What is a sofa: types and fashion trends
If you have a desire to create an original interior with light notes of aristocracy, then you should buy a beautiful and elegant sofa. As a rule, these interior items have small dimensions, which allows them to be located not only in the bedroom or living room, but also in the narrow hallway, loggia or even in the kitchen. After reading this article, you will learn what a sofa is, understand the types of such furniture and fashion trends.
What it is?
The sofa sofa is a very practical and convenient invention that boasts excellent performance characteristics. Outwardly, this furniture resembles a small sofa, complemented by an elegant back and armrests.
But do not think that the sofa can only be used as a beautiful seat.Many models are complemented by folding beds. Such varieties can be equipped with high-quality and comfortable orthopedic mattresses.
What is different from the sofa, couch and couch?
Sofa, couch and couch - these 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
Sofa with confidence can be called a bright representative of Turkish flavor. At the present time, 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 the backrest is a hallmark of the sofa. This item is not in the ottoman.
There are two types of such fashionable Turkish furniture:
- Classic models. Such products are wide sofas, designed to rest. They do not have folding or vykatnyh mechanisms.
- Folding models. These types of sofa have a more compact size. They contain folding mechanisms and additional storage systems (linen drawers and sections).
Couch
Ottoman is a very popular furniture in Asia.There she 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 the headboard takes the place of a small size. Quite often, these types of equip armrests.
A distinctive feature of an ottoman is its width. Such furniture can be used both as a seat, and as a comfortable bed. 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. About the ottoman can not accidentally hit and get hurt.
Couch
An interesting design is distinguished by stylish couches. Previously, this name meant chairs or hard chairs. Today, this furniture is a single bed with a beautiful headboard.
Most often couches are compact, have a small height. Such furniture can be placed in a small room.
As a rule, couches are complemented by height-adjustable headboards.It is impossible not to note the spectacular and elegant design of these products. With the help of a correctly selected couch, you can “revive” almost any interior.
Often you can find exquisite couches, in which there are folding mechanisms and drawers for bedding.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of the original sofa is its versatility. Such furniture is often supplemented by various mechanisms and in the opened state can turn into a full-fledged sleeping bed. During the day, it can be a small neat little sofa, and with the onset of night it can be transformed into a comfortable bed.
Such furniture is cheap - 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 bought even for a very small room.
The sofa bed can have an orthopedic basis. Such furniture can be equipped with an orthopedic mattress. The backbone and back on such a sleeping bed will always be in the correct position. 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 has a large number of additional details.
They often break in such furniture, and they have to be repaired or changed. It is because of exposure to breakdowns that many buyers refuse such acquisitions.
Kinds
The graceful sofa can be executed in the most different options:
- Classic sofa has an elongated rectangular shape and is equipped with a back and armrests. Stationary models do not have additional mechanisms and inserts. Particularly elegant and “expensive” look products with beautiful carved details, leather upholstery and furniture studs. Such fashionable interior items will look impressive in aristocratic rooms.
- Very popular today corner sofa. Most often, these models are equipped with high or medium backs, and the armrests may not be. Such varieties are ideal for small rooms.They can be put in one of the free corners, leaving a lot of free space. Corner sofas are equipped with folding berths: choosing this option, you must take into account the dimensions in the unfolded state.
- Currently in high demand furniture with the mechanism of "evrosofa". Any designs-transformers are universal and guest.
- Universal mechanisms designed for regular use and equipped with more reliable bases.
- Guest copies are more fragile, therefore they are not recommended to be used every day. As a rule, such furniture is used to accommodate guests who stay overnight.
The Eurosof mechanism itself is robust and can be used regularly. In such systems there is a small number of moving parts and other additional parts that can quickly fail.
Unfold such furniture is very simple. To do this, you need to push the tail bar to the width of the single-sleeping bed, and take up the vacated space with the backrest.
It is worth noting,that a sofa with such a mechanism would allow a large laundry box to be placed in its interior.
Today, models are often found with functional lifting mechanism. In such designs, the mattress together with the base rises upwards, revealing a spacious niche of the sofa frame. Many people store there bedding, pillows, blankets and more.
One of the most popular and comfortable are orthopedic models. They contain high-quality bases with wooden lamellae. These designs enhance the orthopedic properties of mattresses. Such beds are ideal for a healthy sleep and good rest. A mattress with an independent spring block can be installed on the base of such models. The choice of a suitable product depends on the location of the lamellas at the base and their size.
The original design is different sofa without back. This fashionable furniture has a small size. Especially attractive are models without a back, but with beautiful armrests. Similar products can be put in almost any room. The main thing is that the ensemble should be designed in the same style.
No less attractive look high back options. The trend of the last seasons are models with a luxurious four-sided tie or elegant figured backs, decorated with furniture studs and rhinestones.
More modern designs are stylish models without armrests. Most often there are such sofas, equipped with low legs made of wood or metal.
Variants without armrests with long legs and elongated backs on metal frames are hardly suitable for home furnishings. Most often such products are found in public places: cafes, offices, hospitals.
Models without armrests can be added with pillows. They can play the role of side supports and visually make the furniture more voluminous.
Styles
Sofa can be made in any style. It is better to get acquainted with some attractive and interesting options:
- Provence. Models in this style can be made of natural and light materials. They should be easy. The fabric upholstery of the Provencal sofa can have a light pastel shade, stripes or unobtrusive little prints.
- Classic. In a beautiful classic interior, a model with a carved back, legs and armrests will look harmonious. It is recommended to choose options from a natural tree of different shades. The color of the material should be selected in accordance with the color scheme of the room.
- Modern A sofa that combines several different materials at once is ideal for a modern room. This style provides for ornateness and asymmetry in furniture. Competently selected sofa will stand out in any interior and attract attention.
- High tech. In the room, decorated in the style of hi-tech, it is recommended to put concise and minimalist furniture, made of modern high-quality materials.
- Baroque. This luxurious and artsy style provides for the presence in the interior of furniture with elegant lines and carved edging. A model with a figured headboard, carved legs and graceful curved armrests are suitable for such a room.
Transformation mechanisms
Modern upholstered furniture is often complemented by various mechanisms. Each of them acts according to a certain principle.
Eurobook
The most popular is the mechanism called "eurobook". It can be attributed to the usual classics, 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 the rapid deterioration of parts of the structure. Sofas and sofas with such systems can easily be placed near the wall.
Such models may seem outwardly too large, but this disadvantage is compensated by a spacious and comfortable sleeping place.
As a rule, the transformer "eurobook" is complemented by spacious linen drawers. With the help of such furniture, you can significantly save space in the room and abandon unnecessary cabinet cabinets.
Pantograph
Another reliable mechanism is the "pantograph". Furniture with this design combines all the positive qualities of the traditional "Eurobook". In this product, there is a slightly different mechanism for the decomposition of the seat. In sofas and sofas with similar systems there are no wheels, which leave behind ugly marks on the floor coverings.
The seats with the “pantograph” mechanism are moved apart without touching the floor.Because of this distinctive feature, such models are also called “walking”. Sleeping in such models is expanded from the back, which falls and stands on the vacant seat. A pantograph is a very simple mechanism that even a small child or a fragile girl can easily cope with.
Vykatny mechanism
It is one of the strongest and most durable. It contains strong and durable compounds. You can use the furniture with such a system regularly.
Such constructions are laid out very simply: you need to pull the handle, which is located on the front of the furniture, and push the berth forward for the entire length, since the front part will pull out the rest of the structure.
Roll-out products often have small sizes and are perfect for premises of various areas.
Dolphin
The mechanism with the memorable name "dolphin" is most often used in the angular design. Such systems are very simple and durable. Furniture with a dolphin mechanism is designed for heavy loads and regular operation.
Accordion
A mechanism called "accordion" is very simple and fast folding. Furniture with such equipment takes up very little space, which does not affect its practicality and functionality. When using a sofa with an accordion mechanism, the bed is very even and is located at a great distance from the floor.
French cot
The most unreliable mechanism is the "French folding bed." It is not designed for regular use and is added only to low-cost guest products. As a rule, interior items with similar structures are lightweight, mobile and take up little space in the room. However, they have cheap lattice bases, which easily melt and break down.
Dimensions
The sofa can be equipped with a single or double bed for rest and sleep. The dimensions of the bed in these interior items are directly dependent on the size of their buildings.
In large models, a spacious mattress with dimensions of 90 × 200, 72 × 200, 90 × 205, 120 × 200 cm can be installed.
Compact options are most often equipped with more modest single beds.Too narrow sofas, the width of which does not exceed 50-60 cm, are usually stationary and are not complemented by folding mechanisms.
Material
Sofas are made of various materials.
Of course, the most attractive, durable and environmentally friendly is rightfully recognized. natural wood. Such a high-quality material has not only unsurpassed performance characteristics, but also an excellent design.
The most used are such species as oak, alder, rattan, beech, cedar, walnut, birch and pine. Such furniture is not cheap, especially when it comes to oak and beech models. More affordable are birch and pine sofas. These materials are characterized by elasticity and pleasant texture.
If you still purchased solid wood furniture, then you need to provide it with special care.
Such natural material should be treated with special protective impregnations from time to time. They are able to extend the life of the tree and maintain its attractive appearance for many years. It's no secret that this natural material is subject to the emergence of various parasites.To prevent their reproduction, you can use special protective compositions.
More affordable are options from MDF and chipboard. However, these materials do not have high wear resistance and durability. Moreover, cheap chipboard is completely toxic and dangerous to health, since its production uses formaldehyde resins.
The most durable and reliable is metal furniture. A sofa made from such material will serve its owners for many years. However, it should be borne in mind that these pieces of furniture are suitable only for more modern interiors. For strict classics or chic Empire, they are absolutely not suitable.
Different materials can also be used for sofa upholstery.
Consider the most common and beautiful options:
- Stylish and “expensive” looks leather trim such elegant furniture. Such surfaces maintain their marketable appearance for a long time and are very durable. Unfortunately, this furniture is not cheap, and not everyone can buy it.
- A great alternative can be leatherette. This material of artificial origin is more dense and looks little different from natural.However, furniture with such a finish does not tolerate temperature differences. In addition, the leatherette with time begins to crack, there are scuffs on it.
- More elastic and pleasant to the touch is eco-leather. This modern high-tech material looks very beautiful. Ecoskin easily gives in to coloring, therefore the furniture with such upholstery is presented today in the most different shades. But you should not forget that scratches and defects easily remain on the surface of this artificial material, therefore, you should be careful with an eco-leather sofa.
- The most affordable models are fabric upholstered. Most often for the decoration of furniture used Jacquard, Chenille, velvet, corduroy, plush, cotton and other materials.
Where to put?
Sofa will look harmonious in a variety of settings. For example, it can be attributed to the bedroom. Larger models with folding beds can replace the usual massive beds.
You can put a sofa in the living room. In such spaces, such furniture is most often used as a comfortable and beautiful seat on which you can accommodate at least two people.Sofa can complement the seating area in the hall. In this case, the furniture should be kept in the same style and echo with other products in color.
Elegant narrow sofa can be put in the hallway. You can pick up a concise and small model without a back or armrests. It will not take up much space, which is often not enough in the corridors.
Sofa will look good in the office, made in a solid classic style. For such rooms, the best option would be a model of natural lacquered wood, having carved elements and graceful back bends.
Many people put a sofa on the loggia. Due to its compact size, this furniture fits easily into a very limited space and makes it more functional.
Ideas in the interior
An elegant forged sofa with high legs, an elegant back and armrests trimmed with a red fabric will look very impressive against the background of elegant light wallpaper with milky patterned prints and stripes in the lower half.
The floor in such a room can be trimmed with a glossy light material. Complete the interior with large decorative vases, wall paintings with luxurious frames, large ceiling chandeliers and thick golden curtains on the windows.
A beautiful small sofa of golden hue with a wave-like back and elegant armrests can be positioned against the background of white walls and light parquet.
Complement the interior with a wooden light nightstand with carved legs, fluffy gray carpet, large vases with fresh flowers and large wall paintings in pink tones. A golden table lamp and a tall white floor lamp with a gold base can be used as lighting.
A chic sofa with black leather upholstery will be in harmony with the coffee walls and the floor, covered with brown laminate. Indoors you can hang pictures in orange tones, put a wooden dark cabinet. You can also hang translucent white curtains on the walls.
The light gray fabric sofa will organically look in a white room with soft caramel parquet. Behind the sofa you can put a white bookcase, you can also equip a white fireplace. Complement the interior with multi-colored pillows on the sofa, contrasting paintings on white walls and fresh flowers.
A white small sofa with wooden legs should be placed in a “cold” gray-blue room with a white ceiling and a floor laid with dark parquet.A dark brown wooden dresser with a large monochrome pattern on the surface will look good next to the sofa. Complete the interior with a ceiling chandelier in classic style, light floor carpet and pale blue curtains.
In the bedroom with creme brulee walls you can put a high sofa with wrought-iron armrests and a back. Such furniture should be supplemented with a voluminous mattress and white pillows. The floor in the room can be laid out with a chocolate-colored laminate. Put a white bedside table with a table lamp near the sofa, and above it hang a light picture with a golden frame.
More types of sofa are presented in the next video.