Picking Out the Right Recliner

by Gillian Markson | More from this Blogger

30 Jun 2006 06:24 AM

So you're in the market for a new recliner for your living room? You've come to the right place for some design and practicality tips. Read below for a step-by-step guide for purchasing a recliner.

First, when choosing your recliner, you are going to want to think about the design of your living room. Design includes basic things, such as fabrics and colors as well as the overall look and feel of your family space.

Ask yourself some simple design questions such as: What do I want this room to feel like? What colors do I prefer? What patterns fit best with my tastes? What fabrics would go best in this room?

Maintaining a consistent design between your new recliner and your existing furniture will help to pull the room together into one that looks pleasing both to you and to visitors. Make sure you choose fabrics and colors that will compliment one another. After all, mixing plaids and polka dots is a grave error to even to worst designer.

Next, you will need to think about practicality. Practicality includes things such as how your family will use the new recliner and how you plan to allocate space for the new addition. For example, if you only have five square feet into which you are going to place the recliner, you will need to make sure you don't buy a recliner that will require 7 feet of recline space.

Most recliners require that the back be up to three feet from the wall so that when it does recline, the motion will not be impeded by the wall. Some recliners will slide downward so that the majority of the space is taken up from in front of the recliner, where the foot rest moves out into the room. Make sure you read the spec sheet for the recliner before you purchase. Even more important - make sure you know exactly how much space to set aside.

Some common mistakes people make when choosing a recliner are: Choosing a recliner that looks "out of place." Buying a recliner that simply does not fit in the space. Bringing home a large recliner that the spouse has not yet approved.

As per the first mistake: Choosing a recliner that looks "out of place," a simple solution is to create a special corner for the recliner. Because your new piece is going to be one of the larger pieces in your living room, it is important that it does not just look thrown into place. Carve out a niche for it with a nice side table and lap. Make it look cozy (as all recliners tend to be anyway.)

Again, you can avoid mistake number two by simply measuring the space you have against the space the recliner requires. Make sure that you do measure the full space required for the recliner, including the fully extended position.

Always tell your spouse about major purchases and redecorating decisions especially if he or she is inclined to want to know of these purchases in advance of them arriving at the doorstep.

Heed these few words of advice and you are on your way to making an informed decision about purchasing your new recliner.

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