Wednesday, 4 September 2013

The Meridian Chaise Longue - A Timeless Opulent Piece

By Tom Bolton


When it comes to choosing a timeless luxury furniture piece for the home living space, the meridian chaise longue is probably amongst the leading examples of high style that come to mind. Developed and made popular in the French Empire era of European history, the meridian chaise strikes one as being halfway between a sofa and armchair, despite the fact that from a practical point of view you'll find significant differences that are worth explaining.

The first thing to note about the meridian chaise longue, is the fact that it adopts its name from its intended goal to ease the habit of taking an afternoon nap or siesta between 12 to 2, a time period when the sun gets to the highest point in the sky. In the world of the eighteenth century, before the onset of modern capitalism, it was far more frequent for people to adopt this custom or way of life. Consequently, meridian chaise longues have been historically placed in drawing rooms, bedrooms and lounges where wealthy individuals would unwind and socialise during these hours.

In modern day occasions, you can find very few of us who continue this custom of taking an afternoon nap, making the chaise longue somewhat redundant when it comes to its original, intended purpose. Yet the symbolism, associations and image of this era still informs our view of the chaise, framing the aesthetic of the modern day piece. Because of this, instead of fading in the limelight, the chaise longue remains well-liked with those who wish to input a touch of yesteryear glamour into their properties, whether or not they live in period properties or much more contemporary, urban homes.

Maintaining the curvature of their 18th century form, meridian chaises normally incorporate a raised headrest and extended footstool together with a gently curved armrest to offer the piece proportion and shape. The greater part of chaises tend to be covered with fine fabric, which adds to their decorative appeal and permits a wide range of style customisations, although on occasion you may be able to buy a design which incorporates organic leather. With regards to finish, chaises remain broadly conventional with deep buttoned types retaining popularity with the contemporary audience. Whilst much more contemporary colorings and techniques are used with the meridian design, its much more common to see designers experiment with the overall design than the finishing touches.

So in the event you would like to add a meridian chaise to your residence, what ought to you consider when shopping around? Well, the first thing to think about will likely be the aesthetic of your room space along with the space available you will need to showcase the product. From a stylistic perspective, it is imperative that you seek to match the chaise as closely as possible to the look and feel of one's interior . I'd also be sure you query whether you've got enough space to accommodate a chaise longue along with your existing furniture. Without adequate room, you might discover adding a chaise will clutter the room that will have a knock on effect to how effectively they perform within your space.

To reap the benefits of this furniture piece, make sure you've got sufficient negative space to exhibit the chaise as a centrepiece of your space. Even if you don't find your self taking sufficient naps to warrant the expense, meridian chaise longues can still inspire and impress when it comes to refreshing your home dcor.




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