Different types of sofas, sectionals, loveseats, lounges and chairs come in a variety of styles. Traditional, modern, contemporary and Victorian/French are the most popular ones. Take a look at our breakdown of each one to understand which would be better for you.

Traditional style is always colossal and dark with rich ornaments and heavy frames. Inspired by European royalty of 18th century, the point of traditional style is to make a room more lavish and luxurious with the use of vivid finishes and dark materials. Dark hard woods are prevalent in this style which makes for a perfect addition to a room that is either painted in a vibrant color or has many paintings in it. The cushions are usually firmer and with bigger height changes than other styles to point out the curves of the set.

Modern and contemporary are often mixed together, but they are not the same thing. They are rather in the same general category while being completely different. Modern style usually refers to mid century designs that heavily use light tones of wood with chrome frames and interesting light leather colors. Contrasting dark and light colors is very popular in this style, as well as everything being made to perfect the function of the set, rather than the look of it. This style will work well with light colored rooms with bigger windows and a lot of light, to emphasize the contrast between the walls, the frame and the cushion. Contemporary style is a rather casual, laid back style that completely removes itself from old traditions and designs. The lines are very clean and soft, the edges are never pronounced and very soft cushions are common with this style. Wide range of leather and fabric makes for a tough choice with this style. It is, however, perfect for people who have houses with interesting architecture that want sofas to be a complimentary piece of design, rather than the main one.

Victorian/French are certainly the most interesting sofa styles available. Thrown together by many centuries of evolving style of the Victorian era, these sets feature the best characteristics of every style popular in that time. With cushions primarily painted in lively, yet soft colors such as white, red and green, the designs of Victorian furniture are rather excessive. Over the top patterns and dark wood, make this quite an attention grabber and with interesting fabrics like velvet, the experience of owning a set will always be something different. These sofa sets would look their best in a rather bland living room, with a few rugs and paintings around it. Dark unfinished woods are traditionally used the most and are usually very unique in their patterns and designs.