The English sofa is a style characterized by a deep seat, tight back, and rolled arms; it’s the kind of sofa you would find in the perfect London townhouse or Georgian rectory, but it works just as well in homes outside of England.
The Fogia Howards Edward Sofa is designed by Håkan Urdell in solid beach with Bonell springs and a foam and feather cushion.
The Pinch Design Angelo 3-Seat Sofa is designers Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon’s answer to the classic English style. It’s made with oak or walnut legs, a feather and natural fiber cushion, and can be made with Pinch upholstery or the customer’s own material; £4,195 excluding fabric at Pinch.
The Cisco Brothers Penelope Sofa is designed with T-cushion arms and antique casters on maple wood.
Anthropologie’s Willoughby Two-Cushion Sofa is designed with scrolled arms, casters, and a deep seat.
The Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Whitley Sofa is an update of the classic English-arm in fabric or leather upholstery and available in an 82- or 92-inch-size; $3,480 at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.
The Carmine Sofa from Maiden Home has a classic shape with pleated arms. For more on Maiden Home see our post Your First Sofa: 8 New Upstart Companies, Disruptor Edition.
Designed by Vico Magistretti for De Padova in 1988, the English-style Raffles Sofa has goose-down cushions and comes in a range of Italian upholstery fabric options.
Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Ryan was inspired by the De Padova sofa (above) for his design of the Maxwell Sofa for Interior Define.
Restoration Hardware’s Barclay Upholstered Sofa is inspired by Edwardian-era furniture and features English-style roll arms and casters; $3,195 to $8,495 at Restoration Hardware.
Another, more ornate style from Cisco Brothers, the Beaumont Sofa has roll arms, legs on casters, and piping.
The English sofa exemplar comes from George Smith, like the Straight Top Whole Back Signature Arm Sofa, in a range of sizes, three options for depth.