I'm trying to find a satisfactory chaise longue, daybed, fainting couch, chase lounge, recamier - call it what you will - for the living room. Undoubtedly, the best choice would be something like the one under Pauline Bonarparte, above: Empire, Roman in origin and made by the one of the best Ebénistes. However .... life and the wallet being what they are, I would settle for something equally well proportioned but perhaps with less reference to the Antique.
Below are my choices so far - well, options more than choices. I'm not thrilled by any of them though I like the black and the wooden ones - third and second from the bottom - the others being so quotidian and, frankly, really rather boring.
Where to go from here? 
Any ideas? 
Suggestions? 
Our living room is undergoing a transformation from being the slightly fusty accretion of furniture to something more modern. When I say modern you will understand from the previous posts on favorite rooms that my taste runs to the classic (heck, Brooks Brothers is my ideal of one-stop-shopping and my shoes are made by Arden, so go figure) with a twist, but my partner's taste is much more adventurous. Whereas I am for classic grayed-down color, there isn't a strong bright color or quirky shape he doesn't like.
We've toyed with idea of the Barcelona daybed but both think the Barcelona coffee table is enough of 1920s Modernism for any room outside of a catalog. The Eileen Grey daybed above is from the 1920s but is less of a cliche and there are more beautiful pieces of sitting furniture by Eileen Grey that would fit better but would not offer reclining. 
Reclining is the point. I like to flop when I read but I also like to frequently change position and few of the options shown here allow that. Perhaps the sofa we have is after all the best choice for I can sprawl, one leg over the back and the other hooked over the front of the cushion. It ain't purty but its comfortable! 
The one above is my favorite so far. 
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All your favorites would be fabulous...but if you are anything like me, go for comfort. It is a "living" room after all...
ReplyDeleteI've always been in two minds about a chaise longue. They are meant for comfort and relaxation, but so many of them look too rigid and frankly uncomfortable, particularly, like you said, if you prefer to move around a bit when you're relaxing.
ReplyDeleteI'd probably personally go for a nineteenth century classic, even though they may be a bit of a cliche. There is something 'psychiatrists couch' looking about some of the twentieth century ones, and as for the modern, it's just a bit too much forced ergonomics and less style for my tastes.
Maybe the ordinary couch is the best idea yet.
John and Janet, you're right. Though I'm interested in the contemporary chaises as sculpture I really do need comfort - and to hell with cliche. Thanks y'allsboth!
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