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There is nothing like sinking down into a plush,
inviting easy chair. Such a luxury need not be
restricted to the den or living room - in a home
office or bedroom, an upholstered chair offers
welcome respite.
The soft, padded easy chair bespeaks a gradual
historical trend away from rigid, utilitarian
styles and toward comfort in furnishings. Some
date this transformation back to 17th century
Europe, during Louis XIV's reign in France, when
furniture-making took a turn toward opulence.
And comfortable furniture is here to stay.
Yet, with so many variations available, how do
you know which upholstered chair is right for
you? And how do you judge its quality? The experts
at Dukewood & Co. offer the following tips
to help you find an excellent-quality chair that
suits your needs and taste.
You're in the showroom, and you have your pick
from a seemingly endless array of upholstered
chairs. Now what?
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Know the basic easy chair
styles, and choose the one that fits your
personality. Popular options include overstuffed
- a full, comfy look achieved by covering
the frame with generous fill or stuffing;
exposed frame - an elegant style in which
parts of the frame are exposed, such as the
legs, arms, or back; and tight back - a sleek,
more formal design that features a firm, tautly
upholstered back. |
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Look for a chair that pairs
well with the furniture you already have.
It's perfectly acceptable to mix and match
- just seek out a chair with a style that
complements your existing furnishings. Use
fabric or colour samples to find upholstery
styles that work well together, and look for
a chair with proportions that are similar
to other chairs or sofas in the same room.
Select a chair with classic lines, which will
blend in easily with any design scheme - formal
or casual, country or contemporary. |
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Choose a sizable chair
to give a room dramatic focus. An oversized
chair will add character and visual interest
to a space that's grand or small. In fact,
choosing a few large-scale furnishings - rather
than several diminutive chairs and tables
- will actually make a small room seem bigger.
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Have a seat. If shopping
in the stores test out a few chairs, and learn
to recognize the features that make them feel
comfortable to you. Is the padding too hard,
too soft, or just right? Also, consider how
well the chair fits your particular build,
choosing a higher seat if you are long-legged,
for example. The height of the arms, the pitch
of the back, and the support under your knees
should feel right for your body. |
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Look for a chair with a
solid structure. The best chairs have
frames that are made of kiln-dried hardwood,
and that are joined with firm dowels (metal,
plastic or wooden pins often used for support
on chairs), or with a combination of glue,
staples, and/or corner blocks. A frame made
with glue or staples alone will not prove
stable in the long run. |
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Touch. The chair's
upholstery should feel good to you, and it
should also be durable. Leather, woven wool,
tapestry, and upholstery-weight velvet are
proven to be wearable. |
DO dust your leather furniture often,
or vacuum with a soft-brush attachment to prevent
dirt and dust from being ground into the surface.
DON'T use saddle soap or any furniture
polish or cleaners on leather, which can harm
the material.
DO keep leather furniture away from direct
sunlight. Although leather will not fade as easily
as many other materials, it is not entirely immune
to the effects of the sun.
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