Chaise Lounges at the End of the Bed - The Flagler Museum Example

Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida - link to website

My husband and I just returned from a relaxing week in Florida - staying near Palm Beach. The weather was cool for the natives (low to mid 60's) but great for us escaping a rather cold, wet winter in the Atlanta area. We had never visited this particular area before and enjoyed taking advantage of many local sights. One of our favorite areas was Palm Beach itself (an island - who knew). It is, of course, famous for its rich residents and its palatial homes (think Donald Trump, Jimmy Buffet).

View from back of Flagler Museum 

One of the earliest settlers was Henry Flagler who appears to be a major founder of all strategic water-front cities on the east coast of Florida. A Standard Oil baron and contemporary of John D. Rockefeller, he fell in love with the beautiful weather and sought to tame the less than stellar natural environment (water-logged, scrubby vegetation, alligators). He built a railroad that initially traveled all the way to Key West and built hotels and homes along the way. One of his lovely homes,  a wedding gift to his third wife, was this beauty on the Intercoastal Waterway. His estranged son's daughter bought it and turned it into the museum we see today. 

When it was completed in 1902, the New York Herald proclaimed that Whitehall, Henry Flagler's Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach, was "more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world." Today, Whitehall is a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as the Flagler Museum, featuring guided tours, changing exhibits, and special programs - from website above.

We had a wonderful docent-led tour of the home and opportunities to take photos of the interior which has maintained much of the original decor and furnishings. I, of course, checked out the upholstered pieces - many of which I would have loved to cart away. One of the decorating trends I noticed was the placement of chaise lounges in most of the bedrooms and often at the end of the beds. This is a design element I particularly like and I think chaise lounges are a great addition to any bedroom - space permitting.

Here are some of the examples - I wish I could get my hands on some of these great styles:

I have a number of settees underway. They do take up a lot of space so I can't overdo them in my inventory. I just sold a custom chaise lounge to a client in Maryland and she has asked me to be on the lookout for another one - she loves a skirt-less look with interesting woodwork and down cushions - so comfortable.

Here are some chaise lounges from my archives as well as my pinterest board on the subject - enjoy - link to pinterest board

Oh The Places They Can Go - Chaise Lounges!

My bedroom - chaise lounge in small sitting area - my FAVORITE reading (napping) spot in the house!

I have always loved the style and grace of chaise lounges and have had one in my bedroom's small sitting area for over 10 years - it is a very comfortable and versatile piece of furniture (sleeping, reading, sleeping, play-area for granddaughters, napping, etc. etc.).  It does require a bit of space but not as much as many people think.  I have many chaise lounge styles and settings pictured on my pinterest board (link to pinterest board). Here are some of my favorite settings!

• Any sunny corner in the house - any room
• End of bed
• Closet or bathroom
• Sunroom 
• Library

WIndow with a view - it would be hard to beat this one (see pinterest board for source).

I always have at least two or three chaise lounges in my inventory (just bought a very stylish one yesterday to refurbish). They are bulky and, therefore, take up quite a bit of storage space (and shipping costs) so I try not to overdo it. I do love the style of comfort of these wonderful pieces!

Before and After - Asymmetric Chaise Lounge with ASCP Finish

Finished Piece - TA DAH!!!  I think this would look great in a foyer, end of a bed or just about anywhere to provide additional seating that is also very interesting!  

Here is my first "before and after" for the year and I am starting with the finished product and working backwards. It features a very unusual chaise lounge that I purchased at Dave Robinson's Antiques (couldn't find a good website to attach - he is located in Miami Circle, Atlanta). Dave originally had a pair of these and sold the first one to someone else and discounted this remaining piece enough for me to be interested. The woodwork was in sad shape - scarred and a muddy brown.  The construction of the piece is exceptional including hand-tied eight-way coils in the foundation which is very unusual for a chaise lounge. Consequently, this piece is quite heavy.

My first step was to select an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) color from my inventory of eight colors. I had recently purchased "cream"- a warm vanilla hued neutral - and decided that I would use it to complement a pale gold textured fabric that I selected for new upholstery. Together, they would create the warm but neutral palette I was looking for.

Photo of chair as I started redoing the woodwork.  The piece has interesting wooden details that I wanted to highlight.

The cream color added warmth to the piece.  I added a slight amount of distressing (softy sanded with a very light touch) to highlight the curves and swirls in the pattern.

I really liked how this piece worked out and have to admit that I've never seen one like it.  

This posting is linked here - DIY Showoff