Chaise Lounges or Chaise Longues - I Love Them

Graceful Chaise Lounge - source

One of my favorite chair styles is the chaise lounge (although my research suggests I may be spelling it incorrectly).

Chaise lounges" is actually an Americanization of the French phrase "chaise longue" (pronounced shayz long), meaning, appropriately, "long chair." source

The chaise lounge has a long history - most experts seem to agree that the versions we see today originated in the 16th century.

The chaise lounge enjoys a long history spanning many cultures. It has been a symbol of luxury and comfort from the days of Cleopatra to today. And it was a favorite in both French rococo and early 20th century design for its structural beauty and ornament delights. source

My favorite style of chaise lounges are the ones with exposed legs and french-inspired curves. The cushions are often down or down blend and the woodwork can be natural or painted.  These types of chaises are hard to find at a reasonable price since they are so appealing and fit into so many eclectic style options,

Sources - my pinterest board - link

Another version often seen is the one-armed chaise lounge which works best placed next to or close to a wall since it can be accessed from only one direction. I am not as fond of this style but it can work in many settings.

Sources - my pinterest board - link

I have a chaise lounge in my bedroom sitting area that is my overall favorite place in the house to read (and nap).  It is probably the most worn piece of furniture in my home. I looked over the chaise lounges I have refurbished and sold over the past several years (my current photo file only goes back to 2010) and found some wonderful pieces that I remember so well. I noticed that I do less than 4-5 chaise lounges per year - they do take up a lot of storage space and, because of the size, are more costly to ship than regular chairs.

I have my own criteria for the chaise lounges I buy to refurbish and find there are a lot of really ugly chaises out there:

1.  Piece must be compact proportionately - not oversized or sloppy looking.
2.  Piece must be well-constructed and structurally sound.
3.  Piece must have a well-tailored (or tailorable) design.
4.  In the case of exposed woodwork, it must be elegant and in good shape.

Here are some of my prior year beauties!

My favorite in this group is the blue check French style - the woodwork was in great condition and the size just right.   

this was a good year for unusual chaise lounges - I particularly liked the top one which was vintage and had interesting wooden details. There are two one-armed examples in this group. 

The top chaise lounge was the most interesting of this group (just sold).  I refinished the woodwork using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) in Cream. 

I am nostalgic for these lovely pieces and hope to find more interesting examples to refurbish soon.