a more formal way of sitting. The settee (sofas came later) most associated with the Georgian period is the camel back, named for the central curve in the back, reminiscent of a camel’s hump. Camel back sofa from Lawson Wood The Camel Back sofa (above)

Versions with a firm upholstered back capture its essential spirit past practice was to add large, loose cushions for extra comfort. The original has hinged armrests matching the height of the back versions made now have high, drop-down sides held upright with tasselled rope wrapped round wooden finials.Ī substantial knole is a definite statement piece and can be a scene-stealer in a period house, especially when covered in plain linen or velvet to enhance its enclosing contours. It would then have been described as a couch chair. One of the earliest seats that offered a level of comfort we would recognise is the knole, made for Knole house in Kent in the first half of the seventeenth century. Tudor Knole sofa with the traditional drop arm design, Brights of Nettlebed The Knole Sofa

Many of the recognisable sofa styles and shapes we enjoy today are historic designs which have been adapted and updated for modern life.Įngland is known for its history of fine upholstered furniture. Styles developed in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have continued to be revived and adapted to suit our homes today. Many sofas and chairs, even those considered contemporary, make some reference to period pieces in the curve of the arms, the springs in the seat or the cut of the legs. Lavenham large sofa in Avalon fabric by Multiyork. A knole style sofa with arms that let down on each side allows for reclining.

Sofa shapes names