The prevalence of flat screen TVs has spawned a whole new business called "motion furniture." To you and me, that's a fancy name for the chairs otherwise known as recliners, gliders, and swivel chairs. They used to look like this:
But in the last five years or so, motion furniture design has come a long way. It used to be one had to choose design or comfort when choosing a chair for the family room. Now it's not too much to ask for both.
When choosing a recliner, consider the following fundamentals:
Is the chair constructed well for lasting comfort?
How easy is the mechanism to use?
Which recliner is best for the amount of space I have?
And then choose a chair that looks great in your room.
There are a few sources I think are especially good for recliners that are well constructed, easy to use, and don't look like recliners:
Design Within Reach
If you want to make an investment, DWR's Flight Recliner is a great one. It's designed by Jeffrey Bernett who drew on his experience designing ergonomic inflight seating for Northwest Airlines. It's beautiful and comfortable.
Barcalounger
Next to LaZBoy, Barcalounger is probably the most well-known name in the recliner market. The company was founded in 1940, and has done a great job of keeping their designs current and still focusing on the ergonomics that make a recliner comfortable. 
Room and Board
If you're looking for an eco-friendly recliner, Room and Board is a great resource. All of their upholstery is made of sustainable materials. While their furniture is generally pretty modern, you can find some classic and comfortable pieces if you have the patience to sort through their giant assortment.
If you've got an old recliner that you like, that just needs a little update, The Urban Sherp is a great resource for advice on eco-friendly upholstery fabrics that can update your old fave. Like this one from the new studio Oliveira Textiles:
The recliner's had a bad rap as the piece of furniture that's all brains, no beauty. But no more. Now Dads all over America can breath a sigh of relief, knowing that their wives will once again allow the recliner into the family room.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Every Family Room Needs a Recliner -- But Does it Have to Look Like That?
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2 comments:
Ye gads, how I would love to have a recliner, my very own flat back, straight out, horizontal body zone recliner. But this is one case where mother and daughter do not see eye to eye. No recliners in this home although I do have a beautiful Stickley chair that does recline a bit.........and I do love it. Have you ever noticed how airlines hype their international business class seats, you know the ones that flatten out or at least attempt to flatten out and they call em sleeper seats. Ever thought about those seats? Well, they are nothing but old recycled, bolted to the floor Lazy Boys with a few modifications. But I guess advertising business class with lazy boys just ain't the same as advertising "sleepers". Oh well, I gotta go look up some estate sales, my garage needs a recliner.
Ye gads, how I would love to have a recliner, my very own flat back, straight out, horizontal body zone recliner. But this is one case where mother and daughter do not see eye to eye. No recliners in this home although I do have a beautiful Stickley chair that does recline a bit.........and I do love it. Have you ever noticed how airlines hype their international business class seats, you know the ones that flatten out or at least attempt to flatten out and they call em sleeper seats. Ever thought about those seats? Well, they are nothing but old recycled, bolted to the floor Lazy Boys with a few modifications. But I guess advertising business class with lazy boys just ain't the same as advertising "sleepers". Oh well, I gotta go look up some estate sales, my garage needs a recliner.
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