Contrary to popular belief, the loveseat wasn’t invented for lovebirds. It actually began life as a large chair that was wide enough to accommodate the large gowns worn by fashionable ladies of the 17^th & 18^th centuries.

As these trends expired at the beginning of the 19^th century, people began to notice the extra space in their chairs.  They were then produced under the name love seat, or ‘courting chair’.

Love seats got wider in Victorian era as courting couples were not allowed to get too close.  Ultimately they became a sofa for two, allowing room for two people to sit comfortably together.

In the glamorous 40s and 50s the courting chair was revamped.  Boudoir loveseats can be seen in furniture ads throughout this period; a 2-seater for the bedroom sporting luxurious upholstery and often a scantily-clad lady.

These days, it’s common to use a love-seat in the garden; a romantic metal garden bench or a two-seater sofa provides a tranquil spot for couples to enjoy each-others company.

And, if we need to convince you more about how fashionable the love-seat is again, the new portrait photograph of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, the first to be commissioned of the two together, shows them on a two-seater sofa.

Commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery London, to mark the Queen’s forthcoming Diamond Jubilee and in the year of the Duke’s 90th birthday, the artist Thomas Struth explained:

“I wanted to leave them both in their royal environment, and of course not try to disguise who they are, but also show them as an elderly couple who are together.
I selected what in America you call a love seat, which is a small two-seater sofa which would make them sit together, and yet both in their own aura.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avi Reisman