The Reclining Chair
Although not an extremely common household item the reclining chair has been around for many years. One of the first reclining chairs was created by Edward K. Knabush and Edwin J. Shoemaker, two Americans, who then patented the wooden recliner in 1928. This patent was the start of the founding of the company La-Z-Boy.
A reclining chair is characterized by the ability to recline with a folding foot rest and tilting back. One problem that the recliner faces is the fact that once you recline you are facing the ceiling. Most recliners are placed in the living room where a television is present. If you recline in the chair then you are unable to watch. You can’t even really read once you are reclined. My goal in this design is to create a reclining chair where you can lean back while still facing forward.
Reclining chairs always look comfortable. ALWAYS. This is because there always seems to be an excessive amount of padding. Many times I have looked at a reclining chair thinking it will be comfortable only to realize, upon sitting, that is it not. This is a design aesthetic that is important to notice. If I want to create a comfortable chair it not only has to be comfortable but it has to look comfortable. It has to make someone want to sit in it.
20 comments so far
7:37 am - 5-13-2013
You’ve captured the nature of the reclining chair perfectly. It’s a piece of furniture we love to hate. It can be bulky with assuming “comfort,” only to offer an un-supportive sit that makes reading and looking at others or watching tv difficult. They are everywhere, and we keep them forever. There is a reclining chair in the old tv series “Frazier” that takes a central position in the show–old, raggedy and impossible to get rid of. A friend of mine calls his mother’s recliner “mush 2000.”
10:19 am - 5-30-2013
I’m happy that you look back and took time reading up on reclining chairs, the simple fact that when you lean all the way back you can’t see whats in front of you, it turns out that you stare at the ceiling. What i’m really excited to see is your take on the chair, hopefully it will include a design or a prototype of some sort.