7 Reasons Why Chaises in the Living Room Are Better Than Warm Puppies

published Jul 27, 2015
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(Image credit: Bethany Nauert)

Chaises (or chaise longues) are so very, very comfortable, and are a nice twist on the traditional recipe for living room furniture: sofa, coffee table, chairs, yada yada yada. Their shape is functional and stylish, and these days you can find one to work with any kind of decor.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

1. They Make a Small Room Look Bigger

A chaise lounge can help a small room feel larger. They are often backless, so when floating in the middle of the room, it doesn’t take up much visual weight. While sofas and chairs look hulking and large, these say “I am as lithe and graceful as a ballerina dancer.”

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

2. They Are More Versatile That Sofas

Sometime traditional sofas just don’t fit in your space. Inevitably one wall is too short, or the sofa back is the first thing you have to see when you enter the room. After you try to figure out the puzzle, try a chaise instead. It’s like theater in the round. There won’t be a bad view in the house. Above, Tina Seidenfaden Busck’s living room

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

3. You Can Double Them Up

Try using two chaise lounges in the middle of the room. The arrangement creates a practical and cozy little nest where two people can relax in style and do their own thing, together. Like couples massage, but not at all.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

4. They Make The Best Reading Spots

A chaise is the perfect combination of structure (so you can read upright) and comfort (so you can stretch out). Tell me you don’t want to curl up in the one above and dig into a new novel. It’s nobody’s business if you fall asleep either.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

5. They Don’t Interrupt Your View or Block Features

Since they are low to the ground, they don’t interrupt sight lines, and you can use them in front of focal points, like a fireplace, window, or in front of an archway.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

6. They Add a Sculptural Element

Living rooms can wind up all rectangles and straight lines, so it’s nice when a piece of furniture comes along that breaks up all the right angles and adds a delicious curve into the mix.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

7. They Just Look So Glamorous

Maybe it’s the holdover from Victorian times, when indolent gentry gracefully sprawled across them without a care in the world, but this type of furniture just feels special and luxurious. As if all you had to do each day was drink tea and review upcoming invitations to balls and other social events.