13 Chaises I Dream of Elegantly Sprawling On
Fainting couches for modern times.
Updated Oct 11, 2018 3:28 PM
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I identify as a lady of luxury, but unfortunately, my lifestyle does not always match up to my leisurely aspirations. My itty-bitty Brooklyn apartment offers limited lounging opportunities—my 60-inch velvet love seat and full-size bed are really the only spots where I can lie down and binge a couple of episodes of Terrace House. In my dreams, however, I have a different place where I can fully stretch out my legs and curl up with a book or iPad—I have a chaise longue.
Though my proclivity for Earl Grey tea may have you convinced otherwise, I am no Victorian. I, regretfully, have no real use for what was once called a fainting couch. Because of my limited real estate, my lofty lounging ambitions are curtailed. I simply don’t have space for a chaise. But, dear reader, that doesn’t mean I can’t wish for one (or that you don’t have room for one in your own home). Won’t you join me?
The Cane Chaises
By now, we have embraced cane and rattan as indoor materials that give off laid-back, tropical vibes, so it would make total sense for me to be laying on one of these buys, with a frozen jalapeño margarita nearby and a white-noise machine playing a soft cacophony of crashing waves. I might even indulge in a bit of reality TV. I believe this is what you would call a staycation, no?
The Metal-Leg Chaises
Please, step into my office. That’s where you’ll find—nestled up right next to a floor-to-ceiling-window—one of these refined chaise longues. You see, when you’re working hard figuring out what exactly bitcoin is, but too late to the game to actually do anything with your findings, you need a place to lay down for a while. I’d certainly keep a book of haiku nearby, so I could ponder the beauty of the poetry’s simple yet refined construction whenever I need a surge of inspiration. And could there be a better spot to contemplate such thoughts than on a refined chaise?
The Velvet Chaises
I wouldn’t display one of these chaises in a bedroom or living room. No, no, it belongs in my salon, where I would occasionally have friends over for port wine tastings and discussions of Thomas More’s Utopia. Once everyone goes home, I would pull a slightly more juicy read off my wall-to-wall bookshelves—perhaps some Agatha Christie—and retire to my velvet seat with a cup of rooibos tea by my side. Here, I would feel totally at ease and find myself absentmindedly stroking the soft upholstery.
The Wooden-Leg Chaises
In my sunroom, I would have an uninterrupted view of my massive backyard garden—designed English-style, obviously—and a spot for one of these wood chaises. Here is where I would take in the beauty of nature and practice mindfulness, no phones allowed. I’d lean back fully and watch as the day turned into night, or maybe, just maybe, I’d rock in the white wool one ever so gently, until I fell into an easy slumber. My chaise is comfortable, but it also has a commanding presence, so I feel both relaxed and protected at all times. I wonder, is this how caterpillars feel when they’re in their chrysalides?
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