What is the difference between a davenport and a couch?

The difference between a davenport and a couch comes down to special features. A couch or sofa is an upholstered piece of furniture designed to seat two or more people, while a davenport is a large couch or sofa that can be used as a bed or one that folds out into a bed.

A couch is occasionally called a davenport when the furnishing in question is a large comfortable sofa that can double as a bed or can be converted into a bed. The name comes from a now-defunct New England furniture manufacturer, A.H. Davenport & Company, which was established in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the late 19th century. Davenport furnished the homes of the richest Americans during what we now call the Gilded Age.

In the 1880s, thanks largely to the Industrial Revolution, the American economy started booming, and when it did, it created a whole new supply of millionaires. Firms like the Duveen Brothers supplied these families with European decor, and manufacturers such as A.H. Davenport & Company furnished their mansions. The term davenport became a synonym for any sofa that looked like the one produced by the popular Massachusetts company.

Find vintage sofas and sofa beds on 1stDibs.