A Cleopatra sculpture. Image via Ali Baba.
I think the chaise longue is sexy furniture. I’ve always associated it with old-world opulence, decadence, and a subtle kind of power. Every time I encounter one, I picture Cleopatra, and how she’d recline in one just like it and hold everyone around in her thrall, and I always get the urge to take the said piece of furniture for a test run and drape myself all over it. (If I give in to the impulse within a friend’s line of sight, I’d even ask him or her to take a picture!)
Shameless confession aside, chaises longues (literally, “long chairs” in French) have been around for a centuries now, and will continue to be a staple in the boudoirs of sexy sirens for a long long time. Originally the term was limited to upholstered pieces but now can broadly refer to any kind of long chair. And what contemporary designers have done with it — wow, it’s heart-stopping!
Delilah, played by Hedy Lamarr, in the 1950 film "Samson and Delilah"
Here are prime specimens of modern-day “long chairs” that Cleopatra, Delilah, or any of the femmes fatales that came after them would be glad to get horizontal on.
Image via Haute Living
Mandy talked about this curvaceous lounge chair designed by Daniel Michalik in a previous post, but I love it so much that I just have to feature it in this one. The fact that it’s made completely out of reclaimed cork makes it even more amazing.
By Lee Weitzman via International Design Awards
This one is called the Alexandria Bench and it looks like a sleek and streamlined version of what old Cleo would have had in her quarters.
By Michal Bonikowski via Behance
I love Cobonpue’s designs! I waxed poetic about him in an earlier post. His pieces are cool and clean and at the same time warm and earthy. His Mermaid Lounger is no different.
Image via Materialicious
How cool is this chair?! It’s like a sculpture that you can touch all you want! Singaporean designer Alvin Huang creates such a fluid shape that with the milky purity of all that white, takes the light and plays gorgeous games with it.
Image via Design Milk
Called the Glacier chaise, it really is a sculpture that looks like it’s been carved from a huge block of ice. It is a remarkable piece of glass.
