Lounge Chairs And Chaise Lounges: Origins And Variations
Lounge Chairs And Chaise-Lounge Chairs are common pieces of furniture in many homes, offices and hospital lounges. Any place you may be waiting or relaxing, you often will find a lounge chair and/or one of its many variations. This has not always been the case. While the chaise lounge has been in existence for centuries, the lounge chair is a more recent addition.
Lounge Chairs and Chaise Lounges
Chaise lounges are often considered identical to lounge chairs. If this is your stance, then the history of the lounge chair dates back to the Ancients. Egyptians, Persians, Romans and Greeks had some form of chaise lounge in their residences. They reclined or sat on these elongated items often made of stone and covered with pillows and other softer materials. The Egyptians are often credited with this crossing of a day bed with what we now call sofas. However, only the wealthier classes could afford such furniture items.
The position of the chaise lounge as a status symbol was also echoed in its presence in many Parisian Salons. By 1800, it was appearing in the artwork of renowned French artists and becoming a staple of many gatherings. The Victorians also admired it but thought of it as being more romantic than practical. The Golden Age of Hollywood further enhanced this image. All the great stars had, or at least were photographed on, a chaise lounge. Modern designers such as Le Corbusier (1887-1965) breathed further life into the ancient design concept.
The origin of lounge chairs is also disparate from that of its more dashing cousin. They date only as far back as 1928. In that year, a Hungarian, Marcel Breuer (1902-1981), developed the first lounge chair. While we at Indiana Furniture combine both hard, soft and pliable materials, these first incarnations drew upon steel, chrome and leather. In this sense, we are more like the Swedish designer, Bruno Mathsson (1907-1988), who used Beechwood in 1934 to produce his own variation. From there, the work of artisans and designers has combined to produce several variations on both types of chairs, including the now-famous husband and wife design team of Charles (1907-1978) and Ray (1912-1988) Eames.
Variations on a Chair
Over time, the terms chaise lounge and lounge chair have merged in the minds of many. At Indiana Furniture, we offer both types of lounge furniture for your office reception, conference and waiting rooms. Whatever your preference, we can provide your corporation, or even home office, with the right, high-quality lounge chairs to suit your design and purpose.
Do you need some buying guides? Please click on this: THE PERFECT LOUNGE CHAIR
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