Monday, March 5, 2018

Know Your Sofas: The Chaise Longue

For this installment of Know Your Sofas, we are looking at something of a hybrid: the chaise longue. Hailing form France in the late 1700s, the term chaise longue (pronounced shez long), meaning "long chair" in French is correct but it is most commonly know by it's Americanized name, a chaise lounge (chezz lownge). If it is a sofa, it is a sofa for only one. And if it is a chair, then it is a chair with a built in ottoman. Designed for lounging with legs astride or propped up, this versatile piece of furniture can act as a resting place for a quiet afternoon read, or as a visual cap to a seating arrangement.

A chaise longue can be traditional or transitional.


Or a chaise longue can be modern. I love the juxtaposition between the modern chaise longue in the photo below with the very traditional and highly ornate Georgian plaster elements at the crown (look right to Design Mantra #1: Contrast brings interest!).


Even the iconic Le Corbusier lounge chair is considered a chaise longue!


Happy designing!

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