The chaise longue, already approached by the Méridienne or the Récamier from the 16th century, has been a fantasy classic of decoration since the 20th century.

Not to be confused with the “deckchair”, a lightweight folding chair designed to fit the decks of transatlantic liners. The chaise longue or “Lounge Chair” has been installed in our living rooms for the best comfort.

Throughout the history of design, the chaise longue is often found to be the manifest piece of an innovation, of a series or even of a designer.

LC4 Lounge Chair by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand – 1928​

The chair

After these pieces with an obviously simple design, there is a chair that is much less traditional. The Chair developed by the famous designer couple Charles and Ray Eames was created in 1948. It was imagined in the context of a competition organized by the MoMA where the cost/effectiveness ratio was the main constraint. It has been published by Vitra since 1999.

Inspired by the Floating Figure sculpture by artist Gaston Lachaise (the circle has come full circle), this polyurethane chair is a shining example of the ergonomic research of the time. You can sit on it or lie down while still being able to pass your elbow through the hole intended for this purpose. A superb work which prefigures the following armchair, also by Eames.

The Lounge Chair

We no longer present it, it is our specialty at The Woods, I am of course talking about the famous Lounge Chair. In line with the legacy of the Club armchair, the Eames Lounge (670) and its Ottoman (671) are also cult silhouettes.

Released in 1956 by Herman Miller, this creation highlights the work of molding plywood to which the Eames contributed so much. It is the couple's first creation intended for industrial production.

He then decided to give it "the warm look and appeal of a worn first base baseball glove." This armchair has seen its dimensions and materials evolve over the course of its existence.

The Rio rosewood veneer finish unfortunately had to be abandoned in the 1990s for ecological reasons, while size standards having evolved, the armchair became larger and more massive at the same period. Vintage is then the only possibility of having the original dimensions and materials.

Many other seats, accompanied by their ottoman, could also fall into the classification of lounge chairs. We can think of Mies Van Der Rohe's Barcelona or more recently Trine Anderson's Rico sofa.

Whatever the case, the chaise longue has often been an opportunity to highlight new techniques. Combining design, aesthetics, work on the line as well as ergonomics and functionalism, the lounge chair is as much an object that flatters the eye as it is a manifesto of comfort. In the end, all you have to do is find the one you need.

Take a seat in the Lounge Chair by clicking here.

Corbusier's LC4

Everyone knows the silhouette of the model B 306 lounge chair with continuous adjustment, also known as the Resting Machine and, of course, the LC4 . This masterpiece by Corbusier, recognized as drawn mainly by Charlotte Perriand, was released for the first time in 1929 by Thonet. Published from 1964 by Cassina, it found itself propelled into cult status and truly acquired its letters of nobility. Thanks to an ultra minimalist design as well as its effective ergonomics, the LC4 is one of the most comfortable and aesthetic daybeds of its time.

When it was released, it was very avant-garde due to the use of metal tubes as a structure combined with a simple mattress covered in leather. In addition, its curved and continuous metal structure allows completely free inclination.

It will be reviewed and readapted by Perriand around his questions about wood after his return from Japan. In 42, the Tokyo 522 was born, a bamboo lounge chair taking the shape of the LC4 . It has also been published by Cassina since 2011.

The imprint of this chair is such that it has acquired true pop icon status. There is even a book referencing a little over 800 X-rated films where the famous chaise longue is used to do everything except rest.

To get yours, click here