Our home-obsessed hearts will always love and appreciate an iconic designer piece of furniture. We marvel at the 1956 Eames Chair, and swoon over the 1970s Mario Bellini Sofa (more on that in a second). We’ll scour Facebook Marketplace for hours in search of original Marcel Breuer Wassily Chairs, and spend an entire Saturday at antique furniture stores looking for gems.
But let’s be honest: our wallets have an equal appreciation for a good dupe. Designer sofas in particular can get expensive fast, and there are so many modern interpretations of classic styles that are far more wallet-friendly. While nothing beats the original design, we can appreciate a modern take that takes inspiration from the greats in a tasteful way.
Ahead, shop 10 of our designers’ go-to iconic sofa dupes, from the iconic Restoration Hardware Cloud Sofa to classic mid-century styles and beyond.
1. The Cloud Sofa
It’s only fitting to start this list with Restoration Hardware’s now-iconic Cloud Sofa. Aptly named after pillowy masses of water droplets suspended in the atmosphere, the Cloud Sofa is every bit as plush and heavenly as you’d expect, thanks in part to its feather-down cushion fill. Unsurprisingly, this ultra-modern silhouette has been recreated many times over, and now represents the gold-standard in modern, Insta-worthy sofas. Fortunately, we sourced an amazing dupe for a fraction of the price: Interior Define’s Tatum Sofa.
2. The Camaleonda Mario Bellini Sofa
Naturally, Mario Bellini’s Instagram-famous Camaleonda Sofa is up next. Synonymous with retro-chic interiors plucked from the pages of Architectural Digest, this iconic modular sofa, originally design in the 1970s, has enjoyed a renaissance in the last five-plus years. While nothing beats the real thing, Rove Concepts’ Belia Sofa is a solid interpretation.
3. The English Roll Arm Sofa
For a traditional-style sofa that exudes elegance and charm, you can’t be the original English Roll Arm, designed by George Smith. But for a remarkably similar silhouette at a fraction of the price, The Inside’s English Roll Arm sofa is a no-brainer. Plus, you can customize your piece with over 60 different fabrics and three different leg finishes to suit your exact space.
4. The Florence Knoll Sofa
A hallmark of mid-century modern design, the original Florence Knoll Sofa was designed in 1954 and still feels just as relevant today. Case in point: Burrow’s Block Nomad Sofa — one of the many interpretations that have hit the market in the last decade or so during the mid-century modern renaissance. While it’s very evocative of the design era, it’s a classic style that will remain popular for years to come.
5. The Cassina Soriana Sofa
The ultra-retro Cassina Sofa was aptly designed in 1969 by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and was one of the first sumptuous, curved silhouettes to hit the market, thanks to the advent of polyurethane foam. The innovative look has been interpreted many times over since, manifesting in CB2’s Brace Tufted Sofa, among many others.
6. The Wilkes Modular Sofa
Designed by Ray Wilkes in 1976, the Wilkes Modular Sofa — also known as the “chiclet” sofa — was a postmodern innovation boasting bold, rounded cushions reminiscent of Chiclets gum. While the original is incredibly unique, elements of this design have been borrowed and re-imagined many times over to create equally modern, unique furniture, like Interior Define’s Marlow Sofa.
7. The Serpentine Sofa
An innovative design today and at its inception in 1950, the iconic Serpentine Sofa continues to be a design world fascination. Designed specifically to be placed in the middle of a living room, its curved design quickly became mid-century modern legend, thanks to Vladimir Kagan’s ingenuity. Today, Crate & Barrel’s Sinuous Curved Sofa marks one of the many modern interpretations honoring Kagan’s work.
8. The Chesterfield Sofa
A staple of traditional homes and at-home libraries alike, the iconic Cromwell Chesterfield Sofa by Lord Philip Stanhope has been around since the mid-1700s. With its signature leather upholstery, ornate tufting, and studded piping, the Chesterfield is as classic as it gets. Today, you can find modern takes on the design from the likes of Pottery Barn (pictured above), and more.
9. The Kardiel Midcentury Sofa
Designed by Kardiel founders Brando Mataya and John Sanders, the Woodrow sofa series was created in the 20102 as an homage to mid-century modern design, specifically the Barcelona Chair and the Florence Knoll Sofa. In addition to Kardiel’s many modern interpretations of the original sofa, brands like Article have also reinvented the look at a more affordable price point (see it’s Sven Sofa above — one of the most accurate redesigns).
10. The Togo Sofa
It doesn’t get any more unique than Michel Ducaroy’s original Togo Sofa, originally designed in 1973 and still manufactured by luxury furniture brand Ligne Roset. The piece has enjoyed yet another modern-day renaissance as of late, with influencers and designers alike scouring second-hand retailers for originals. True to form, brands like Rove Concepts have since released their own take on style, named the Tanner Sofa.
From cloud sofa dupes to perfecting room flow, our designers are chock-full of expert tips. Start with our style quiz to work with a design pro one-on-one.