Perhaps the most personal of all furniture
purchases is the chair. When chosen carefully to fit your size,
taste and personality it will often become your favorite refuge.
Thousands of different chair styles have been designed over the
years. And while their construction is in some ways similar to
sofas, there are enough differences to warrant a closer look.
Eliminating dining chairs which we will discuss in the dining
section, you can group chairs into three categories:
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Upholstered Chairs
Upholstered chairs are constructed of the same
basic elements as sofas: a hidden frame, springs and padding.
The primary differences are design and proportion. It is not
uncommon to find a "matching" chair available with a sofa.
However, as much as you like the sofa, there's something not
quite right about the chair. It looks, well...boxy. What has
happened is that the sofa manufacturer has taken the frame and
arm dimensions from the sofa and constructed a piece with one
seat cushion, calling it a chair. And while the chair does in
fact match the sofa, the results are usually somewhat less than
graceful. |
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In selecting the right
chair, a careful balance of comfort and style must be attained,
with the scale tilting toward comfort. Consider the manner in
which you plan on using the chair. A firmer more upright "seat"
would provide support for reading or socializing in a more
formal setting, whereas you might prefer a deeper, softer chair
for lounging or napping. |
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for determining comfort, a chair's firmness and support are a
function of the chair's depth, back height and pitch, fill
material and even the weave of the fabric. Some of the more
popular chair designs include: the barrel chair - a small-scaled
chair with a rounded back that often swivels, the lounge chair -
generally larger in scale, the fan back or shell back chair -
decorative and more formal, and the wing chair - a favorite in
traditional rooms. |
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In selecting a fabric,
wearability becomes a somewhat greater issue for a chair than a
sofa, as you can expect the chair to be used a great deal more.
Typically, chair fabrics are synthetics, selected for durability and cleanability. You
will also find them to be more simple in their design, allowing
them to complement a patterned sofa fabric. The addition of an
ottoman will add considerable comfort to the chair, however,
they can be difficult to work into the floor plan of a small
room. |
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Occasional Chairs
Occasional chairs, also known as accent or
exposed-wood chairs are generally smaller in scale than fully
upholstered chairs. Their frames being visible, the quality is
easy to see. They should have a solid feel resulting from proper
joining of frame parts and not rack or twist when you lift
one corner.
Look for clean, smooth joints with a minimum
of nails and screws. Chairs that are constructed with fewer
parts that are bent and shaped are generally stronger than those
put together from many pieces. The frames should have a smooth
finish that complements the other wood pieces in the room they
are to be used in. |
Louis XVI Chair
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Louis XV Chair
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In addition to fabric
choices, you will often have a choice of wood finish, although
you can expect to wait eight to twelve weeks for a "custom"
chair to be made up specially for you. While there are a great
many styles to choose from, the majority of occasional chairs
are European (French or Italian) or Eighteenth Century in
design. |
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Recliners, while seldom accused of being the most
beautiful chairs, are extremely popular due to their comfort and
practicality. Offering the benefits of a chair and ottoman
without taking up the space, recliners are constructed with one
of three mechanisms allowing the ottoman to extend and the back
to recline.
The two-way mechanism found in less expensive
chairs allows you to open the chair into a reading position with
the ottoman up or in a fully reclining position. These chairs
require more space behind them to be opened and in the fully
reclined position will raise your feet above your heart. Recent
designs allow for the back to break-away and operate
independently of the ottoman. The multi-position mechanism opens
forward so that the chair can be placed in close proximity to
the wall.
Also known by the trade name WallLounger or
WallSaver, the mechanism in these chairs will often be operated
with the aid of a handle or button. Once opened to the reading
position with the ottoman up, the chair back can be adjusted to
recline to any degree by pulling the arms forward. The rocker
mechanism is a multi-position mechanism that allows the chair to
rock until the ottoman is opened. These chairs require more
space behind them than the WallLoungers and feature a
multi-position back.
You will often have the option of ordering
rocker recliners with a swivel base for an additional charge.
Recliner frames are constructed of any number of materials
ranging from hardwoods on the better chairs, to plywood and
molded plastic. Sinuous springs are used beneath the seat
cushion, and Dacron fills the back. The attached back pillows on
some designs are zippered so that you can add filling as it
settles over time. |
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