Everyone loves to kick back and relax in a recliner. As an interior designer, you know that the sofa is the centerpiece of the living room, but the most comfortable piece of furniture is the recliner. You have quite a few options when designing a living room, and each recliner provider gives you plenty of models and styles to choose from.

Keeping up with the latest trends in recliners is important. When a client contracts you to come up with a great design for her home, you have to be ready to impress her. Stay knowledgeable about different recliner styles and options so you're ready to give your clients what they're looking for.

1. Discern between the wide variety of recliner chairs that are available today. Some chairs rock, some glide, some only recline.

2. Measure the space you have to work with. The recliner you find for your client has to fit in the room and mesh well with the other furniture.

3. Think about the color scheme in the room. Each manufacturer offers color swatches to choose from, and the recliner, of course, must match the decor of the room.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find recliner providers that offer fabric-covered styles

In the past, cloth was the most popular material used for recliners, but with the growing number of newer styles, like microfiber, it has sort of fallen by the wayside. It's still a great material though, and manufacturers still make these recliners in a wide array of textures and patterns. This is a useful option for any budget.

I recommend: Take a look at the recliners available from Recliner Select. Choose from the products ReclinersPlus.com has to offer.

Recommend a microfiber recliner

Microfiber material resembles soft suede. The fibers themselves are woven very tightly; this is a great advantage since spills won't absorb quite as quickly as they would with regular fabric. The downside is that body heat can warm the material quickly, possibly causing the recliner's occupant to become too warm.

I recommend: Check out the great selection at Havertys Furniture. Choose from the variety of recliners at BizChair.

Offer leather recliner chairs to your high-end clients

Leather is a very durable material and is great for furniture that gets a lot of use. Make sure you check to see what grade the leather is, since inferior materials can tear much more easily than better-quality ones.

I recommend: Suggest one of the recliners at Everything Furniture. You can find contemporary leather recliners at Crate and Barrel.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  As a licensed interior designer, you have access to design centers that showcase new and up-and-coming furniture and styles. Design centers can be rather large but most have directories and maps posted at each entrance. Locate the recliner directory listing and head over to check out the offerings. Each designer should have a recliner list you can take with you, detailing the specific products they offer.
• •  Regularly attending trade shows can ensure that you always have the latest recliner information. As you know, trends change rapidly and new styles are always coming out.