Lean more this week from the furniture experts at Tri City Furniture what the differences are from a European recliner or chair vs an American chair. Some features you may love. Other features you may be able to do without.
We know that knowledge is power, therefore knowing as much as you can when shopping for a new chair will help you find the exact comfort that you need and want! Watch Design Time on TV5 each Thursday Morning at 9am to learn what you need to know from Kathy Kilbourn of
Tri City Furniture.
One thing to know is, Europeans often buy furniture once and keep it for a very long time frame. Just like they will build homes out of bricks and stones to stand the test of time, they look at furniture the same wat. They like quality. Their style is generally made with more intricated details and patterns. The style generally sticks to the tradition of elegant with handcrafted character. Rooms in their homes are more separated and small. Whereas, American style is more casual, big and comfortable. Our furniture we have rich bold colors in solids and prints, and rooms are set up in wider spaces.
Much of this differences is because of our larger homes- open concept floor plans and because Americans like to sit in much softer furniture. Americans newer generations often like that super soft sofa and sectionals that they can lay down on and sink in. European furniture is often smaller in frame, scale and seat height. It sits much lower to the floor compared to American furniture. Partly that is because of the visual look- a smaller seat height, due to a shorter back, due to the smaller space it was within. Back in the 1960-70's American furniture all sat low. If you have or find an older piece, you know exactly what I mean. As rooms have become larger, designers have changed furniture to be larger. They have designed them to recline back and hold you within the center of the seat, creating a comfort lounge area all around you- therefore making the entire piece of furniture larger.
Younger European styling has gone away from the more traditional character. We still see the smaller scale, minimalistic design is popular today and in many cases, leather is used. I think it is again because they keep their furniture for very long time. Leather does last. It is also natural. It has a simple plain design. It often is boxy with straight arms and legs. Some would say that this style has done a 360 degree change from what Europeans once was known for. The American heritage may have come from Europe, but over time our styles and lifestyles have changed. Our furniture is one of the reflections of that change.