There is something so indulgent about a daybed or a chaise longue. They conjure up images of reclining with a great book or magazine, a drink and maybe even a delicious little snack and then drifting into a peaceful daytime nap. These are some of the prettiest I've seen around. Enjoy!
Early daybeds were made in ancient Egypt and consisted of palm sticks tied together with pieces of rawhide. In ancient Indian pictorials, the God Vishnu can be seen reclining on a daybed. In China, daybeds grew in popularity during the Ming Dynasty. The daybed was perhaps the only piece of furniture to offer itself for use 24 hours a day.
The Greeks used what they called Kline at their symposiums, where men gathered to talk and drink. The Romans borrowed from the Greeks and used daybeds both to sleep and to recline at banquets. Food and drink served at such events was put at a height accessible from the reclining position.
During the Victorian Age, the daybed was referred to as a "fainting couch." This piece of furniture had a unique purpose for women. After wearing their tight corsets for long periods of time, women actually became faint and needed to rest. They would retreat to the fainting couch to do this.
Trust the French to add comfort to life – and furniture. Around the 1720s, they developed the chaise longue which literally means "long chair" in French.
During the reign of Louis XIV, the day bed grew into favor and continued to rise in popularity. Around 1750, during the Louis XV period, a version of the day bed with scrolled-out sides and a long cushioned seat, called the turquoise was introduced. It was a reflection of the lavish lifestyle of Louis XV's court, and a hallmark of both beauty and comfort.
The proverbial couch used by the patients of Dr. Sigmund Freud was not a couch in the traditional sense. In fact, his couch was essentially a daybed. Not a quite bed and not quite a couch, it was a comfortable place for the patient to lie back and relax. We might not have Freud providing therapy to us, but just relaxing on a beautiful daybed could be therapy enough!
Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead.
Till next time
Sharon x
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