Varieties of sofas: classification and choice

The sofa is the most used element of the interior. It is often operated at once in several purposes - for sitting, resting or sleeping. Therefore, choosing furniture, you need to consider not only the appearance, but also the variety of sofas: classification, technical characteristics. This will help you choose a visually beautiful model that complements the interior, but at the same time allows you to rationally use the space of the room.

There is no strict classification of sofas, but there are generally accepted standards and terms. Choosing a sofa, as a rule, take into account its design indicators, functional features and spaciousness. You can select the characteristics in a separate list and rely on when choosing your individual model, which will be especially important if the furniture is made to order.

It is recommended to choose a sofa of this shape or design so that it does not occupy excess space in the room. This piece of furniture should be located so as to fill the unused area of ​​the room, and the aisles or, for example, the play area in the children's room, were free. By design, sofas are conventionally divided into four types.

• Corner Such models successfully occupy unused corner niches, straight backs can lean against the walls. The angular shape is perfect for small, one-room apartments, small kitchens. In rooms with a large area, the angular design allows zoning of the space.

• Direct or stationary - The most popular form of furniture due to the many accommodation options.Direct sofas are conveniently installed along the walls, in the center and corners of the room, small compact models easily move around the room. Most direct sofas are folding or extendable. Installed in the center of the room near the wall, they can, if necessary, serve as a full double bed.

• Modular sofas - the most mobile and multifunctional type of furniture, their design consists of several parts that can be used both together and separately. If necessary, the parts are combined in a different order, for example, a large corner sofa is disassembled into two straight lines or small separate modules are used as ottomans.

• Island - These models are less popular in comparison with the previous forms, since they mainly involve installation in large rooms. Made in the form of islands, they are installed in the middle of the room, or in the corner in case of zoning of the area. Island models occupy a lot of usable space, but they look presentable, help to embody bold design decisions.

The sofa in the hall or in the kitchen should not be too wide; in these rooms it is better to leave more space for movement. In apartments, where it is planned to use a folding sofa as a sleeping place, models with a wide seat are suitable, but for recreation rooms often choose designs not only with a wide, but also with deep landing.

The shape and design of the sofa is also selected taking into account the purpose of the furniture, the choice of the material of manufacture will depend on this indicator, as well as the total cost of the future product. For example, models with inexpensive upholstery are suitable in the kitchen, for sleeping places it is advisable to order sofas made of natural materials, leather or leather products are more practical in work or office rooms. By designation, this element of upholstered furniture is classified into five types:

• office, for workrooms;
• for the hall, living rooms;
• for kitchens and dining rooms;
• in the hallway or corridor;
• for children's and game rooms.

In places of rest - in the living room, bedroom or dining room - a good solution would be modular version. Island models are convenient for zoning rooms - in working rooms such sofas equip places for informal conversation, in the halls they are installed in front of TVs.

The dimensions of the sofa mean not only its actual length and width in centimeters, but also the number of seats (or sleeping, in the case of the folding version). Compact models, as a rule, are designed for no more than 2-3 people, medium ones - 4-6, and huge modular sofas assembled can accommodate a company from 7 to 10 people.

However, when choosing a finished model, where the dimensions are laid down by the manufacturer, it must be borne in mind that there is no single standard - one manufacturer can offer a double sofa 1.5 meters long, and the other 1.8 meters.

An important indicator of the size of upholstered furniture is the height of the back and seating. Hallway sofas have a low back or are available without it at all, models with a low back wall and seating are also often installed in halls and bedrooms. In places where it is only planned to sit on the sofa - in the kitchen or in the office building, such options are selected that the height of the seat is not lower than an ordinary chair.

The best choice for a small room will be sofa without side armrests and extra pillows, Another trick to reduce the size of furniture without losing functionality is to purchase or order a design without legs. The possibilities of use will become somewhat limited, under such a sofa it’s hard to clean, but then its size will be minimized.

The location of a possible installation will depend on the type of mechanism and method of structural change. Some models may themselves take up little space, but during transformation they require much more space. The purpose of the furniture also affects the choice of the layout of the sofa, the frequency of its use - not all types of mechanisms are designed for frequent use. It is necessary to take into account the estimated weight, which will be on the furniture when unfolded. therefore All sofa models are divided into four main types by the name of the transformation mechanism.

The assembly of the roll-out model structure consists of three separate elements - the rear part in the folded state represents the back, and after transformation into a horizontal position it becomes a place for the head. Seated forward seats and the lower part hidden in the structure are used as the main lying position.

Such models of upholstered furniture are also called - sofas with a telescope transformation mechanism, because the layout is made from the inside, as in a telescope, individual parts are advanced and fixed one after another. Roll-out versions are mainly installed in large rooms, as in the unfolded state the width of the furniture increases by more than three times.

First, pull on the rag handle located in the lower transverse part of the seat and slide the entire seat frame out. Then you need to align the sleeping surface of the furniture, lowering the back wall. In some models, additional attached pillows are used for these purposes - when assembled, they play the role of a second soft back. The retractable mechanism on such models, as a rule, is based on a roller system, less often - special springs are built into the design, which recline the seats after the lower part is pulled out.

The assembled sliding models are very elegant and compact, and when unfolded they look like a folding bed. After the transformation, the front part is mounted on special swing-out supports, the back is lowered, and in the assembly the berth becomes three separate sections. There are several main types of sliding products.

• "French" clamshell - The classic version of sliding upholstered furniture. When assembled, it takes up little space, but when laid out, the front part extends one and a half to two meters forward, depending on the specific model. The "French" mechanism is not recommended for frequent use - as a sleeper, a sofa can serve only occasionally, but basically such models are designed more for seating.

• "American" clamshell. The design is similar to the previous model - berths are formed of three sections, which are put forward in turn and are installed on special supports. The main difference is that the “American” version uses a more reliable and durable mechanism - the furniture is designed for frequent use. However, the cost of such sofas is much higher.

• "Italian" clamshell. Unlike previous versions, the “Italian” folding bed is not transformed by lifting the transverse beam of the seats, but by pushing the rear wall of the sofa forward. Then, the sliding mechanism is also actuated, and the surface is mounted on the support legs. Compared with the "American" and "French" counterparts, furniture with the "Italian" type of mechanism is equipped with more durable legs.

The most common modifications include mechanism type "Accordion". The principle of its action is that, moving forward, the berths are as if stretched using special springs.Metal spring elements fixed on both sides of the structure also help to fold the sofa - they pull the sections inward, setting each in its place. The transformation of these models requires minimal effort - you just need to slightly raise the lower beam of the seats and push it forward.

Like the clamshell models, the Accordion has a very compact size when assembled, it is conveniently installed in small rooms. Another important advantage is the presence of a bedside table located in the rear wall of the furniture. Sliding mechanisms "Accordion" are equipped with reliable working elements, have a long service life, withstand significant weight, are easy to transform, but they also have a drawback - when sliding the supports slide on the floor and may damage the coating.

Upholstered furniture with a lifting mechanism consists of two identical parts and involves only two positions - a sitting sofa and a sleeping surface. Horizontal transformation is carried out by raising the seats and folding the backrest back. It is laid on a wooden frame, and the seat beam lowers into place, while in the raised state, the rear wall is fixed with special locking mechanisms.

Sofas with a swivel mechanism were one of the first to appear on the upholstered furniture market, they are compact and very easy to operate, therefore they always remain relevant. The design involves a minimum of elements, there are no brittle parts, rollers. An important plus is the availability of a box for linen. Of the minuses - between the sofa and the wall should be a distance of 10-15 cm, necessary when unfolding, - the seats rise, and the back wall leans back, forming a place for the head.

Folding sofas with reliable mechanisms are practical upholstered furniture, but in many respects their service life, and most importantly their appearance, will depend on the quality of the printed material. As a filling for sofas, manufacturers most often use:

• spring blocks;
• polyurethane foam;
• natural latex;
• synthetic winterizer;
• sintepuh;
• holofiber.

The synthetic winterizer is mainly used to fill the rear backs, it gives the structure extra softness, provides a comfortable rest. Sintepuh and holofiber are used for stuffing armrests and seats, in the second case they are laid on top of polyurethane foam layers. The most practical is latex - an environmentally friendly hypoallergenic material with a porous structure, its service life is more than 10 years.

In addition to the type of mechanism and upholstery, when choosing a sofa, you should pay attention to the quality of manufacture of the frame, the most reliable ones are made of wood and plywood. Particleboard refers to less high-quality materials, breaks faster, is afraid of moisture, is not recommended for children's rooms, the manufacture of sleeping sofas.

It is necessary to take into account the permissible load, both in the folded and unfolded position. The main thing is not to base the choice only on the appearance of the product, all its structural characteristics must correspond to the features and capabilities of the room.

About the types of sofas by type of transformation, see the video.