One cozy seat for two cozy people

First there was the love seat designed to promote closeness. But the love seat has its limits and in many cases it’s just a shortened sofa.

To really snuggle up to your sweetheart you want something kind of soft, a seat you can sink into and that is big enough for two. Thus was born the chair and a half, an oversized seat where couples who like to sit close can canoodle in comfort. And now the latest generation is the cuddle chair, which not only is large enough for two but almost envelopes a couple in a protective cocoon.

“They create intimacy,” said Annie Alderson, an interior designer and owner of Praetzel’s Fine Furniture in Petaluma, which features several two-person chairs in its showroom and which will “build one” to your specifications. “They’re great for couples who want to be able to sit next to each other and hold each other’s hand, watch TV or have a conversation. Just having that physical closeness is nice.”

These soul-stirring seats come in a wide variety of prices and styles, from tailored and traditional to playful or post-modern edgy, depending on your taste and decor. Some swivel, others have very high backs like one of the car in a “Tunnel of Love” amusement-park ride.

Pinterest and the home decor website Houzz are filled with pictures of two-person chairs, many ultra-modern and uber-cool. There’s also a whole class of two-person chairs built for outdoor lovers. Consider the “Looping Lounge Chair,” in which two outdoor chaises extend in opposite directions but meet in the middle, with a covered loop for shade and easy access for smooching. Or there’s the two-person sun lounger, where both stretch out under the same loop, with feet meeting at the middle.

Horchow, the upscale home outfitter, features a whole line of what they’re marketing as “Cuddle Chairs” that are “roomy enough for two.” Big-budget buyers can choose a look that suits their romantic style, from the “Harlow” which, with its Art Deco glam, looks like something 1930s blonde bombshell Jean Harlow would have curled up in while casting a come-hither look ($3,300), to the Massoud Coca Wildlife Chair, complete with chenille upholstery and silken animal-print pillows. A generous 73 inches wide and 65 inches deep, it leaves room for all but the biggest Tarzans ($4,100).

For a more modest budget, Lazar Industries makes a 61-inch-long Circle Lounge chair you can order in a red the color of Valentine’s Day roses ($1,349 at Savvyhomestore.com.)

Denise Osborne, an interior designer at Pedersen’s home furnishings in Santa Rosa, said her idea of a cuddle chair is one that focuses on sheer comfort and is constructed to draw you close.

She loves the Shabby Chic line, built by Miles Talbott for Rachel Ashwell designs. Couples can go for a chair-and-a-half or a cuddly sectional sofa with chaise lounge for stretching out.

Clients are drawn to The Savannah by Miles Talbott, with cloud seat cushions. It has all the features you want in chair for two.

“It’s very comfortable and supportive and is excellent for snuggling and cuddling,” she said. “The chair will receive you as opposed to you just sitting on the piece of furniture.”

Also popular is the chaise lounge-and-a-half by Miles Talbott. Think chair-and-a-half with ottoman attached. At 53 inches, it’s a chair for those who like to sit super-close.

Typically, for optimal two-person comfort, you want a sat of 60 to 72 inches and depth of at least 45 inches. The stylish two-person chairs that most popular on the Internet aren’t necessarily conducive to soft cuddling.

Whatever style they choose, couples should take the “tush test” before making any selection. And the test cuddle ideally should include both of them. A chair should comfortably accommodate two, whatever their size.

“It can be trickier when you have a big height discrepancy between couples,” said Alderson of Praetzels, noting that usually the smaller woman will defer.

So who are the two-person chair buyers?

“They are people who come in and say, ‘I want to sit next to my sweetie. Or the wife will say, ‘My husband likes to sit next to me and hold hands,’ said Loralai Wester, who also is an interior designer with Pedersen’s. She has a current client who said her husband not only likes to sit close but also rub her feet.

“It’s not for everybody,” she conceded. “But there are specific people that have that little twinkle or that little sparkle there,” she said.

Families are also buying cuddly furniture in which to snuggle with small children or even for quality alone time with a book or TV remote. Designers say couples often select them for their bedrooms, But they can also be worked into vignettes in larger spaces like a living room or family room.

Donna Katen, the longtime office manager at Pedersen’s, shares a small section with a chaise lounge with her husband, Randy. The pair spent years apart in other marriages before reconnecting and marrying a few years ago.

“We live in a 500-square-foot house so there’s a lot of cuddling going on,” she said with a laugh. “I work 40 hours a week, so when I get home I like to spend quality time with my husband.”

You can reach Staff Writer Meg McConahey at meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or 521-5204.