Orlando Sentinel

Looking for alternativ­es to couches for seating?

- By Cathy Hobbs

While sofas are often the go-to seating option, a smaller seat would be ideal in many cases. This is where seating and sleep solutions such as day beds, chaises and benches can play a useful and purposeful role.

Chaises are typically shorter versions of a sofa. They sometimes come in more organic shapes and

Chaises:

may include softer lines and rounded arms. Chaises can be great choices in smaller spaces or nooks in bedrooms and offices.

Day beds: Perhaps you picture a day bed to be a piece of furniture made of white or black painted iron, padded with an ill-fitting mattress and camouflage­d with toss pillows. This may have been the standard day bed of decades past, but nowadays, day beds can serve as an attractive, sleek and even modern addition, especially in smaller rooms or spaces.

Benches: Benches are considerab­ly thinner and smaller than day beds. Benches can be used for function as well as aesthetics. They work well in entryways or at the foot of a bed, as well as in small niches and nooks where a larger piece of furniture typically would not fit. In entertainm­ent spaces such as a living or family room, benches can also provide extra seating and even be used as an alternativ­e to a traditiona­l coffee table. Ottomans: Ottomans, typically half the size of a bench, are the most versatile items on the list when compared to a day bed or bench. Ottomans can either be used alone or in pairings, often in a set of two or three. They’re great for extra seating, as a footrest or as a decorative furniture element to

introduce a fun material or fabric into a space. Ottomans can also come in

various shapes, including rectangles, circles, squares and ovals.

 ?? COURTESY ?? A day bed creates an option for seating, relaxing and sleeping in a smaller bedroom.
COURTESY A day bed creates an option for seating, relaxing and sleeping in a smaller bedroom.

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