Take a seat

Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Allum looks at the evolution in both style and comfort of sofas, from the 17th century through to the 1960s

Marc Allum explores the history and design appeal of sofas

Sofa or settee? When I was growing up there was a definite snobbery attached to which word you used. Journalist and novelist Nancy Mitford once attempted to set the record straight with her 1950s essay:

‘U’ and ‘Non-u’, meaning ‘U’ for upper class and ‘Non-u’ for the middle classes. This highlighted the insecurities of the aspiring middle-classes who apparently over-stressed the ‘poshness’ of things by using more complicated words than the upper-classes. According to Mitford, it is a sofa, whereas I grew up calling it a settee – I was obviously aspiring to be middle class…

It is interesting how such notions endure and influence our ideas on taste and design. There are other names for this most ubiquitous piece of home furnishing, such as couch, canapé or chesterfield, but in antique terms, most have very specific forms.

What’s in a name?

The appearance of the word sofa in the English language seems to originate in the 17th century and

was derived from European visits to the Middle

East in which the ‘sopha’ referred to a raised comfortable seating area festooned with cushions and carpets. Settles - a form of wooden seat around since the medieval period - were very common, and the evolution from a hard wooden bench-like seat, perhaps with a high back to stop the draughts, seems like a relatively easy step.

It was the French, however, who ‘invented’ our common notion of the sofa’s upholstered form. High-backed and comfortably upholstered twoand three-seaters known as ‘Os de mouton’ – the name of which refers to the form of the wavy stretchers which were like sheep’s bones – quickly translated to the English market, where there were parallels in the comfortable William and Mary high-back sofas of the 17th century. The elegance of the canapé in the 18th century, with its open, upholstered framework caught on, too, and was a common accessory in more stately surroundings. It greatly influenced our historical furniture makers, such as Chippendale and Hepplewhite, but also gave rise to quirky variations, such as the chair-back sofa. By the mid-19th century the word sofa had come into more common usage in Britain.

Style over substance

Given the large choice available, buying sofas at auction or from antiques dealers is generally all about two things – the look and the comfort. Form and function are a movable feast in seating; while I have three sofas in the living room,

only one is comfortable to sit on. The first is a French Empire mahogany three-seater, which is very elegant but rather like sitting on a park bench, much like the second, a Louis XVI parcel gilt four-seater, but the third is a comfortable modern Kingcombe sofa. All were purchased at auction and, as such, constituted good value.

It is always interesting to note, however, that sofas can seem like very good value until you realise that the reupholstery cost can be prohibitive. Bearing in mind that a rather good-looking William IV rosewood sofa may cost £1,000 at auction, it is quite conceivable that fabric and allied upholstery expenses can easily amount to an extra £1,500.

With modern sofas there is also the added factor that they must comply with current fire regulations, so sofas bought at auction also have to conform to these rules. Antique soft furnishings are not subject to these laws, but if in doubt, you can always check with Trading Standards.

Premier seats

Fashion is a big driver in determining value. Having worked in the antiques trade for decades, I often wince at the prices of modern sofas compared to buying in the antiques and auction world. I also realise, however, that buying secondhand isn’t to everybody’s taste.

The shabby ‘country house look’ can add pounds to a grand old worn leather chesterfield, the sort of gentleman’s club type sofa typically in red or green leather. 1920s and 1930s ‘Deco’ leather sofas can also command high prices, but restoration of leather can be difficult and prohibitive. Many would have started life as parts of three-piece suites. Values can run to several thousand, even at auction.

Chasing down named seating at auction is a valuable skill, too, with various makers, such as

Howard and Sons, commanding high premiums. The style of a leg, a caster type or seating shape can be the difference between £300-£400 at auction or £1,200-£1,500, while the retail differential can be even bigger. Knowing where to find marks is part and parcel of tracking down good items.

Refined to retro

If it is a more formal or elegant style you are looking for then there is a plethora of 19th- and early 20thcentury reproductions of all of the Louis styles.

Well suited to more refined interior decoration or as smaller hallway seating, a gilt or painted framed French canapé can often be purchased at auction in the mid hundreds. Period examples are rare and naturally more expensive. Other continental styles, such as the refined simplicity of Biedermeier birch furniture are always alluring. Period examples from the early 19th century are often not prohibitive but the style was also revived in the early 20th century because it melded well with Art Deco.

Post-war design heralded a new era and the sofa also became more versatile as a piece of furniture, such as George Nelson’s convertible daybed sofa for Herman Miller. Originals can cost several thousand but modern versions are still made under licence.

‘Retro’ is a rather overused word these days but its importance in redefining modern interiors and also the reinvention and reuse of older, often unwanted sofas, has been interesting. Ercol, G Plan and even Parker Knoll have seen a strong revival. 20 years ago we couldn’t sell Ercol ‘Windsor’ sofas, yet now they make hundreds at auction. However, seating of this period must be reupholstered in fireproof materials – so do check.

Whatever your style, or views on comfort, it is possible to mix types of antique sofas. For me, though, it is often a case of form over function.

This image: Antique sofas come in many styles and forms, with some less designed for comfort, while others are more focused on relaxation, such as this carved and cane Edwardian bergère seat with loose cushions Opposite, clockwise from top left: Victorian mahogany sofa with carved cabriole legs and toes, Philip Hunt Antiques; 1950s design for G Plan, reupholstered in grey velvet, Vinterior; Louis XV period beech frame sofa, the serpentine-shaped fronts carved with floral emblems, upholstered in a 19th-century tapestry, Windsor House Antiques; rare Howard & Sons Louis XV model sofa, C.1870, Lorfords; Swedish Biedermeier birch sofa, originally a 19th-century style that was a simplified interpretation of the French Empire style of Napoleon I, and then revived in the early 20th century, 1stdibs

Top and above left: Mid-century designs have experienced a strong revival, such as this Ercol bentwood elm daybed and 1960s sofa, both Vinterior;

Above right: With its flat, well-shaped back, this satin birch Biedermeier, circa 1850s, was designed to sit against a wall, from Marylebone Antiques

Below: George Nelson’s daybed for Herman Miller was a versatile post-war sofa design, 1stdibs

Clockwise from top left: A style designed more for looks rather than comfort, mid-victorian double-ended sofa, Georgian Antiques; there is a plethora of 20th-century reproductions of Louis sofas, like this French Louis XV style, Vinterior; the shabby ‘country house’ look, such as on this worn Victorian chesterfield, is much sought after, Georgian Antiques; one on which to perch – French mahogany Edwardian sofa, Philip Hunt Antiques