Antique Loveseat Styles And Identification Guide

Antique loveseats are cherished by people who have great taste. But the process of identifying an authentic antique loveseat may prove to be a handful!

Back in the day, loveseats were a symbol of fashion and royalty. It is rather remarkable how they have still stood their ground as statement-makers in the furniture industry.

Many antique collectors and buyers wish to get their hands on such furniture items to give their living room an elegant and nostalgic touch. But to find a piece worthy of your bucks can become a tedious task.

For this purpose, we have dedicated this article to all those of you who wish to get a quick insight along with a few tips & tricks on antique furniture identification!

Antique Loveseat Styles And Identification Guide

What Is A Loveseat?

Broadly speaking, a loveseat is any sofa big enough to accommodate at least two people.

But you might be wondering why it’s called a loveseat and not just a simple sofa instead, right?

Since it was essentially designed to accommodate two people, it was sought that a loveseat sofa brings two people ‘together’ and ‘close’, hence the name!

It won’t be wrong to call a two seater sofa a loveseat!

The term ‘loveseat’ first made its debut in the 17th century.

It was also rumored that loveseats were manufactured so that ladies wearing long and heavy gowns or dresses could sit comfortably since chairs only offered a confined space with minimal comfort!

What Are The Different Styles Of Loveseats?

1. Boudeuse Loveseat Sofa

Napoleon III Boudeuse upholstered with velvet and lace trimmings
Napoleon III Boudeuse upholstered with velvet and lace trimmings. Source: messynessychic.com

With its unique style, the Boudeuse sofa became an eye catcher for many purchasers!

Think of it as a plain ottoman couch but a single partition that served as a back support for two people.

So two people would share a common back support whilst sitting in opposite directions!

Boudeuse in french translates to ‘sulking’, which suggests the idea of how two lovers would sit when they are cross from one another!

This loveseat originated circa the 19th century in the land of France, where it was made sure that it was crafted in luxury upholstery and intricate royal designs to make every living space come to life!

The seat would be equipped with spring coils underneath a thick foamy sheet to ensure maximum comfort.

2. Camelback Loveseat Sofa

Vintage Camel Back Loveseat Sofa Blue
Vintage Camel Back Loveseat Sofa Blue

The camelback loveseat stood out as a very popular design. So popular that we can witness its active style replication in our very own furniture industry.

It is so called because it has a ‘middle hump’ in the back support region of the sofa, similar to that of a camel!

Its rolled arms synchronize with the rolled legs. Although, the legs are subject to a lot of variation and do not strictly follow a curved pattern.

The camelback loveseat sofa originated circa the 18th century.

3. Canape A Confidante Loveseat Sofa

A Napoleon III Upholstered Canapé à Confidante Sofa, circa 1870.
A Napoleon III Upholstered Canapé à Confidante Sofa, circa 1870.

This fancy loveseat sofa also originated in France during the 18th century and was designed with much elegance and style in mind!

The sofa extends to form a right angle at the end of each corner to offer two extra seats (apart from the middle sofa junction).

This particular loveseat mimics the rococo style and was famous during the Louis XV era.

The Canape A Confidante has many style variations but the base architecture remains the same.

It is a three seater loveseat.

4. Chair Back Settee Loveseat Sofa

Antique Victorian Settee Loveseat Chair
Antique Victorian Settee Loveseat Chair

This one first emerged in the 17th century and kept evolving up until the 19th century. It stood out as a popular and lived design in the furniture industry.

The chair back settee had numerous back support frames that gave the illusion of multiple chairs combined to form a sofa!

The arms and legs were subject to quite a lot of variation but most of them had curved legs with rolled arms.

5. Tete A Tete Settee Loveseat Sofa

Tete a Tete Antique 1895 Oak S Shape Double Chair Sofa
Tete a Tete Antique 1895 Oak S Shape Double Chair Sofa

This loveseat has an S-shaped design that joins together two chairs facing in opposite directions.

The ‘S’ shaped back is shared mutually by both the chairs. This loveseat is similar to the Indescret Loveseat mentioned below because they both were designed to help people interact with one another!

It is equipped with spring coils in the seat to ensure comfort.

The Tete A Tete first surfaced during the 1830s and was designed under the influence of Victorian architecture and style.

6. Windsor Settee Loveseat Sofa

1800 American Windsor Settee
1800 American Windsor Settee

This one comprises a long bench equipped with a fence-shaped backrest that keeps numerous parallel spindles intact.

Unlike typical loveseats, this one has more than two legs! Six, to be exact, or even more!

The Windsor can definitely accommodate more than 3-4 people. It is very similar to the benches we spot in parks.

Its design is usually simple and plain.

This is one of the oldest loveseats on our list! It originated during the mid-1700s and gained a lot of popularity.

7. Chesterfield Loveseat Sofa

Burgundy Red Leather English Style Chesterfield Settee Loveseat Leathercraft
Burgundy Red Leather English Style Chesterfield Settee Loveseat Leathercraft

We have all heard of this one right?

The most characteristic features of this loveseat are its broad rolled arms and buttoned fabric or leather.

The arms are continuous with the back which too falls into a backward roll.  The Chesterfield was mostly furnished in leather but the use of other upholstery was also common.

This loveseat originated circa the 18th century and was a cherished design amongst royals of Chesterfield!

8. Davenport Loveseat Sofa

davenport
davenport

This box-shaped or square loveseat was invented by the Davenport Company of Boston. They have tall back support coupled with short arms and legs.

The Davenport loveseat also gave rise to the popular sofa-cum-beds that would easily elongate to serve as a bed upon unfolding!

9. Indiscret Loveseat Sofa

Three-seat roundabout indiscret

This loveseat is also very unique. It forms a swirl to serve as a three-seater and looks quite hypnotizing in my opinion!

Think of it as three single-seater sofas combined into one, with all of them sharing the same back support around a circumference.

The Indiscret loveseat originated circa the mid 19th century in France, where it took its verse as a sofa that could help engage conversation between people!

10. Meridienne Day Bed Loveseat Sofa

Meridienne Day Bed
Meridienne Day Bed

This also happens to be a personal favorite of mine. Day beds are also known as fainting couches and serve as an excellent piece of furniture to light up any living space.

The Meridienne day bed made its debut in the furniture industry around the 1800s during the reign of the French Empire’s dominance.

With its descending back support that merges into a long flatbed, it is bound to impress all visitors alike. It is also very comfortable, one can retire onto it for a quiet afternoon nap.

The headrest and legs are usually curved or rolled but these parts are also subject to a lot of variation.

11. Recamier Day Bed Loveseat Sofa

English Regency-style (19th Century) mahogany and brass inlaid roll arm récamier with maroon and gold star design upholstery.
English Regency-style (19th Century) mahogany and brass inlaid roll arm récamier with maroon and gold star design upholstery.

Another day bed with a slight design modification.

Instead of having a sloping back like the Meridienne day bed, this one doesn’t have a slop at all! In turn, it incorporates a sloped headrest that goes only mid-way to the length of the day bed.

Although more antique versions of it were manufactured without any headrest at all.

This royal day bed is also a product of France and was embellished with superior quality fabric along with tassels to make it look royal.

How To Identify An Antique Sofa?

Now that you are familiar with a few antique loveseat styles, let us explore a few tips and tricks to help you identify some authentic pieces of antique furniture!

1. Examine Thoroughly

Examine every aspect of the loveseat.

It would surprise you to hear that the most important part to visualize is to be the underside of the sofa- the part that is often overlooked!

Antique loveseats were joined together using dovetail joints and the use of glue was absent.

2. Hand Carvings

The value of handmade things was valued at that time since there weren’t any machines.

So the carvings or designs you would spot in an authentic antique sofa would usually be done by hand.

3. Horsehair Padding

This was the sort of padding opted for in the old times since foam was not discovered back then.

4. Metal Frames

Frames were usually made of metal to support and strengthen the furniture.

5. Look For Signs of Refurbishing

Heavily polished and squeaky clean antiques are indications of a refurbished piece.

Highly polished furniture was not so common back in the day.

Conclusion

As always, we recommend conducting thorough research and expert consultations to ensure that your purchase stands worthwhile.

The condition of the antique loveseat also has a lot to do with the price; extremely worn-out loveseats are devalued in comparison to those that are usable.

We hope this article helped you gain an insight into the world of antique loveseats!

If you find this article helpful, don’t forget to share it with your friends!

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