The Story of the Corner Sofa

Advertorial

It is said that the first corner sofa was designed in 1944 by Harvey Probber, an American designer of contemporary furniture, though it seems that there is little record of it. Whether it is true or not, it was many years before modular furniture became popular.

The first boom time for corner sofas was during the contemporary furniture movement dating from the post-war Britain of the1950s. During the Second World War and in its immediate aftermath the demand for furniture to replace that which had been destroyed by German bombs was very high, yet the availability of materials to build it was very restricted. At one time furniture was so rationed that it was only available as a replacement for that damaged by bombs and for the homes of newly married couples.

Unsurprisingly the furniture of the time, which was called “Utility” furniture, was functional, strongly constructed and extremely ugly. As soon as the austerity measures were lifted in 1952 the demand for Contemporary furniture rocketed; everybody wanted this new modern look in their post-war homes and, bolstered by the Scandinavian design influences, by 1970 the modular sofa had become mainstream.

People soon discovered that modular furniture is extremely versatile and it provides the opportunity to tailor both function and style to their specific requirements and taste. It is appropriate to both large and small spaces, allowing the best to be made of both. The beauty is that it is possible to mix and match different types and numbers of modules. Typical kinds of units are corner units, central units, units with a left or a right side arm rest, chaise units, and footstools. To create a corner sofa at least one centre unit is required, but the other units can be added to create the required shape.

Where there is sufficient space to allow it, a corner sofa placed in the centre of a large room and surrounded by space can look particularly stunning. Alternatively, it can be placed with one side against a wall or it can even utilise a corner of the room. Not all corner sofas need to be large; some are highly compact and can provide comfortable seating for two or more people without taking up very much floor space.

If you are considering purchasing a corner sofa, then there are some potential pitfalls which, with just a little care, can easily be avoided. The mistake that many people make concerns their perception of space and size. Furniture stores tend to be very large buildings and even a large sofa can look relatively small in them as it is dwarfed by the surrounding space. We might think that the sofa would fit neatly into our living room, but once it is delivered we might find that it is really too large. The simple and logical way to avoid this spatial illusion is to use a measuring tape. Make a scale drawing of your living space and draw on it a scaled sketch of the sofa.

Despite a decline in their popularity during the latter part of the twentieth century, corner sofas are now very much back in fashion and many of the latest designs are outstanding, incorporating new innovations and materials. If Harvey Probber really did design the corner sofa in 1944, then we have a lot to thank him for.