Dwell

At Home in the Modern World

Dwell › Products

Dwell Reports »

In the Mood

No piece of furniture has more aptly paved the way to connubial bliss than the love seat. And though they’re positively built for wooing, take heed, inconstant lovers: Romantic misdeeds are bound to land you sleeping on one.
love seats expert stanger patti portrait

The chair has captured the attention of modern designers like no other form of furniture. But be it for a rocker, a chaise longue, or a side chair, the quest for the perfect seat has often overshadowed an even more important living-room pursuit: where best to snuggle up with your sweetheart.

Caught between the experimentation—–and fetishization—–of the chair and the sofa’s unchallenged role as household centerpiece, the love seat is the middle reliever of social seating. Yet what piece of furniture is so solely devoted to amorous pursuits as to be named for them? Clearly designed with the yawn-as-you-put-your-arm-around-her move in mind, the love seat suggests a romantic spark as soon as two people simply alight. Wide enough to prevent us from having to sit on each other’s laps, but cozy enough to permit exactly that, the love seat’s name tells us what we ought to be doing when we get there. For years we poor English speakers have pursued one another on settees, divans, and fainting couches before the moniker “love seat” filled the lexical gap in the mid-19th century. And who better to tell us whom to woo and on which love seat to do it than celebrity matchmaker Patti Stanger? She helps us ascertain which of these five modern love seats—–classic and contemporary alike—–best encourages carefree canoodling, affords a supple spot for couples to cozy up with their TiVo, or maybe, just maybe, provides a generous seat to go it alone.

  • Autoban Delaespada_Bergere Sofa_Rep_Sep08

    Bergère Sofa

    Expert Opinion: This is a guy’s sofa for sure, and in love he does not like a lot of clutter or drama. The girls he likes may be superhot, but if they’re problem children, they are out. It’s not very comfortable, especially because it forces you to lean back so much. It’s a beauty piece for sure, but it’s not a comfy spot to watch TV.

    What We Think: Though certainly not plush, the elegant lines and sturdy craftsmanship of the Bergère make it one of our favorites. Better perhaps for E.M. Forster than House M.D., this love seat is as sleek as they come. And designer Seyhan Özdemir, who we presume likes the Bergère quite a bit, might take exception to it being called “a guy’s sofa.”

    Add your review

  • Artifort_ABCD_Rep_Sep08

    ABCD

    Expert Opinion: I would say the relationship is a bit quirky and maybe a bit unstable as shown by the hump in the middle. The color scheme is psychedelic or bright red, and this lets me believe this couple must still be living in the late ’60s or early ’70s. It’s really a piece of art—–maybe not so much to sit on but stare at with wonder. Not my favorite, but definitely a conversation piece for those Warhol nerds who can’t get a date.

    What We Think: Pierre Paulin can certainly be groovy (but never at the expense of ergonomics), and Jack Lenor Larsen’s Momentum fabric dates this love seat—–which also comes as a one- or three-seater. Opt for a more sedate fabric to accentuate the undulating sculptural form of this icon.

    Add your review

  • Knoll_Settee_Rep_Sep08

    Florence Knoll Settee

    Expert Opinion: This is for a retro ­couple. They watch old movies on it, and I’d say that they probably have a strong interest in art and design. It’s comfortable and never goes out of style and to me is like the nice version of my grandma’s couch. The couple with this love seat gets married and never gets divorced.

    What We Think: FloKno’s KnollStudio series is the benchmark for clean mid-century modernism, and that her design should evoke Cary Grant and Irene Dunne is no surprise. Designed in 1954, this settee may not be the cuddliest of the group, but it’s assuredly the most classic.

    Add your review

  • Ligne Roset_Moel_Rep_Sep08

    Moël

    Expert Opinion: This is so alternacouple! The people who own this are vintage, flea-market girl and ComiCon guy. It’s really comfortable, more so than I thought it would be, and I like that it’s fun and funky. It’s the most comfortable seat he’s ever played Nintendo from. People who get this will never give it up; it’ll be like Archie Bunker and his chair.

    What We Think: We like the high back and the cupped seat of Sempé’s design, not to mention the unzipped-sleeping-bag aesthetic. Unlike the Knoll or the Paulin, which allows each sitter his own space, the cushy Moël defies you not to snuggle.

    Add your review

  • Vitra_Alcove_Rep_Sep08

    Alcove

    Expert Opinion: This is a girl’s love seat—–for the fashionista. Even though the guy hates it, she saves up for this one and eventually it grows on him because of all the compliments they get. It’s the most stylish and the most comfortable of the lot, and the pillows totally make it. You want to slump down, hide out, and have sex on this one. I also love how the minimal legs make it look like it’s floating. And that’s how you feel when you’re in love.

    What We Think: Though this seat was initially conceived as office furniture, this respite from coworkers doubles as an ideal spot to curl up with your beloved. We agree that it’s the most comfortable of the bunch, affording both privacy and a whole new arena for that ill-advised office-Christmas-party hookup.

    Add your review

Dwell Cover
Don't Miss a Word of Dwell
Advertising
Advertising
Subscribe Today

Don't Miss a Word of Dwell

$19.95 10 Issues / a Year

Dwell Cover

About Dwell | Contact | Advertise| Privacy | Jobs | Magazine Customer Service | Submissions

Copyright ©2004-2009 Dwell LLC. All rights reserved.