Decorating With Antiques: Sit Pretty on Settees and Sofas

One of the great things about decorating with antiques is that we get to handle, live with and put to use things from the past. This gives us a sense of connectedness and continuity with our forebears. With antiques, we’re using things in the present day in the same (or similar) ways that they were used in the past. I still store things in an antique chest of drawers; I still sit in an antique chair or settee.

“Taking a load off” has been a basic human need since the beginning of our existence, and much human ingenuity has been brought to bear to meet that need in ways that are both artistic and comfortable. Decorating with antique seating can be a fascinating and beautiful way to connect with how our ancestors accommodated rest and relaxation in their homes.

This classic Victorian settee, reupholstered in a bold modern stripe, is a great example of how the past and present can blend together to create something fresh.


Every Victorian household must have had something similar to this settee, since there are still so many around today. I must admit I’m partial to them, because I own one that belonged to my great-grandmother. I slept on it when I was a toddler, and I remember when I got too big for it. It has gone through several reupholsterings, and my wife and I have used it as a love seat and as a creative seat for two people at our dining table. This tufted version in black leather is particularly striking in an otherwise very modern living room.


One thing I appreciate about antique settees and love seats is that they are a great small-space design solution. The one pictured here not only makes a charming decorating statement, but fits comfortably at the foot of the bed without overwhelming it. It also provides a handy place for someone to sit and read, or have a cup of morning tea.

Or if you’re like me — not particularly meticulous — it’s the perfect place to throw your clothes when you’re ready to hop into bed.


This beautiful French settee with a gilt finish is lovely in a bedroom, but I can also see it setting a striking tone in an entry hall.

With pieces like this, a frame that’s sturdy and doesn’t wobble when you sit on it would be ideal. It would also be ideal if there were no broken springs impaling you, and if it were upholstered in a fabric that went perfectly with the other furnishings in your room.

Unfortunately, all those conditions are seldom the case. But happily, most upholstered furniture — even if it’s in pretty bad shape — is fixable. Frames can be reglued, springs can be redone, and upholstery can be replaced — it’s only a matter of money.

If you’re lucky enough to find a piece as delectable as this one, and if you have the means, it’s worth the investment to fix it up. Having something redone can be substantially more expensive than buying new, but the piece will be unique and really special.


In this small space, sofas would have been too big and chairs perhaps too small. But these elegant Louis-style settees are just right for accommodating up to four people. (Well, at least four small people.)

Again, if the piece is sturdy, and the fabric is in good shape and works in the space you have planned for it, lucky you! But if it needs reupholstering, remember you’ll be paying not only for four or five yards of fabric — which can easily run from $50 to $100 per yard or more — but you’ll also be paying for the upholsterer’s labor. Have you ever done any upholstering? I have, and I’ve concluded that the labor cost is worth every penny.


It might be hard to imagine life without sofas, but they didn’t exist before the 17th century. However, in the early 1600s, an upholstered settee was ordered for Knole House, a manor house in Kent, England, belonging to the Sackville-West family. This became an important prototype for today’s sofa.

The original Knole sofa featured finials at the top of the sides and back, and decorative tasseled ropes that tied the two together and could be loosened to angle the sides. The contemporary one shown here has the same design features as the original.


And then there’s the chesterfield. It’s a type of deep, completely upholstered sofa with rolled arms that are the same height as the back. Traditionally chesterfields were made in tufted, buttoned leather, though other fabrics can be used.

The chesterfield originated in England in the late 18th century, and legend says it is named for the trend-setting Earl of Chesterfield, who allegedly commissioned one. I once had a comely version in my study. It was so comfortable and had plenty of room to lie down and sleep. (Did you know that the word “couch” comes from the French “coucher,” meaning “to lie down”?)


The varieties of antique couches, sofas and settees are legion. Have you ever heard of a boudeuse, a canapé, a confidante, a tête-à-tête, a méridienne or an indescret? The interesting piece of furniture seen here, although not an antique, is most likely a modern version of a duchesse brisée — literally a “broken duchess” — which consists of two upholstered chairs joined together.

Each sofa variation was designed to accommodate a certain posture or social interaction that was all the rage at the moment. But they are still very usable today wherever you want to sit down on something artful and unique. If you’re interested in this kind of furniture trivia, you can find additional information here.


But when it comes to practicalities, we can be very thankful for the Victorians. They’re the ones who came up with coiled-spring technology in the 1830s. Think of what our tired derrieres owe to this innovative idea! Here, a painted Eastlake sofa provides the comfort of coiled springs and works well in a small living room where a modern sofa might have been too deep.


A coiled-spring fainting couch in a library offers a place for sitting and reading something interesting on a lazy afternoon.


Angled invitingly in a pink and red bedroom, this wonderful Victorian hybrid love seat/chaise eases the tensions of a long day. All of these models owe much of their success and comfort to the coiled spring.

Whether you need a seat in a bedroom, screened porch, dining nook, entry hall, living room, dressing room or even a bathroom, consider the variety of compelling options afforded by antique sofas and settees.

More: Decorating With Antiques: Armoires, the Versatile Beauties

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