8 chairs we’d love to rise and recline in

The rise and recline chair has become an everyday staple in most households; whether it is out of comfort or necessity, this feat of furniture engineering has become increasingly popular in recent years.

For the older resident, who may need a home electric stair lift and other such aids, the rise and recliner chair offers a safe and easy way to enjoy the simple act of sitting in the lounge and the safety feature of reducing falls. For the younger sitter, a reclining chair offers much of the same by way of comfort, particularly popular for those who want to unwind after a long day’s work.

This iconic chair has become such a crucial part of everyday life that it has even made its way into popular culture, with the likes of Graham Norton showing its humorous side on the Graham Norton Show with his mischievous  Red Chair, as shown in the below clip.

As such, we have looked into eight well-known chairs that we’d love to rise and recline, for either comedy value or to offer our own touch of harmless mischief.

The Queen's seat in the House of Lords

Of course, we would never wish to see any harm done to HRM The Queen, but we think she might benefit from a reclining chair in place of her seat at the House of Lords. The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament and is where members, or Lords, meet to debate and change Bills. With such serious, and often tiring, work being conducted, it would be nice to see Her Majesty offered a bit extra comfort from which to think and decide on such important matters.

The Iron Throne

The now world-renowned Game of Thrones saga has made many characters and actors famous, not least the symbol of the Iron Throne. This iconic grand chair is now instantly recognisable by both fans of the books and TV series, as well as the general public. For it to have a rise and recline function may be a form of blasphemy for some, but King Joffrey would probably like the idea!

The Lucena giant chair

From a chair made from daggers and swords to the largest chair in the world, this guide shows how this functional form has been so widely interpreted across the world. Lucena, Spain, now boasts the world’s largest chair. Weighing 120,000kg, the Lucena chair stands at 26 metres tall (the equivalent of an eight-storey building) and is visited by travellers the world over for its gigantic size.

The fight for the world’s largest chair began in 1905, with Massachusetts boasting a 12-foot installation. Since then, Lucena has taken the concept and outdone the first edition six times over. However, these giant editions are yet to boast a rise and recline feature!

Steven Spielberg’s chair

He has directed some of the world’s most famed films, making his director’s chair one of the most iconic in the industry. Yet we think the intensity of directing the likes of E.T. and Jurassic Park would be much easier should he invest in a reclining chair in which to ponder the camera angles and lighting – it would be much easier on the back!

Alan Sugar’s chair on The Apprentice

From empathising with the likes of The Queen and Director Spielberg to light revenge, what could be more satisfying than using a reclining chair on the likes of Lord Sugar in The Apprentice in the style of Graham Norton’s Red Chair? It is likely that a few of Sugar’s fired candidates would be keen to see the comical chair introduced.

Vincent van Gogh's Chair

Famed Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh is known for his contribution to the post-Impressionism movement, with one such famous painting being that of Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). This artwork was created by the artist whilst in the company of Gauguin at Arles. Van Gogh also painted his companion’s armchair, a work that is widely considered to illustrate the differences between the two artists.

The work was created long before the invention of the new rise and recliner chair; if he were alive today, then his painting may look slightly different.

Doctors surgery waiting room chairs

Where may you be at your most nervous? The dentist? Well they have already introduced rise and recliner chairs there, maybe not to put you at ease, but rather for the convenience of the practitioner. Nonetheless, the doctors surgery could certainly learn a thing or two from its neighbouring health specialists. We think that the doctors surgery waiting room would be a great place to implement reclining chairs – just as long as patients don’t become too comfortable and miss their appointments!

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s throne

Finally, the Any Dream Will Do television series saw Lee Mead shoot to fame as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph in the West End musical revival of Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Next to Mead’s stunning rendition of the programme’s namesake, Lloyd Webber’s judging throne was equally iconic.

The stunning theatrical throne made a repeat appearance in the later series Over the Rainbow in which contestants battled it out for the part of Dorothy in Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz. What would make the throne even better? A rise and recline function of course, so that Sir Lloyd Webber can judge in total comfort.

Image Credit: Rob Deutscher, Contando Estrelas (flickr.com), National Gallery (commons.wikimedia.org)

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google + profile to read more stories.