A chaise lounge, a uniquely American term, refers to an elongated chair with four legs whose back slants to make reclining comfortable. This piece of furniture was created back in France in the 16th century, evolved in Europe, and now interests people as an indoor recliner or patio seat outdoors. Originally, the name was chaise longue, meaning in French "long chair." But American English altered the spelling, pronunciation, and meaning to chaise lounge. They pronounced it "shayz" or "chase" lounge, because it they would be lounging in it.
Many varieties of chaise lounges decorate today's adaptable living spaces. Naturally, weather-resistant materials, like cedar and teak, are often used to construct outdoor recliners for garden patios or cruise ship decks. Very easy to maintain, their surfaces are slatted, so they don't collect rainwater, with removable cushions rather than upholstery. They might remind you of an Adirondack chair, but they are taller, with a more obtuse angle and longer seat. Other, often plastic, deck chairs don't qualify as chaise lounges either, because they have adjustable backs.
Some of the earliest indoor examples of chaise lounges can be traced back to France during the Renaissance. They were made out of curved wood and woven caning, or rattan. Unlike earlier recliner chairs of Ancient Greece, the French chairs were designed for the person to lie on their back, rather than on their side. As with much European furniture, the chaise lounge was imported to America in the first immigrant population wave of the 1830s. Their stylizations of carved wood, curving lines, and rich fabric upholstery proved popular to an American sensibility.
With the advent of modern construction materials, such as tubular steel and plastic, 20th century architects and interior designers remade the chaise lounge. They embraced the hybridized piece of furniture as emblematic of the new, open, multifunctional American home. The lounge could straddle bedroom, entryway, dining room, living room, and porch. The Bauhaus movement, especially, lauded the chaise for being flexible, functional, and affordable, perfect for the middle class family. Designers such as Marcel Breuer, Charles and Ray Eames, and Le Corbusier spent the 20s-60s creating sleek, modern chaise lounges of chrome, plywood, and plastic webbing.
