In the spirit of celebrating designers, I handed this space over to former art director and stylist turned designer Michael Walters. He had mentioned introducing one calm-inducing piece of
furniture to shake up the traditional flow of a room and help clients think differently about how the space is used. I was intrigued.
“We’ve been incorporating chaises into living areas to create an indoor-outdoor spot by the window. We like to add them where we can because it disrupts the typical furniture plan. It makes the layout more relaxed and less predictable, and clients really use the piece. They like the idea that they have permission — an invitation, really — to slow down a bit during the day. The chaise is easily rotated to take advantage of the outdoors, and its singular nature provides a little getaway.
The home shown here is one of the new desert Eichlers developed by KUD Properties. The owners are part-timers from the Pacific Northwest, a super-fun young couple who come here to relax and soak in the desert, though they have been working more from home lately. We pulled the dining area back a couple of feet to make room for the chaise because we wanted it to be important.
The chaise is from Dovetail. It’s a favorite of ours because it feels contemporary while still complementing our midcentury projects. The transparency and cantilever are very much in line with homes here; it can be by the window without blocking the view. For modern projects, we are fans of Blu Dot’s Deep Thoughts Lounge. The name says it all. We’ve also used the classic channeled leather chaise from RH.
These solitary nooks where someone can go and enjoy the view and read or take a nap have really resonated. We knew if we set aside the space for those moments, our clients would take advantage of them.”
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