How is it different from a sofa, ottoman and couch?
A sofa, ottoman and couch are completely different interior items. To understand what the differences between these models are, it is necessary to consider in detail the properties of each of them.
Sofa
The sofa can be confidently called a bright representative of the Turkish flavor. Nowadays, such interior items are popular among wealthy people. As a rule, the sofa has a small height. The back and armrests in such furniture are located on the same level. The presence of a back is a distinctive feature of the sofa. This detail is missing in the ottoman.
There are two types of such fashionable Turkish furniture:
- Classic models.
Such products are wide sofas designed for relaxation. They do not have folding or roll-out mechanisms. - Folding models.
These types of sofas are more compact in size. They have folding mechanisms and additional storage systems (linen boxes and sections).
Ottoman
The ottoman is a very popular piece of furniture in Asian countries. There it is complemented by beautiful carpets or colorful capes with contrasting embroidery. Currently, the ottoman is a wide and low sofa.
The most common types of this original furniture are:
- Models made in the form of a high sofa without a back.
- Models in which a small headboard takes the place of the backrest. Quite often, such varieties are equipped with armrests.
A distinctive feature of the ottoman is its width. Such furniture can be used both as a seat and as a comfortable sleeping place. As a rule, an ottoman (like a couch) does not have sharp corners. Such products are especially relevant if small children live in the house. You cannot accidentally hit the ottoman and get injured.
Couch
Stylish couches have an interesting design. Previously, this name meant chairs or hard chairs. Today, such furniture is a single bed with a beautiful headboard.
Most often, couches are compact and have a small height. Such furniture can be placed in a small room.
As a rule, couches are complemented by headboards with adjustable heights. One cannot fail to note the spectacular, sophisticated design of these products. With the help of a properly selected couch, you can “revive” almost any interior.
You can often find exquisite couches that have folding mechanisms and drawers for bedding.
Ottoman and bed
Now let's talk about the difference between an ottoman and a bed. The ottoman first appeared in Asia. From the Turkic language this word is translated as “board”. In Asian countries, this type of furniture is widespread and is often decorated with a decorative carpet or fabric. In our country, the ottoman is not so common. It is a wide bed without a back, with one or more backs. The transformation mechanism has the same name “ottoman” and is not present in all models. Most of these pieces of furniture are equipped with a drawer for linen. An ottoman, unlike a sofa, is intended for sleeping, as it has a flat mattress.
The bed is equipped with a front and rear backrest and also has a removable mattress. It is created exclusively for night rest and is located in the bedroom. The ottoman can serve as a regular sofa and be located in the living room. It has more functions because it can provide both a place to relax and a place to sleep. Both pieces of furniture can be single or double. However, an ottoman can be cheaper than a bed, since it does not require a separate purchase of a mattress.
The main differences between an ottoman and a bed:
- an ottoman is a type of sofa and is made with or without a backrest, and the bed has two backrests - front and back;
- the bed is intended only for sleeping, and the ottoman, in addition, can be used as a seat;
- the ottoman has a folding mechanism and a large drawer for linen;
- you need to buy a mattress separately for the bed, which can make it more expensive;
- In our country, the ottoman is not as common as in Asian countries.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of the original sofa is its versatility. Such furniture is often complemented by various mechanisms and, when opened, can turn into a full-fledged sleeping bed. During the day it can be a small, neat sofa, and at nightfall it can be transformed into a comfortable bed.
Such furniture is inexpensive - if you compare it with large classic beds for bedrooms.
Another advantage of the sofa is its small size. Thanks to this feature, such a piece of furniture can be purchased even for a very small room.
The sofa bed can have an orthopedic base. Such furniture can be equipped with an orthopedic mattress. The spine and back will always be in the correct position on such a sleeping bed. That is why such furniture is often purchased for children's rooms.
Modern models have an attractive and interesting design. Today in stores you can find an option in any style, from classic to empire.
However, a sofa equipped with a folding or sliding mechanism is less reliable, since it contains a large number of additional parts.
They quite often break in such furniture and have to be repaired or replaced. It is because of the susceptibility to breakdowns that many buyers refuse such purchases.
Production materials
The choice of material from which ottoman beds are made must be approached responsibly, since both the price of the furniture and how long it will last in your home depend on it. To make an ottoman bed the following can be used:
- natural wood;
- Genuine Leather;
- artificial materials (faux leather and others);
- wood board.
Furniture made from natural materials is much more expensive, but with proper care it will please your eyes for many years, and you will enjoy sleeping on it.
The material of the ottoman bed also depends on the room in which this furniture will be placed. It is not advisable to buy genuine leather for a child's room, since it can be scratched or stained (and most often, both). Also, expensive furniture may suffer if there is a cat in the apartment that likes to sharpen its claws on the furniture.
Kinds
An elegant sofa can be made in a variety of options:
- The classic sofa
has an elongated rectangular shape and is equipped with a backrest and armrests. Stationary models do not have additional mechanisms or inserts. Products with beautiful carved details, leather upholstery and furniture studs look especially elegant and “expensive”. Such fashionable interior items will look impressive in aristocratic rooms.
- is very popular today .
Most often, such models are equipped with high or medium backs, and there may be no armrests. These varieties are ideal for small rooms. They can be placed in one of the free corners, leaving a lot of free space. Corner sofas are equipped with folding beds: when choosing this option, you need to take into account the dimensions when unfolded.
- with the “Eurosoph” mechanism
is currently in great demand . Any transforming designs are universal and guest.
- Universal mechanisms
are designed for regular use and are equipped with more reliable bases.
- Guest copies
are more fragile, so they are not recommended for daily use. As a rule, such furniture is used to accommodate guests staying overnight.
The Eurosoph mechanism itself is reliable and can be used regularly. Such systems contain a small number of moving elements and other additional parts that can quickly fail.
This type of furniture is very easy to set up. To do this, it is necessary to extend the drawer to the width of the single sleeping bed, and occupy the free space with the backrest.
It is worth noting that a sofa with such a mechanism will allow you to place a large linen drawer in its interior.
Today, models with a functional lifting mechanism
. In such designs, the mattress along with the base is raised upward, revealing a spacious niche in the sofa frame. Many people store bedding, pillows, blankets and much more there.
One of the most popular and comfortable are orthopedic models.
They contain high-quality bases with wooden slats. These designs enhance the orthopedic properties of mattresses. Such sleeping places are ideal for healthy sleep and good rest. On the bases of such models you can install a mattress with an independent spring block. The choice of a suitable product depends on the location of the lamellas in the base and their size.
The sofa without a back has an original design.
. This fashionable furniture is small in size. Models without a back, but with beautiful armrests, look especially attractive. Such products can be placed in almost any room. The main thing is that the ensemble is consistent in the same style.
Options with a high back look no less attractive
. The trend of recent seasons is models with a luxurious carriage frame or exquisite figured backs, decorated with furniture studs and rhinestones.
Stylish models without armrests
. Most often there are such sofas equipped with low legs made of wood or metal.
Options without armrests with long legs and elongated backs on metal frames are unlikely to be suitable for home environments. Most often, such products are found in public places: cafes, offices, hospitals.
Models without armrests can be supplemented with pillows. They can act as side supports and visually make the furniture more voluminous.
Types of lifting mechanisms
Devices that provide lifting of the berth for access to the internal compartments must be designed for long-term operation, so close attention must be paid to the quality of these elements. Before purchasing a product, you need to check the lifting mechanism in action, evaluate how convenient it is to use, and whether all fastenings are reliable.
Design of beds for bedridden patients, basic models, functionality
The most popular options for lifting devices for ottoman beds and their features:
- Manual lift. The mechanism does not provide for the presence of elements that facilitate raising the berth. The action is performed only by the effort of the hands. Since the lifting part can be very heavy, it is difficult for one person to handle such a task. The bed base is attached to the frame using hinges; it is a reliable and durable device. The absence of springs and shock absorbers reduces the cost of the product.
- Spring mechanism. It has a more complex device. It is much easier to lift the upper block of the ottoman if there are shock absorbers in the form of coiled springs, although you will still have to expend some physical strength. Springs must be changed periodically because they fail over time, especially under the influence of significant weight.
- Gas shock absorber. The most modern models are equipped with such devices. The mechanism is more complex than previous versions and is more expensive. However, a gas lift allows you to lift even very heavy blocks of double beds with extreme ease. This type of work can be done by an elderly person or a child. Gas lifts are powered by compressed air energy. The devices are characterized by smooth operation and are considered the most durable.
For ease of use, you should choose designs in which the rising part can be fixed at the top point. Then it will be more convenient to take things out of the inner drawers without fear of the mattress falling.
Manual lift
Spring mechanism
Gas shock absorber
Styles
The sofa can be made in any style. It’s worth taking a closer look at some attractive and interesting options:
- Provence.
Models in this style can be made from natural and light materials. They should be light. The fabric upholstery of a Provencal sofa can have a light pastel shade, stripes or unobtrusive small prints. - Classic.
A model with a carved back, legs and armrests will look harmonious in a beautiful classic interior. It is recommended to choose options made from natural wood of different shades. The color of the material should be selected in accordance with the color scheme of the room. - Modern.
For a room in the Art Nouveau style, a sofa that combines several different materials at once is ideal. This style provides for ornateness and asymmetry in furniture. A well-chosen sofa will stand out in any interior and attract attention. - High tech.
In a room decorated in a high-tech style, it is recommended to install laconic and minimalist furniture made from modern high-quality materials. - Baroque.
This luxurious and pretentious style includes furniture with elegant lines and carved edges in the interior. For such a room, a model with a figured headboard, carved legs and graceful curved armrests is suitable.
Mechanisms of transformation
Modern upholstered furniture is often complemented by various mechanisms. Each of them operates according to a certain principle.
Eurobook
The most popular is the mechanism called “Eurobook”. It can be classified as a familiar classic, as it is well known to many people. Furniture with this mechanism is durable and very reliable. It can be used daily without worrying about rapid wear of the structural parts. Sofas and sofas with such systems can easily be placed near the wall.
Such models may seem too large in appearance, but this disadvantage is compensated by a spacious and comfortable sleeping area.
As a rule, the Eurobook transformer is complemented by spacious linen drawers. With the help of such furniture you can significantly save space in the room and eliminate unnecessary cabinets.
Pantograph
Another reliable mechanism is the “pantograph”. Furniture with this design combines all the positive qualities of a traditional “Eurobook”. This product has a slightly different mechanism for folding the seat. Sofas and sofas with similar systems do not have wheels, which leave unsightly marks on the floor coverings.
The seats with a pantograph mechanism move apart without touching the floor. Because of this distinctive feature, such models are also called “walking”. The berth in such models unfolds from the backrest, which lowers and rises to the vacant space. The pantograph is a very simple mechanism that even a small child or a fragile girl can easily handle.
Roll-out mechanism
It is one of the most durable and durable. It contains strong and wear-resistant compounds. You can use furniture with such a system regularly.
Such structures unfold very simply: you need to pull the handle located on the front part of the furniture and push the berth forward to its full length, since the front part will pull the rest of the structure along with it.
Roll-out products are most often small in size and are perfect for rooms of various sizes.
Dolphin
The mechanism with the memorable name “dolphin” is most often used in a corner design. Such systems are very simple and durable. Furniture with the “dolphin” mechanism is designed for heavy loads and regular use.
Accordion
The mechanism called “accordion” unfolds very simply and quickly. Furniture with such equipment takes up very little space, which does not in any way affect its practicality and functionality. When using a sofa with an accordion mechanism, the sleeping area is very flat and located at a great distance from the floor.
French folding bed
The most unreliable mechanism is the “French clamshell”. It is not designed for regular use and is only added to inexpensive guest products. As a rule, interior items with similar designs are light in weight, mobile and take up little space in the room. However, they contain cheap lattice bases that are easily dented and fail.
Dimensions
The sofa can be equipped with a single or double bed for relaxation and sleep. The size of the sleeping space in these interior items directly depends on the size of their cases.
Large models can accommodate a spacious mattress with dimensions of 90×200, 72×200, 90×205, 120×200 cm.
Compact options are most often equipped with more modest single berths. Too narrow sofas, the width of which does not exceed 50-60 cm, are usually stationary and are not complemented by folding mechanisms.
The main differences between a bed and an ottoman
An ottoman is furniture that looks like a low sofa. It is quite wide, and usually has no back.
The bed has two headboards and a mattress that can be removed. This is furniture designed for a good night's sleep, so it is usually placed in the bedroom.
An ottoman can even stand in the living room, turning into a comfortable seat. This furniture has a special folding mechanism that allows you to turn it into a bed.
An ottoman is considered a functional piece of furniture that can be used both for proper sleep and for sitting. It can be single or double.
The first option will cost you less because you don’t have to buy a mattress. In addition, such an ottoman does not have a complex mechanism, which also affects the final cost of the product.
Material
Sofas are made from various materials.
natural wood is rightfully recognized as the most attractive, durable and environmentally friendly
. Such high-quality material not only has unsurpassed performance characteristics, but also an excellent design.
The most used species are oak, alder, rattan, beech, cedar, walnut, birch and pine. Such furniture is not cheap, especially when it comes to oak and beech models. Birch and pine sofas are more affordable. These materials are distinguished by elasticity and pleasant texture.
If you do purchase solid wood furniture, then you need to provide it with special care.
More affordable options are MDF and chipboard.
However, these materials are not highly wear-resistant and durable. Moreover, cheap chipboard is completely toxic and hazardous to health, since formaldehyde resins are used in its production.
Metal furniture is the most durable and reliable
. A sofa made from such material will serve its owners for many years. However, it is worth considering that such pieces of furniture are only suitable for more modern interiors. They are absolutely not suitable for strict classics or chic empire style.
Different materials can also be used to upholster the sofa.
Let's look at the most common and beautiful options:
- Leather trim
looks stylish and “expensive . Such surfaces retain their presentation for a long time and are very durable. Unfortunately, this furniture is not cheap, and not everyone can buy it. - Leatherette
can be an excellent alternative . This material of artificial origin is denser and does not differ much in appearance from natural material. However, furniture with such finishing does not tolerate temperature changes. In addition, leatherette begins to crack over time and abrasions remain on it. - Eco-leather
is more elastic and pleasant to the touch . This modern high-tech material looks very beautiful. Eco-leather is easy to paint, so furniture with such upholstery is now available in a variety of shades. But do not forget that scratches and defects easily remain on the surface of this artificial material, so an eco-leather sofa should be treated with care. - The most affordable models are those with fabric upholstery
. Most often, jacquard, chenille, velvet, corduroy, plush, cotton and other materials are used for furniture decoration.
Manufacturing materials
The frame of the ottoman is made of metal, wood, wood boards. In the first case, strong, durable products with an original design are obtained. Models with forged elements look elegant and sophisticated; they are usually created to order. Natural wood (cedar, walnut, oak, pine) is used in the manufacture of expensive furniture in a classic style. This is a natural material, environmentally friendly, strong, with a beautiful natural pattern. The products will decorate any interior even without elaborate finishing.
An ottoman made from chipboard is significantly inferior in quality to models made from natural solid wood, but it costs much less, so it is in demand.
Metal
Tree
Chipboard
Ease of use and service life of the product largely depend on the characteristics of the material used to create the base of the bed. Most often, the following options are used as a filler:
- Foam rubber. This is an elastic material that has long been used for the manufacture of upholstered furniture. It is low in cost, but wears out quickly and loses its shape, especially under heavy loads.
- Latex. Expensive, durable material, restores its shape well, retains high performance even with active and long-term use.
- Sintepon. Artificial raw materials with properties reminiscent of natural fluff. The material is resistant to stress and is hypoallergenic.
- Polyurethane foam. Synthetic filler is developed for the manufacture of soft furniture elements. The consistency is similar to a sponge, elastic material, holds its shape well under high loads.
Standard and non-standard sizes of single beds, nuances of choice
For upholstery, natural or artificial leather is used, as well as durable, wear-resistant and easy-to-care fabric. The material should not fade in the sun. It is better to give preference to fabrics with natural ingredients. They do not cause sweating and fit nicely to the body.
Popular upholstery fabric options: flock, jacquard, corduroy, velor, microfiber.
Foam rubber
Latex
Sintepon
Polyurethane foam
Faux leather
Flock
Velveteen
Velours
Jacquard
Microfiber
Couch
I would like to immediately note that if, for example, a sofa and an ottoman are stepsisters, then the couch is a more distant relative of the sofa. Since ancient times, couches were intended only for sitting. The ancestor of the couch can be called an ordinary chair with a back. Today, this one has acquired features closer to a sofa; it can also be used for sleeping. Only one person can fit comfortably on the couch.
The couch differs from others such as a sofa or ottoman in that it does not have backs. The couch only has a headboard. It will fit perfectly into the interior of a small apartment due to its compact size. The couch is also perfect for furnishing a kitchen, a small living room or a country terrace.
If you're looking for compact, stylish extra sleeping space for guests, a daybed is a good choice. Modern manufacturers have equipped couches with comfortable, spacious drawers for bedding, which is very convenient. And the variety of upholstery fabrics will please even the most demanding buyer.
Ottoman
This item is a low backless sofa. There is an ottoman with bolsters-armrests or one bolster - a headboard. In terms of its dimensions, the ottoman is much smaller than a standard sofa, but slightly larger and wider than a couch.
Initially, the ottoman was the queen of oriental furniture. There she stood in every house, covered with cloth or a carpet. Numerous pillows served as a kind of headboard. A little later, the fashion for ottomans came to Europe and Russia. Currently, manufacturers offer a wide variety of models: an ottoman with a headboard, an ottoman with a mattress, an ottoman with drawers for linen.
The ottoman is very convenient in that it can serve not only as a place for daytime rest, but also as a full-fledged additional place for sleeping at night. It can be installed in a children's room (due to its small size) or placed in a guest room. Thanks to the presence of drawers for linen, the ottoman can serve as a chest of drawers - additional storage space.
Quite often you can find an ottoman in a store that is equipped with a folding mechanism. The backrest lowers and the berth unfolds lengthwise. This allows you to get a full-fledged single bed with small furniture dimensions.
Features of the ottoman
The ottoman is an ancient type of sofa; it can be said to be its progenitor. A few thousand years ago it was popular all over the world and could be seen in many homes.
However, the current variety of furniture has forced the ottoman out of use. At its core, it is a small sofa that sits on small wooden legs. It was intended for sitting or daytime rest. In most cases, it did not have a folding mechanism in its design. Experts call such furniture a “small hybrid” of a sofa and a bed, which came to our region from Asian countries. In those areas, the ottoman was covered with a special carpet or linen with a national pattern and thus decorated the home interior.
Nowadays, this type of furniture can well serve as a sleeping place. It has small dimensions compared to sofas or a bed. For apartments with small rooms, where you need to place a lot of furniture and allocate a small area for sleeping, an ottoman will be an excellent option. Current technologies have made it possible to purchase an ottoman with a folding mechanism, which will become a small sleeping place.
Sofa
The ottoman's sister and fellow countrywoman is the sofa. She also came to us from the East. The sofa-sofa appeared in Europe only at the end of the 17th century and immediately gained wild popularity among the local aristocracy. At that time, a sofa was a small, comfortable seating area with armrests and a high back. The sofa-sofa was made exclusively for living rooms, where evenings and receptions were held. Therefore, the furniture had to be compact and narrow. At that time, the sofa was made from valuable wood and upholstered in silk or velvet. Numerous pillows were stuffed with goose down and were a luxurious addition.
Sofa and ottoman are pieces of furniture that were very popular in the last century. In the Soviet Union, they gave the palm to a set of an ordinary sofa and two armchairs, moving for permanent residence to country houses. But today they have begun to become designers' favorites again. The sofa returns from exile in the countryside and becomes a bright spot in the interior.
The modern sofa differs from its ancestors in its larger size. It has a small back height, but a decent width of the bed. If previously the sofa was only a place to relax during the day, today it is a full-fledged sleeping place. A folding sofa is very convenient for small rooms. Such furniture will save space in the room and will be a comfortable place to sleep.
Advantages
This furniture is in great demand for the reason that it consists not only of a comfortable bed, but also of spacious drawers in which you can store a wide variety of home textiles and bedding. Capacity depends on the model: some varieties can rival standard cabinets in terms of capacity. The only difference between wardrobes and an ottoman bed with drawers is that clothes in a drawer can only be folded, but in a closet they can be stored on hangers.
It’s not for nothing that we mentioned cabinets. If you purchase an ottoman bed with a lifting mechanism, the need for a closet disappears. Consequently, a considerable amount of space in the room is freed up - those same meters that may be needed for something else or will simply remain free, making the room more spacious.
If a regular bed needs to be made every day and covered with a blanket, then an ottoman bed with a lift does not have such problems: the entire bed is put away in a drawer, and the ottoman itself may not be covered, depending on what material it is made of.
But this is not the only way such furniture differs from an ordinary bed. Any housewife will tell you how inconvenient it is to wipe the dust and wash the floors under the beds (and plenty of dust accumulates there). The design of the ottoman bed is such that dust does not get trapped under it and cleaning in the bedroom or any other room where this furniture is located will be much easier. This is especially important for a children's room, where a fantastic number of a wide variety of items can be removed from under an ordinary bed when cleaning.
By the way, about objects: in the drawers under the bed you can store not only a bed, but also various things - shoes in boxes, old toys, etc.
This bed can have one or two backs; there are models with three backs. A very comfortable corner ottoman bed, which functionally fits into the interior of both the bedroom and the living room, and can turn from a resting place for family and guests into a comfortable place for a cozy sleep.
Corner option
Design solutions
The design of such an item is quite simple. The folding sofa has a special roll-out mechanism, with the help of which the length of the furniture becomes significantly longer. The convenient design allows you to place such a sofa in any room, even in a small kitchen. When folded, the sofa is small in size and compact. And when unfolded, it becomes an additional sleeping bed for guests or owners who want to relax.
Manufacturers also offer unusual options for this type of furniture. A corner sofa will also save space in the room, making it brighter and visually more spacious.
Canapes
The history of the sofa-canapé begins in France in the 17th-18th centuries. At that time, the Baroque style was very popular in Europe, in which this furniture was produced. Initially, it was difficult to call such a sofa a sofa. These were an upholstered chair or an upholstered bench. Over time, these two options merged together and became more similar to modern versions of the sofa-canapé.
This option has gained particular popularity in the USA and European countries. It is a symbiosis of a sofa and an ottoman, which is upholstered in fabric. The most commonly used wood is mahogany, cherry and walnut.
Blurring boundaries
The current trend in the world of furniture is such that the boundaries and differences between types of sofas are gradually disappearing. Furniture is becoming more functional, compact and versatile. In stores you can often find names on price tags: sofa-ottoman, sofa-canapé and other variations. The designs and folding mechanisms are also varied: a book, a telescope, a folding bed.
A bed is a full-fledged sleeping place with a headboard and footboard, traditionally used for sleeping. Once upon a time, boards were used at its base, on top of which mattresses stuffed with straw were thrown, then armored nets and horsehair mattresses were used, now comfortable orthopedic multi-layer mattresses are placed on top of the hard base.
Sofas (folding and regular) are multifunctional upholstered furniture, the characteristic feature of which is the back and armrests. The sleeping place also turns out to be comfortable - at its base are soft springs, foam rubber or other synthetic materials that have springy properties and allow you to evenly distribute the load on the bones and muscles of the skeleton during sleep.
A sofa is a symbiosis of a sofa and a bed. Like a sofa, it has a back, but the sofa does not fold out, and the armrests and back are the same height. Previously, mattresses stuffed with horsehair or wool were also placed on the wooden frame of the sofa, which were later replaced by springs and foam rubber. This is most often a one-and-a-half or double place to rest, which is complemented by numerous pillows of different sizes and shapes.
A wide ottoman does not transform either, but unlike a sofa, it does not have a back, but there may be a soft cushion at the head. This sleeping place is also complemented by pillows that replace the missing backrest.
The couch is always narrow and, as a rule, with a low headboard, soft and comfortable enough to sleep on even without a pillow.
What it is?
In everyday life, sofas and other similar types of furniture are often called sofas, but in fact, each of the names has a clear definition that allows you not to confuse the named pieces of furniture with each other. The sofa really looks like a sofa, but with its own special specificity - it has both armrests and a back, but they are the same height.
At the same time, the sofa in its original form does not fold out , because it is intended exclusively for daytime relaxation in a sitting position - that is why it is so appropriate in the living room. However, these days, designers often experiment with shape, crossing the sofa with other similar home furnishings.
The sofa was invented in the East , and its short name from Arabic is translated by a very long design - “cushion on a camel’s saddle.” The original version of such furniture suggested that one had to sit quite low, while the seat was covered with a large number of pillows in which one could drown.
Like any other furniture in past centuries, the sofa was more common in rich houses , where it was decorated accordingly - it was upholstered in leather, silk or even carpets, while the base was made of expensive woods like larch or cedar. Pillows could be stuffed with horsehair or sheep's wool - then they held their shape better and did not allow people to drown in them uncontrollably.
The sofa came to Europe only in the 18th century, but it quickly fell in love with local connoisseurs of luxury, and today it can be found in almost every country in the world.
What is more comfortable to sleep on?
Of course, the most comfortable sleeping place is a bed with an orthopedic mattress.
But for it, as a rule, you need a special bedroom, which is not always possible in small apartments and the lack of a sufficient number of rooms. Under these conditions, you can have a great night's sleep on a fold-out sofa, as well as on an ottoman or on a sofa - whichever is more suitable for the interior of your room and its size. Often such furniture is folding, with lowering backs, equipped with drawers for linen, which makes it multifunctional and allows you to use it both as a place for sitting or relaxing, and for sleeping. Therefore, in a one- or two-room apartment you simply cannot do without a sofa, sofa or ottoman. But the couch is not a suitable place for sleeping at night, and you will hardly be able to sleep well on it, it is too narrow. It is convenient to take a nap during the day or just lie down with a book. Both the sofa and the ottoman are atypical items for European interiors. The first was brought to the Old World from the Ottoman Empire, the second comes from Persia.
These sofas are united not only by their oriental origin, but also by their purpose - complete rest during the daytime. What is the difference between them?
In the classic version, the sofa
- a wide sofa whose backs and armrests are the same height. In a modern, Europeanized version, the armrests of the sofa may be lower than the backrest or even absent.
And here is the ottoman
in the traditional sense, it is a wide, low sofa without a back. However, in a modern interpretation, it can have a low back and the same armrests on one or both sides.
Thus, distinguishing between these types of living room sofas is sometimes difficult.
The couch is an aristocrat among sofas
The sofa-couch came into fashion under Louis XV. Initially, the couch looked like a couch with eight legs and did not have a headboard. Later, its shape changed - a back appeared, and half of the legs disappeared.
In a private interior, a couch is a piece for sitting in a relaxed position, slightly diagonally and not fully extending your legs.
There is a separate type of couch - recamier. It is easy to recognize by its specially shaped high armrest, which merges with the back at the end. You can sit on the river reclining on your side - in this case, its shape follows the curves of the body.
Is a chaise longue the same as a couch?
No. Unlike a couch, it is customary not to lie on a chaise longue, but to sit, leaning only slightly on the armrest.
Kozette literally translates as causette - “light conversation”, which fully corresponds to the purpose of this item. How to recognize her? A chaise longue is a cross between a sofa and a banquette. The first one has a backrest, the banquette does not, and the chaise longue has it in a “shortened” form.
In the classic version, the chaise longue is divided in two by a recess in the back. This can be explained historically - this piece of furniture was created as a private sofa for two. On it, lovers could talk, while their small distance from each other was emphasized.
