Five stylish sofas under £600 at auction

But it isn’t just couch potatoes or sofa surfers that need to know where to find a comfortable spot to sit. If you want to upgrade your current model, it is worth taking a look at pre-owned versions coming up online.

Here are five sofas to view and bid at auction online.

1. Ercol

A 6ft 3in (1.9m) wide Ercol three-seater settee with oatmeal fabric is offered at Rogers Jones with an estimate of £100-150 on February 4. View and bid for this Ercol settee here.

2. George III mahogany framed sofa

A late 18th century George III mahogany framed sofa estimated at £400-600 at Lyon & Turnbull on February 5.

A 5ft 4in x 3ft 2in (16.3m x 97cm high) George III mahogany framed sofa from the late 18^th century is offered with an estimate of £400-600 at Lyon & Turnbull on February 5. View and bid for this George III sofa here.

3. Victorian rosewood settee

A Victorian rosewood framed settee estimated £100-200 at Charterhouse in Dorset in its February 6-7 sale.

This Victorian rosewood framed scroll end settee, on cabriole front legs and upholstered in a vibrant fabric is estimated £100-200 at Charterhouse in Dorset in its February 6-7 sale. View and bid for this Victorian sofa here.

4. Mid-century Danish teak sofa bed

A Mid-century Danish design teak framed four-seater sofa bed offered with a £100-200 estimate at David Duggleby on February 8.

This 6ft 7in (2m) wide Mid-century Danish design teak framed four-seater sofa bed will be offered with a £100-200 estimate at David Duggleby on February 8. View and bid for this Danish sofa bed here.

5. Percival Lafer sofa

A Percival Lafer three-seater sofa estimated at £250-400 at Chiswick Auctions on February 11.

Percival Lafer (b.1936) is a Brazilian furniture maker and pioneer of the Brazilian Modernist movement. This three-seater sofa was designed and manufactured in the 1960s. Its frame is made of Brazilian rosewood which is subject to a CITES Article 10 document. It is estimated at £250-400 at Chiswick Auctions on February 11. View and bid for this Percival Lafer sofa here.

Knole settee

Do you know your Knole settee from your Parker Knoll? Sofa brands are numerous but here are some to spot when looking at auctions online. The Knole settee (sometimes known as the Knole Sofa) was made in the 17th century and is a distant ancestor of the modern sofa. 

Knole House in Kent is the home of the Knole settee. Photo by David Iliff.

Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0

It is housed at Knole in Kent, a house owned by the Sackville-Wests since 1605 but now in the care of the National Trust. Its design has inspired many modern copies. 

A Laura Ashley Knole style sofa estimated at £150-200 at David Duggleby on February 8.

A modern version inspired by the 17^th century design is this Laura Ashley example offered at David Duggleby on February 8 with an estimate of £150-200.

Howard & Sons

A maker of chairs and sofas founded in 1820 which still operates as a family run furniture-making business in London. Older and rarer examples remain in demand.

Howard & Sons armchairs offered at Lyon & Turnbull with a £800-1200 estimate.

Currently Lyon & Turnbull is offering this pair of Howard & Sons chairs with a £800-1200 estimate. 

Ercol

Ercol is one of the few British furniture brands from the 1950-60s still in production. Founded in 1920 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, by Lucian Ercolani (1888-1976), Ercol chairs and tables have been popular ever since. Although Ercol is still making furniture today (typically sold in top department stores) it is easy to pick up vintage and secondhand items at auction via thesaleroom.com.

The most desirable pieces are those in the lighter, blonde woods of elm and beech in a natural wax finish rather than those stained a darker colour. See more examples of Ercol at auction here.

Parker Knoll

Furniture maker Parker Knoll, founded in 1869 by Shoreditch-born cabinet maker Frederick Parker, continues to make sofas and chairs. A number of pre-owned versions are offered at auction houses regularly. View some Parker Knoll examples here.

For more on furniture ideas visit our furniture guide.

New to auctions? Read about how to buy at auction here and find out how auction charges work.