How Do You Make A Chaise Longue?
The chaise longue is almost synonymous with timeless luxury.
Developed and popularised in the 18th century as the lounge chair of choice by French upholsterers, chaise longues have always retained a certain cachet as an opulent, lavish showpiece item almost uniquely suited to the discerning individual looking to showcase their personal taste, style and class through their home décor.
Yet as a cross between an armchair and a sofa, what you may not know is that chaise longues can be very simple to produce.
If you are looking to build a chaise longue, the first step is to design and construct a durable hardwood frame using a sturdy wooden timber such as beech-wood.
Each piece needs to be cut to size, not an easy task considering the unusual, atypical shape of a chaise longue, before being joined together using dovetail joints and fixed together with wood glue and metal screws to ensure that the frame will support the weight of multiple people at any one time.
On completion of the frame, the next step is to begin the process of upholstering the piece which effectively means cladding the product in either polyfiber or, for the traditional effect, horsehair wrapped in foam.
By gradually layering the stuffing and wrapping tightly around the skeletal frame, the chaise longue will gradually take shape becoming larger and more comfortable to touch as each new layer of stuffing is added to the piece.
Once you have completed the upholstery of the piece, you will then need to cover the furniture piece in a material top cover which will then become the exterior of the product.
For most settings and styles it's advisable to use a high quality fabric here which will give you a range of decorative options when it comes to the final look and feel of the piece.
A number of high quality fabric suppliers will be happy to help out on this front, but be sure to take accurate and precise measurements for the material required when placing your order.
Having wrapped the fabric top cover around the padded frame, the next stage is to finish the product in order to complete the look.
Depending on your desired style you may wish to opt for a deep buttoned look or drawn stich-work in order to convey either a classic or contemporary look with the final product.
Material piping may also be added running along the outline of the piece in order to grace the chaise longue with a modern touch which effectively emphasises the unique asymmetrical outline of the piece in comparison with more conventional home furniture such as sofas and armchairs.
If you follow these basic steps you'll be sure to obtain a product which is both striking and manufactured to a high build quality.
However, it's also worth noting that the full process will require a great deal of time, effort and attention from start to finish.
For this reason, you may wish to seek out the specialist help of a bespoke furniture manufacturer when coming up with your design.
Even if you do eventually choose to manufacture the piece by yourself, it's worth seeking out advice and inspiration from as many sources as possible before you begin the process of building a chaise longue, as this is will save a great deal of time and help you to obtain the best possible product.
Developed and popularised in the 18th century as the lounge chair of choice by French upholsterers, chaise longues have always retained a certain cachet as an opulent, lavish showpiece item almost uniquely suited to the discerning individual looking to showcase their personal taste, style and class through their home décor.
Yet as a cross between an armchair and a sofa, what you may not know is that chaise longues can be very simple to produce.
If you are looking to build a chaise longue, the first step is to design and construct a durable hardwood frame using a sturdy wooden timber such as beech-wood.
Each piece needs to be cut to size, not an easy task considering the unusual, atypical shape of a chaise longue, before being joined together using dovetail joints and fixed together with wood glue and metal screws to ensure that the frame will support the weight of multiple people at any one time.
On completion of the frame, the next step is to begin the process of upholstering the piece which effectively means cladding the product in either polyfiber or, for the traditional effect, horsehair wrapped in foam.
By gradually layering the stuffing and wrapping tightly around the skeletal frame, the chaise longue will gradually take shape becoming larger and more comfortable to touch as each new layer of stuffing is added to the piece.
Once you have completed the upholstery of the piece, you will then need to cover the furniture piece in a material top cover which will then become the exterior of the product.
For most settings and styles it's advisable to use a high quality fabric here which will give you a range of decorative options when it comes to the final look and feel of the piece.
A number of high quality fabric suppliers will be happy to help out on this front, but be sure to take accurate and precise measurements for the material required when placing your order.
Having wrapped the fabric top cover around the padded frame, the next stage is to finish the product in order to complete the look.
Depending on your desired style you may wish to opt for a deep buttoned look or drawn stich-work in order to convey either a classic or contemporary look with the final product.
Material piping may also be added running along the outline of the piece in order to grace the chaise longue with a modern touch which effectively emphasises the unique asymmetrical outline of the piece in comparison with more conventional home furniture such as sofas and armchairs.
If you follow these basic steps you'll be sure to obtain a product which is both striking and manufactured to a high build quality.
However, it's also worth noting that the full process will require a great deal of time, effort and attention from start to finish.
For this reason, you may wish to seek out the specialist help of a bespoke furniture manufacturer when coming up with your design.
Even if you do eventually choose to manufacture the piece by yourself, it's worth seeking out advice and inspiration from as many sources as possible before you begin the process of building a chaise longue, as this is will save a great deal of time and help you to obtain the best possible product.