How the names change over the years,

Footstools in our house had visible legs. Pouffes had no legs. They may or may not have had a frame inside the pouffe depending on the origins - but they were always well stuffed.

I have no idea if any of this is actually "correct".

Elizabeth we also have always called paper napkins serviettes.
Napkins are just that... erm... napkins.
We still use napkins - though the napkins rings stay in the drawer these days.

Yammy

We all have duvets now, where have all the quilts and eiderdowns gone? We had lovely patchwork ones which my grans made with my old dresses. and silk eider downs.

My husband recently mentioned a 'continental quilt' to the children (late 20s) and they thought it hilarious?. My daughter vowed never to refer to a duvet again. They had never heard of such things, although they've used one every night since going into a bed.

In our house napkins were linen, serviettes paper, now it is kitchen roll. We had a settee in the lounge with a pouffe, I have a sofa and footstool in the living room. We used the loo, I use the toilet.

Lace curtains then nets to keep the sun out, roller blinds venetian blinds, vertical blinds, Austrian blinds and now Roman blinds.
Frills above the curtain then valances and box valances. Curtains to the window sill curtains to the floor. Tie backs ,metal wall hooks now full length straight to the floor. All the ways curtains have changed in my life time.
A line from the film "East is East,"Get your nets washed you mucky bitch". Frequently heard when women were arguing in the street in the 50's.It still makes me laugh.
White steps and window sills. Red cardinal and White cardinal
all our yesterdays.

My parents had settees and we have sofas with a foot stool ?

We had a studio couch when I was little.

We always had sofa

In our house, we've got:

a front room, not a lounge
2 settees, not sofas
a toilet, not a loo
a spare bedroom, not a nursery, study or office

We have sofas and puffs!

Aveline

We never had couches or settees. Always and only sofas.
Pouffes were also prevalent but I dare say they've been banned nowadays!

Our family too Aveline and what my dad referred to as poofs . He always made us laugh when he wanted a new suit as he would not go to a certain tailor as the poof was not going to measure his inside leg. Picturing one levitating with a tape measure made us cry with laughter. We were too young to know what he meant.

We all have duvets now, where have all the quilts and eiderdowns gone? We had lovely patchwork ones which my grans made with my old dresses. and silk eider downs.

Ilovecheese

JackyB "What we always called French windows seem now to always be called patio doors."
Ah, that's brexit for you!

We always called the wooden ones with lots of panes French, the big glass sliding one's patio doors.
We had sofas and a relation had one with only one arm which she referred to as a chasse longe, I can't spell it but it looked like something out of a French Boudoir.

I say whatever comes to mind.
It all adds up to the same thing - something you sit on.
Couch, settee, sofa.

`when growing up we called it a couch, one end of it lowered so you could lay down...... I however have a two seater 'settee'

often wonder about the difference

Napkin! Check out John Betjeman's poem. I think it starts, 'Send for the fish knives Norman,' or something like that.
It really skewers pretension. Not sure exactly when it was written.

JackyB "What we always called French windows seem now to always be called patio doors."
Ah, that's brexit for you!

Napkin or serviette?
I always use a napkin.

My (upwards aspiring) parents called it a pouffe, pronounced poo-fay.

Sofa, settee, couch, have always been interchangeable as far as I remember. Depends on your background or area.

What we always called French windows seem now to always be called patio doors.

And as for something completely different, when did cake mixtures stop being called that and turn into batter?

Oh I forgot about pouffes

Our pouffe is called a Dumpty.

I just bought a new chair for my kitchen area ...it has a Pouffe underneath to be used as a footstool .So they're still around .

Settees in my house.

we had a settee too and a pouffe (not a footstool)
I noticed the other night my son calls lifts elevators! Surely only Aerosmith called them elevators on the wireless

Sofa for me, always. I like pouffes and still have an old red leather one.