Sofa beds were popular furniture

Sofa beds started appearing in the wealthiest farmhouses in the 18th century. They rapidly became more common in the 19th century and, by the end of the century, were already the most popular bed type in the whole country. At first, the sofas were in the chamber, but as they became more common, they began to appear in the main room. In the wealthiest houses, the sofa bed was in the drawing room. The bed served as a seat during the day and was spread out as a bed for the night. This sofa bed from the Torne River Valley is a typical representative of its area. The back is low and the decorative wood carvings are abundant. The wood carvings have been painted in red, blue and yellow. The sofa bed comes from Ylitornio.

Photo: Matti Kilponen, 2021.