I have mixed feelings about curved sofas, Gentle Readers, and I want to tell you about them.
In a recent LA Times article, the lovely Dina Cheney accurately quoted me as saying that I am…how shall we say…not a fan of curved sofas. The language was a bit stronger, but you get the gist.
That is true, most of the time. Curvy sofas are not my go-to when it comes to lounge furniture.
But what there wasn’t room to print is that I believe ARE situations in which a curved sofa can be just the ticket. Let me give you a few examples.
Curved sofas can be successful when you want to…
Create a seating area in an open-plan space. A client of mine had a tricky corner. She didn’t want to to create any boxes in her beautiful open-plan apartment, so a curved sofa defined the living area most effectively.
(I can take no credit for that sofa, by the way, but I love how tidy it is.)
Make a room feel like a room when it has a really wide doorway. Another client had a room with a wide doorway. He wanted the space to be inviting, but it felt so…open. Chairs alone weren’t enough, but positioning a straight sofa parallel to the doorway, with its back to the front hall, didn’t feel very welcoming.
My clever client angled a curved sofa partially in front of the doorway (don’t worry: there were several feet between the door frame and sofa). Only about 1/2 of the sofa was in front of the opening, so it didn’t feel like a barrier to entry.
I’m sorry I don’t have a picture; I hope that made sense. Imagine a doorway to the L of this picture. That’s how it was.
Fill a large bay window. I am addressing this problem right now! A client has a GORGEOUS Victorian farmhouse that she has COMPLETELY renovated (it took 2 years!), but she kept the original floors and 100% of the charm. It’s stunning. The dining room bay window is quite large and is begging for a little sofa — and curved would be adorable. We considered this one:
But it’s so leggy. With all the other legs in the room (the dining table and unskirted chairs), it may have been too much. We decided that a fully upholstered sofa would be preferable, so we’re doing this instead. (Fringe or pleated skirt TBD. It will be custom-made, so we have options.)
So those are some pros of curved sofas. Here are the cons I promised you:
I DO worry that curved sofas are going to look dated soon. At least that’s how I felt at High Point last fall, when the curved sofas from the previous year just looked tired.
You know what it is? If the curved sofa is in a TRADITIONAL setting as above, I think it will look dated very, very (very) soon. If your space is uber-contemporary, a curved sofa may age well. Look at that! Kind of another pro!
Anyway, back to cons, a curved sofa isn’t great against a flat wall. Why do that? What exactly is the point? I just want to pusssshhhh the ends of the sofa until the thing is straight, which a) has yet to work, and b) is rude to your host.
Third, they eat up space, visually and physically. They just do. if you want a curved sofa in a small room, you’d better make sure it’s petite.
Finally, courtesy of my husband: “How are the dog and I supposed to nap on a curved sofa?”
There you have it, Gentle Readers. Both sides of the story, and lots to consider if you’re thinking about purchasing a curved sofa.
Annie is an interior designer based in Washington, D.C. Her book, My Neighbor Saw Me Naked, and Other Reasons You Need Drapes; The Essential Decorating Handbook, will be released by Artisan Books on August 12. You can pre-order your books now — from wherever you like — and they’ll be on your doorstep before you can say “grasscloth.” (You notice we’re saying “books,” plural; they’re the perfect gift!)