As of recent, I have become fascinated with fainting sofas. I hate to admit this but I am slightly obsessed with the television series, Mad Men. My husband says that Netflix refers to me as a binger. Ok, ok, I will agree. It is a problem and I don’t foresee giving up Netflix anytime soon.
During one of my “Mad Men” binges, one of the main characters bought a fainting sofa. I might add that she purchased it without her designer’s knowledge. Needless to say, her designer was mortified. The fainting sofa wasn’t ideal for the space but I can see using the sofa in certain settings.
I was curious to learn about the history behind fainting sofas. A fainting sofa is a backless sofa with one end raised for reclining. The sofa was popular during the nineteenth century. The theory is that women wore corsets which restricted air flow, causing them to faint. Some homes and hotels had dedicated fainting rooms where ladies could recline and catch their breath.
I love this modern adaptation of the fainting sofa. What do you think? Is there a place in modern design for the fainting sofa?
Image 1 clockwise: neoeocon.com; houz.com; royalartpalace.com; newl.com
Image 2: houzz.com
