Chaise Lounge Sofa
A chaise lounge sofa offers a stately place to recline, combining the comfort of a bed with the elegance of a traditional settee.
Chaise Lounge Sofa
A chaise lounge sofa bridges the gap between a seated sofa and a full daybed, designed specifically for reclining in formal rooms. Buyers exploring this selection encounter diverse historical iterations ranging from Regency and William IV pieces to Victorian and Edwardian examples.
The Victorian era supplies the most common examples on this page, often built from mahogany or rosewood with button-back upholstery and carved frames. Regency and Grand Regency pieces appear frequently too, alongside daybeds and double-ended sofas from the nineteenth century.
Materials and construction
Timbers such as mahogany, walnut and rosewood form the structural framework of these daybeds and settees, occasionally accompanied by ebonised wood or cast iron. Cabinetmakers utilised brass inlay, ormolu decoration and intricate wood carving to enrich the polished wooden surfaces.
Upholstery fabrics define the upper surface, including velvet, silk, leather, damask and brocade supported by sprung bases. Turned legs frequently sit upon original castors, allowing these substantial couches to move across the floor.
Chaise Lounge Sofa Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for chaise lounge sofa among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Several daybeds retain their original castors, engineered so nineteenth-century loungers could glide across the parlour without disturbing the carpet.
Craftsmanship and distinction
The refinement of the timber carving and the subtlety of the scroll arms set exceptional examples apart from standard seating. Fine pieces demonstrate precise joinery in the frame and careful execution of decorative elements like Ionic column legs or inlaid walnut panels.
The integrity of the original wood grain and the quality of secondary materials such as brass mounts dictate the standing of a daybed. Pieces associated with notable workshops display superior handling of proportion and material.
Howard and Sons·H Goodall and Sons·Holland and Sons·Gillows
The Chaise Lounge Sofa Glossary
- Chaise longue
- An elongated chair or sofa designed for reclining, featuring a single raised backrest and one or two scroll ends. It provides a comfortable half-sitting posture.
- Daybed
- A couch that functions as a seat during the day and a bed for resting, often built with a single end or a low back.
- Ormolu
- Gilt bronze mounted onto furniture as decorative ornamentation, popular in nineteenth-century French and English design.
- Button back
- An upholstery technique where buttons are pulled deep into the padding to create a diamond pattern and secure the filling.
- Récamier
- A type of daybed with two raised ends and an open side, named after the French salon figure painted by Jacques-Louis David.
Chaise Lounge Sofa: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a chaise lounge sofa?
A chaise lounge sofa is an upholstered seating form designed for reclining with a raised backrest at one end. It combines the support of a traditional sofa with the extended length of a daybed.
These pieces served historically in drawing rooms and boudoirs for resting during the afternoon without retiring to a bedroom.
How do I identify a Victorian chaise?
Victorian examples typically feature dark hardwoods like mahogany or walnut, often with deep button-back upholstery and rich carved ornamentation. They frequently display scroll arms and sit upon turned wooden legs.
Earlier Regency pieces tend to show cleaner classical lines, sometimes incorporating brass inlay or simulated rosewood finishes.
Were these sofas used for sleeping?
They served primarily for daytime resting, reading and receiving visitors in a semi-reclined posture rather than overnight sleeping. The single raised end supported the head while the long seat accommodated the body.
Many nineteenth-century households placed them in sitting rooms for casual lounging.
How do I place one in a room?
A chaise lounge sofa looks best positioned away from walls where its profile and carved backrest remain visible from multiple angles. It pairs well with low tables and functions as a focal point in a large drawing room or study.
Allowance must be made for its length, which exceeds that of an ordinary armchair.