As your resident sofa sommeliers, we’ve already helped you find everything from vintage Togo sofas to custom modular couches; we have cozied up to bisexual velvet settees and Camaleonda clout couches on your behalf, and tracked down the best dupes for Restoration Hardware’s coveted Cloud Sofa. Today, we’re on the prowl for another icon of mid-century modern design. It’s a couch that was made for hot people who hate boxy furniture, love to lounge, and believe in the power of a sofa with sex appeal. Behold, the accommodating curves of the Vladimir Kagan Serpentine Sofa:
The Serpentine Sofa craze unfurled in the 1950s, with designer Vladimir Kagan creating a couch that paid homage to our own natural movements through its sinuous, winding shape. These weren’t just couches, Kagan explained, but “vessels for the human body,” and unless you live in Minecraft (nice), what sense would it make to have square-shaped couches anyways? Why not go for a piece that softens a room? As Kagan put it: “We don’t all have to sit like birds on a telephone wire.” And he’s right. We can recline like kings on a come-hither, curved sofa instead.
Sit back, relax, and let’s find you the perfect curved sofa, whether you’re in the market for an OG Serpentine or an affordable, best-selling Amazon lookalike.
Where to buy vintage Serpentine Sofas
There are plenty of vintage and pre-owned Serpentine sofas on eBay, Etsy, Chairish, and 1stDibs, the latter of which is home to not only a $24,000 vintage bouclé Serpentine, but a Tony Montana-worthy chair made out of python skin and kudu horns. Most archive-worthy Kagan sofas will cost upwards of $10,000—including this Pee-wee Herman-esque purple version—but we found a versatile camel-colored, brushed velvet sofa on 1stDibs and a dark brown leather Serpentine on eBay for well below that price point:
Where to buy Serpentine-inspired curved sofas
Now we’re cooking with gas. Traditionally, Kagan’s MCM sofas have tended to feature lower backs and shorter seats, but the world of Serpentine-inspired sofas is filled with all kinds of shapes, sizes, and aesthetics that all manage to feel curl-up-able.
The best white curved sofas
Consider this over-10-foot-long, curved white sofa from Amazon. Not only does it have a 4.8-star average rating from reviewers there, but it includes an ample amount of big-ass pillows to help support your back as you lounge:
Curved Bouclé Sofa (opens in a new window)
Article, aka the maker of the cult-fave Sven sofa, is also home to a Kagan-esque bouclé couch. Known as the Kayra, it has earned a 4.5-star average rating on the site for its easy, 15-minute assembly time and its ability to give rooms “more dimension.” As one customer writes, “[I] love the fabric. [It’s also] a bit larger than I thought it would be, which was a nice surprise.”
There are plenty of deals on sprawling sectionals at bougie sites such as 1stDibs, including one on this Serpentine-inspired sofa that stretches over 17 feet [toots air horn] in length. This beast is 60% off right now, and would be the perfect piece of furniture for a loft-style apartment, or any space that needs to be anchored with a ginormous, artful piece of furniture. If you want to make your space feel big, don’t fill it with tons of small seating options. Instead, fill it with an investment piece that looks like it was made for your room. Can’t get enough bouclé sofas? We’ve got a whole roundup for that.
The best colorful curved sofas
Ever since Kagan cracked the curvy sofa code, brands have been re-imagining his designs to fit the aesthetics of the earthy 70s, 80s Palm Beach pads, and 90s Art-Deco-meets-Frasurbane sensibilities. In other words, there’s a colorful curved sofa out there for everyone, starting with this olive green couch with gold-accented legs:
Anthropologie decided to ruche the back of its curved, asymmetrical velvet sofa, which makes everything—from slamming Utz chips to signing divorce papers—seem more glamorous.
Last but not least, we give you a curvy, modular couch that costs less than most nice leather jackets. Not only is its Sunkist colorway serotonin-inducing, but it comes with round throw pillows, and one reviewer called its fabric “phenomenal.”
Next up, the bedside table.
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.
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