Who Made the First Couch and Sofa? The History of Modern Furniture
Over the past few centuries, sofa has been given many names to become the most popular furniture item in the world. No home in the 21st century can be imagined without a large fabric sofa or leather couch. In urban as well as non-urban areas of Australia, sofa holds a pivotal place in shaping the aesthetics of any home. But sofa was not always called sofa; many different cultures pronounced it differently by giving it names such as lounger, davenport, couch, or even chesterfield.
Sofas significantly vary in shapes, colors, and styles. In different offices and homes, sofas are placed just where they are needed the most including corner sofas, three-sweater sofas near the television, two-seater sofas, or chaise lounges. Let’s not forget that these beautiful cozy seats are perfect for romantic dinners and telling stories to your kids. But, not many people know sofas historically; detail like where they came from, how they got popular, and how people could not imagine their lives without sofas.
If you still don’t know the answer to these questions, then let us increase your knowledge vies this post to discover the brief history of sofas in your house.
Historically Speaking About Sofas
The first upholstery items that we call sofas today came from around the period of 18th century. These were the days of the dynasty of the ancient Egypt. Those were the days back in the history when kings of Egyptian pharaohs were buried in large tombs with different items and goods. It was believed that these goods were essential to make their transition to the afterlife more comfortable.
For example, in 1922, the mummy of the boy king Titan was found by the archeologists. The archeologist Howard Carter reveals that he was utterly surprised to find may precious things and treasure items alongside the dead body of the boy king. Among those treasure items, the royal couches were also among the precious items of furniture. The history shows that these items of upholstery or sofas were specially created those days to keep the spirit of the king in peace.
While looking at the sofa’s pictures, the Egyptian furniture reveals that that the sofa was innovatively crafted by the furniture makers by using advanced techniques. There were incredibly skilled workers who did a fantastic job in placing the dead body and the furniture together; these items survived for centuries until discovered in the 20th century. Much of the information was put together that survived for centuries. This type of mastery is hard for modern day furniture makers to achieve.
Some people also believe that the name sofa was also originated from an ancient Arabic where people used the word ‘suffer’; it was named to call a long-form bench in those days. After Egyptians, the ancient Romans also started to build amazing loungers, couches, and sofa items that became adorable pieces of upholstery in many royal homes. The roman household started using these upholstery items commonly. This is when a sofa started to become an accepted piece of furniture in every household.
In the Western World
It is said that in the Western world, sofa an upholstery items were developed slowly during the era of 1500 to 1600. In most Western homes, there were small houses that contained no or very little furniture items. People did used basic straw lined beds in their living rooms to sleep at night; but sofa was never accepted as a necessity in Europe. That means owning a sofa or couch or a lounger was surely considered a luxury those days.
The early sofa was designed similar to the early settlers. Their formation mostly contained oak sections that were long and contained great carpentry. That helped the crafters to develop new styles of sofas that became a part of some most affluent homes and families. In 1620, church and gothic style and paneling became more famous. The settee or sofa was only adopted as a household furniture item in the later centuries when building materials and architectures started to improve rapidly in the Western world. Those were the days when people started building more structured and beautiful houses. The inhabitant of those houses often used tapestries; however, they preferred the closes items of upholstery as sofas or couches.
This proves that sofas and couches in the 17th century were in the form of wooden long benches and they were improved significantly in the later years to cope the cold and damp weather effects. With more robust building techniques and sound proof buildings in the 20th century, fabric sofas and couches became more popular.
The Final Words
The amazing history of sofas reveal that couch cleaning Sydney is the most important function of a modern household in Australia. Times have changed; nowadays, without upholstery steam cleaning and Curtain Cleaning Sydney professional services, you cannot keep your upholstery items in prime conditions. Always hire Pro Sofa Clean as the trustable company to clean your L-shaped lounge cleaning company. We offer peace and satisfaction to clients.
September 7, 2021 @ 3:44 pm
Thanks for this article. But is there any difference between a sofa and a couch? In America, “couch” and “sofa” are often interchanged, since they’re built long upholstered furniture designed for relaxing.
Historically, a couch and a sofa are distinct. The word “couch” probably comes from the French word “couche”, meaning a piece of furniture without arms used for lying.” While a sofa” is “a long, upholstered seat with arms and a back.
Arms seemed to be the old distinguishing feature between a couch and a sofa. So technically, “sofa” is the correct term.