We've written about the Quinze & Milan's Eastpak sofa before—the "backpack sofa," as some call it. But there are other ways sofas can be designed to provide storage.

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Sofas with shelving that wraps around the sides and the rear have some drawbacks. They're less flexible than other sofas, because they can't be placed against a wall—and the end users can't easily remove the shelving, later on, if they decide they no longer need it. The sofas may also be less child-friendly, with those hard surfaces at the ends rather than soft cushions.

But they have distinct advantages, too. They can provide storage spaces in rooms where there isn't sufficient wall space for shelving. They're generally pretty stable and unlikely to tip over, unlike some other shelving units that are better off being bolted to the wall. And the shelving will be an exact fit for the sofas, as compared to using separate shelving pieces alongside them.

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The Gazel sofa from Koleksiyon, designed by Faruk Malhan, can be ordered with an upholstered back or a bookshelf back, and with upholstered arms or bookshelf arms (or neither). This allows end users to decide just how much storage they need, and what will work for their rooms and their families. 

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The Scaffold sofa from Wewood, designed by the André Teoman Studio, has a variety of storage compartments. Those tall sections for books will be welcomed by some end users but might be wasted space for those who aren't looking for storage for tall books. And I would be concerned about things getting knocked off that narrow top shelf.

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The Bottoni Shelf sofa from Moooi, designed by Marcel Wanders, has a shelf built into the back. The storage space isn't as tall as with some other designs, but for some end users it will be all that's needed. It's also a design without any hard edges, which can be useful in households with children or anyone who bruises easily.

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Some sofa designs provide armrest storage without any storage in the back, allowing the end user to keep a limited number of things close at hand. The Big Bob sofa from Flexform, designed by Antonio Citterio, has an armrest shelf made with a metal frame, covered with leather. 

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The Bijoux sofa from DiTre Italia uses one tall storage compartment rather than two shorter ones. Both designs are useful, as end user storage needs will differ.

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The shelves on Tabanda's sofa extend to the floor, rather than resting on the sofa base, so they provide more storage space than some other designs do.

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VIG Furniture has a sectional sofa that incorporates storage under the arm rests. This design avoids having hard edges on the armrests, which children (and others) can bang up against.

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Sofa storage can also be closed, as with the Divani Casa Gardenia sofa from VIG Furniture. It's an easy way to stash things that the end user might want close at hand but that don't need to be on display. It also keeps pets from getting at those items. But it could attract clutter; I can see end users tossing random things in there when doing a quick neatening up, perhaps when company comes over.

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Home Reserve has sofas with storage compartments under the seats. This is a bit of a bother to access—the video on the site shows the end user removing the back cushion and the seat cushion before lifting the compartment lid—but it provides a good amount of storage space. The compartments have a wood base; nothing sits on the floor.

These compartments would work nicely for storing things like blankets that wouldn't fit well on shelves.