Reclining furniture

[Pat271]

Hello, fellow hosts,

Do any of you provide a reclining couch, chair, etc.?

My instinct is not to - it would be just another mechanical item that might malfunction.

My biggest fear would be that some piece of furniture gets stuck in the reclining position and can’t be closed - but I don’t know if this ever actually happens.

[Anonymous]

@Pat271  If the theme of the home is "20th Century Middle American Kitsch," a La-Z-Boy recliner would be essential. Don't laugh - there's a generation of people around the world whose vision of Americana was crystallized by 1980/1990s sitcom sets, and nostalgia for those decades is very big in pop culture now.

Otherwise, no no no. Malfunctions are one potential issue, but I'd be even more concerned about cleaning. I don't want to be digging into the crevices of a device that's basically designed to swallow crumbs, remote controls, and other flotsam between every guest. And the flip side of nostalgia is the cringe of familiarity: that memory of grandpa clipping his toenails in front of the TV, complaining about immigrants taking our jobs or whatever. Perfectly fine for visiting a relative's house, but it doesn't have much appeal to me in a vacation rental. 

[Pat271]

What about those recliners that pop out from both ends of a couch? They seem to be ubiquitous, and their use doesn’t seem to be limited to those of Mr. Bunker’s age.

[Anonymous]

@Pat271  I've seen those in stores...sometimes even with a XXL drink holder at the center (being sprawled out semi-horizontally on upholstery with a bucket of soda in the middle of the sofa...what could possibly go wrong?).  

Personally, I don't like them - neither aesthetically nor functionally - but I may not be the target customer. The design concept assumes that the focal point of the room is a TV and, when fully extended, works against use of the room as a social gathering space. For example, you have to place the coffee table a fair bit farther away from the seating, so the setup is less conducive to something like a card game, or sitting upright to sip a drink without spilling. It's probably nice for a couple who just want quiet nights in without having to interact much.

Of course there are cultural factors, too. A friend of mine comes from a country where exposing the soles of your feet to strangers is very offensive, so his most vivid memory of being an exchange student in Arizona was the horror of seeing his hosts' dirty feet propped up in front of the Wheel of Fortune, and their backs splayed back just far enough to expose their bellies. Some things you just can't un-see...

[Pat271]

@Anonymous  Your contempt for all things ‘merica shines through daily in your prose. Explains why you now live in Berlin.😉

Thanks for bringing up the awkward table arrangements resulting from recliner use; I hadn’t thought of that.

OK…no recliners for me! 

I got some guest feedback that there isn’t anywhere to put feet up in my living room. Maybe a small ottoman is the answer.

Since you seem to have put significant thought into this (or at least more thought than the average Joe), do you have a preference for couch and chair materials? I’m thinking some kind of performance fabric, or maybe a tough leather. Or maybe just something good quality but cheap I might find in my neighborhood want-ads.

[Anonymous]

@Pat271 For materials, what I like for my own home is a bit different from what I'd choose if renting out a whole house; for the latter, stain-resistance and durability take priority. Sarah was our resident upholstery expert; she'd have been the first person I'd ask about fabrics had we not been abruptly deprived of her expertise.

For people who need to keep their feet elevated for health reasons such as @Debra300 's ankle injury, I think an adjustable ottoman would suit the widest range of needs. You can customize it to just the right height, but also stash it away if you prefer more space to move around. At home, I use a sturdy ottoman that matches the sofa, with a storage compartment where I hide my dog's blankets and toys. Visitors have used it as a footstool, an extra sofa seat, and in one case a platform for a spontaneous and ill-fated striptease.

[Pat271]

@Anonymous  OMG Andrew.🤣The highlights of Berlin at their finest!

[Kia272]

@Pat271  I bought an Ikea couch for two reasons: First,  everything is easily removable and washable, from the cushion covers to the couch cover itself. That was so helpful during the Covid cleaning protocol, and obviously in general. 

Second, I could transport it to my rental without needing a truck. Yes- it took a bit of effort to assemble it, but other than that, it's been amazing. 

It's actually a sleeper, so it has a detachable ottoman that can be configured on either side or off to the side. It's comfortable and looks nice. You can also buy an extra cover set from Ikea at not too much expense, and then you're prepared for a disaster, should one ever happen. 

Obviously, if you don't want to add to your capacity, don't advertise it as a sleeper, and nobody will know. I did apply some stain protection product to the cover. It's spray-on so can be reapplied every so often. 

I'm a big fan of an ottoman with a comfy chair. I have found these to be a good bargain on Craig's List and similar sites. 

FYI, I have a big old trunk as my coffee table, and I'm actually fine with it being used as a foot rest. It's pretty much indestructible - think Cargo or This End Up furniture from the 70s-80s. It looks great and fits my decor style and is built like a tank. 

I'm also not a fan or the retro or current recliner trends here in the states. I think of them as cheaply made and not very classy furniture. Call me snooty, but there you have it. 

Good luck making a decision. Kia

[Pat271]

@Kia272  Your sensibilities are very similar to mine. Thanks so much for sharing!

[Debra300]

@Pat271,

I recently had a two week stay in a vacation rental that had a matching living room suit that included a traditional recliner with the handle on the side.  I found it to be very comfortable after I severely twisted my ankle after tripping on the porch steps, and need to keep my foot elevated.  In my own rental, I have leather modern push-back recliners (no handle), and don't have much concern about them getting stuck.  I figure that if it happens, I will know who do it and work with to get reimbursement.

[Pat271]

@Debra300  That looks like a nice recliner, small but functional.

Yeah, the nightmare in my brain is that it gets stuck and can’t be unstuck easily, and then the next guests arrive…

[Debra300]

@Pat271,

It's the size of the picture that's deceiving.  The chair is normal size for my and other American behinds.  You have a valid concern, but if you applied that line of thought to other amenities in the rental, you wouldn't have things like a dishwasher, bed, or toilet.  You have great furnishings in your places, and I doubt that anyone would complain if a chair wasn't there when they arrived, because there is other comfortable looking furniture available.  Do you have a concern about where you'd store the chair until it can be repaired?

[Pat271]

@Debra300  Yeah, I wasn’t even thinking about the furniture being removed for repair, especially if it was the 3 person, heavy couch that had the stuck recliner. And I did have a guest complain about not having a place to put up their feet in the living room. He even said he resorted to using the coffee table.😖

Good point about toilets, and dishwashers, and beds, and indeed I have had some of those items malfunction. However, the difference is that it’s virtually a requirement to provide toilets and beds. It’s not a requirement to provide reclining seating; we have alternative options.

[Debra300]

Exactly@Pat271, if you provide a recliner (or another type of chair) and it becomes unavailable for an upcoming stay, you already have sufficient pieces of other furniture.  So, I wouldn't (don't) have a concern about not meeting guest expectations if it were out of commission.  Although I do have recliners, I don't highlight that point.

@Anonymousmentioned using the convertible storage ottomans.  I've had a couple of them many years ago, and prefer not to use them for my rentals, because I like to encourage adherence to my guest limit.  IMO, providing a lot more seating area than what the guest count needs can give an impression that the space is suitable for a social gathering.

[Pat271]

@Debra300  The couch in one of my units has a broken spring, so I am actually weighing all the options for repairing or replacing the main couch as well. So many of the couches around here have the built-in recliners, but I’ll probably steer clear of them.