Understanding Settee
The settee evolved from the settle — a Medieval wooden bench with a high back and arms designed to block drafts in cold stone homes. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the settle was softened with upholstery and refined into the settee, a smaller, more elegant seating piece for parlors and drawing rooms. Settees were designed for formal sitting, conversation, and display rather than the lounging that modern sofas encourage. Key characteristics that distinguish a settee from a sofa include its smaller scale (typically 50-65 inches wide versus 72-96 inches for a sofa), its more upright seating posture, and its decorative emphasis — settees are meant to be seen and admired from all angles. Classic settee styles include the camelback (with a humped back rail), the tuxedo (with arms the same height as the back), and the loveseat (the most casual, contemporary interpretation). The settee remains a staple of interior design for its ability to provide seating in spaces where a sofa would be too large.
Settee in Interior Design
Settees are the designer's solution for spaces that need seating but cannot accommodate a full sofa — entryways, hallways, at the foot of a bed, in bay windows, at dining tables in place of chairs, and in reading nooks. In bedrooms, a settee at the foot of the bed adds a dressing bench and a place to sit while putting on shoes. In entryways, a settee provides a welcoming spot to sit when removing shoes while anchoring the foyer design. In dining rooms, a settee on one side of the table replaces two chairs with a more dramatic, intimate alternative. Upholstery choices define the settee's personality — velvet for Hollywood glam, linen for coastal casual, leather for industrial edge, and bouclé for modern organic warmth. Because settees are visible from front and back, the frame design and exposed legs are design features in themselves.
