Interior Design Fundamentals Practice Test

In interior design terminology, a long upholstered seating piece designed for multiple people with a back and arms is called a sofa. This is the standard, formal term used in design plans, catalogs, and professional contexts, making it the best choice for describing what many people casually call a couch. The word couch is common in everyday speech and can vary by region, but in labeling furniture it’s more informal. A chair describes a single-seat piece, a loveseat is a smaller two-person seat, and a divan refers to a different style—often an armless or backless long cushion seat or a daybed-like piece. So the term that best describes the piece commonly referred to as a couch is sofa.