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Difference between a sofa and a couch?

Is that a question you always wanted to ask but were afraid to look silly? Here’s the answer, a couch was initially designed as an armless piece of furniture, back in the Victorian period. The history of the word comes from the French term "to lie down." In recent times, a couch has gotten arms but now sits on the floor, this is a Sofa. The term originates from Arabic and means a piece of furniture on which you can recline or sit but not lie done! So now what do you think? Are you a sofa person or a couch person? The best way to decide is to gauge how your living room centre seater is likely to be treated. Will you be lying down to watch TV on it or will you enjoy your morning cup of tea with a newspaper? Are there kids or pets in the house and what about the dust situation? These are all factors that need to be considered before making a purchase that sits as the focal piece in your living room.

A couch is great for the family feeling, it is usually lush and spacious with cushioning that makes you sink in. It is great for tucking in for a late night movie and for sitting on and reading to the kids. A couch adds a touch of comfort to an otherwise formal room and is great for naps. Cleaning a couch can be slightly tricky however. The material of which the couch is made, whether leather or artificial leather, makes deep grooves over time, these are hard to reach cracks and can collect dirt and dust. Always check with your furniture provider for cleaning details and make sure you scrub down your couch every six months or so. A sofa on the other hand is formal and elegant. Depending upon the type you see befitting your living room, a sofa can add a lot of class to a room. You can choose from modern sofas, with angular cuts, metal additions and bold colours or go in for a more staid one, all in wood. Sofas are slightly easier to maintain since they are fabricated from two materials. You can use a wood or metal polish for the arms and legs and do check with your furniture provider about the maintenance of the sofa fabric.

Another interesting type of sofa is the ‘Divan’, very common to India; it has gained considerable popularity in the West too. Since it is backless it adds a look of laid back comfort to any room, you can deck it up with comfortable cushions in assorted shapes and sizes and bring back a piece of traditional decor to your home. Happy decorating!