The chaise lounge is an interestingly American household item that has advanced from European furniture designs brought by the early pioneers. While they are accessible in both indoor and outdoor varieties, the indoor chaise lounges are more extravagant, agreeable and formal since they don't have to withstand the components like their outdoor cousins and can in this way be made of any material, including upholstered calfskins and rich fabrics.

What is a chaise lounge?

People have always needed to recline in comfort both indoors and outdoors without having to lie flat as in a bed or sit bolt upright as in a chair. The ancient Greeks and Romans came up with a piece of furniture that allowed people to recline on their sides on what has become the modern daybed.

This was refined further by the 16th-century French into a 'long chair' or chaise tongue that had a sloping backrest which allowed people to recline on their backs instead, making it more relaxing and conducive to napping.

As with many other things, America gave it several special twists, starting with its name. The term 'longue' or 'long' which described its shape gave way to 'lounge' or 'lounger' which was a more practical description of its function. Thus was born the chaise lounge.

Using indoor chaise lounges

With their love of the outdoors, Americans adopted the sophisticated chaise into the casual lounger that can be found in almost every poolside, patio, deck or cruise ship today. It is usually made of a simple wooden, plastic or metal framework with a weatherproof covering which is either slatted wood, plastic straps or the more modern synthetic fabrics like microfiber.

However, its utility and unique characteristics are also highly appreciated indoors where it can give any room, especially bedrooms and living rooms, a piece of furniture that one can put their feet up on with a unique formality that is not found in any other type of furniture, including the daybed.

There are many variations of indoor chaises that may be broadly classified as indoor and patio or indoor-outdoor. They include the upholstered chaise lounges made of leather, fabric, and microfiber for use in formal areas like living rooms and bedrooms and the patio chaise lounge that can be made of wrought iron, wicker, and wood, including teak. Wooden and wicker chaise lounges can be successfully used in a living room or bedroom settings too.

In specific rooms where it may not be legitimate to lean back totally, varieties called indoor chaise lounge chairs are used and keeping in mind that these take into consideration a more loosened up stance than a customary chair, they don't permit a full lean back with the feet as far as possible up.

In the bedroom, a fabric chaise lounge is normally the most appropriate for closeness and solace while in a front room, it may be a cowhide chaise. A teak chaise lounge may be as much at home in a canvassed patio as in a semi-formal front room.