Settees - The Places They Can Go!

Lovely settee in entry foyer - source - links to my pinterest board.

In my refurbishing business, the upholstered pieces I look for and buy are those that can fit easily into my Toyota Sienna van - that excludes sofas but does include most settees. I always have some wonderful pieces in my inventory and for the first time ever, I have two sets of two.

I like the word "settees" better than "loveseat" but wondered if there really is a difference. I tend to use the word when the piece is not exactly like a typical shorter coach or sofa. My review of the "definition" sources on the internet suggest there is some confusion about the difference but the following seems closest to the typical description - although it looks like you could use the terms interchangeably.

settee

(se tē′)

noun

a seat or bench with a back, usually for two or three people

a small or medium-sized sofa

Love this bright settee - see source above.

 I also looked up some recommendations of using settees in home decor settings and found a lot of ideas that make sense to me.

Here's a typical discussion - source [What About Settees and Where to Use them):

Smaller than a standard sofa, a settee usually accommodates two people, which accounts for its sometimes being called a love seat. The versatile size permits placement in tight spots, and in large rooms, a settee might be part of a secondary grouping.  

1.    A pair of shallow settees provide a welcoming anchor for an entrance hall

2.    At the foot of a bed for reading or putting on shoes

3.    Arranged with a couple of chairs and a table in a breakfast nook/banquette for dining

4.    A pair arranged back to back with a table in between (expands the seating possibilities in a small living room.  

This settee works well in this small living room - see source above. 

Here are some great examples of settees placed at the end of the bed - source above.

I have a pair of these nicely made French style settees - only one of which is upholstered - source wydevendesigns.com - eBay or Etsy

Love the colors in this Ethan Allen piece - see source above.

This lovely piece is not yet listed - I'm placing it on One Kings Lane before using Etsy or eBay. 

This pair is pure 1970's. Unfortunately, the rich color is not easy to photograph - I will need to try again.

Some of my 2012 favorites - all have gone to great homes!

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This was a fun posting and I enjoyed checking out all the internet images as well as ideas for using settees - truly versatile!