Comfortable hanging chair to the ceiling - selection and installation rules

In this article, I will debunk all the myths about how to attach a hanging chair to the ceiling, because most people do not know many of the nuances and make judgments based on their own opinions, instead of turning to an expert.

I will talk about how to safely attach a hanging chair to a wooden ceiling, to a floor slab, to a plasterboard ceiling, or to an already installed stretch ceiling. Read it if you want to protect yourself, your family and your ceiling.

I will also tell you how to hang the chair in other places, even if it is already attached to the ceiling, and how to easily and permanently get rid of the hole in the ceiling in the future if you want to remove the hanging chair.

History of appearance

The hanging version of the chair was first introduced in 1957 by the famous Danish designer Nann Ditzel. The invention was shaped like an egg and was attached to the ceiling. This idea was later refined by the Finnish designer Eero Aarino: his “bubble” model was released in 1968. The chair looked like a transparent plastic ball and had the familiar ceiling mount.

Subsequently, a strong trend towards development and improvement in this direction was maintained. This led to the fact that hanging chairs not only gained a place in the market, but also turned into a separate line of home furniture. When purchasing such a structure, you have to take into account a number of factors, including the features of the ceiling, interior style, type of fastening, etc.

How to do it yourself?

If you don't want to spend your savings on purchasing a stylish cocoon-shaped hanging chair, you can make your own furniture at home.

Before starting work, it is important to draw up a drawing and prepare all the necessary tools and materials. You will need gloves, scissors, thick fabric, a base for the frame, metal fittings, polyamide threads or tapes, medium-thick foam rubber, slings, cords, etc.

d. Give yourself approximate step-by-step instructions so as not to get confused during the work process.

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For example, you can make a wicker hanging chair on a rigid frame by following the following master class:

• The base of the frame must be wrapped in foam rubber and secured with glue;
• Polyamide tapes are wound on top of the foam rubber;
• Such a prepared base will be connected with ribbons and ropes for weaving;
• The frame bases should be of different sizes and arranged from largest to smallest;
• The resulting basket is suspended from the ceiling using slings or an iron ring.

For more information on how to make a hanging cocoon chair with your own hands, see the following video.

Varieties

The main advantage of a chair suspended from the ceiling is its originality: this piece of furniture immediately attracts the attention of others. Developers present a number of models of this design on the market, which makes choosing the right option much easier.

Types of hanging chairs:

• Wicker
  . The classic model that was used initially. Currently, hanging chairs from the ceiling made of rattan and willow are especially popular. This is explained by the modern fashion for natural, eco-friendly materials. These models do not look innovative, but this does not prevent them from having a luxurious look: this is very valuable for classic interiors. There are two types of wicker furniture on sale: natural and artificial. Visually, these products are not much different, but in terms of service life, the advantage is on the side of cheaper plastic options. They are the ones that can most often be found in dachas and personal gardens.
• Hard plastic
  . The first transparent “Bubble” ball was made from this material: despite the original appearance, this chair is quite uncomfortable to use. In more modern designs, developers try to take into account the anatomical features of a person. Solid plastic products come in both transparent and colored. This makes it possible to combine external beauty with ease of use. The cost of hanging chairs made of hard plastic is not very high.
• Fabric
  . The most inexpensive option for a hanging chair, which is characterized by significant ease of use. In this case, the hammock known to all mankind was taken as a basis: it was slightly reduced and equipped with a device for a seat.
• "Cocoon"
  . This deep chair, the volume of which allows an adult to hide inside, has been known to the world for a couple of hundred years. Modern modifications are equipped with a reinforced frame and a durable fastening cable. Thus, it was possible to breathe new life into this development, which was proven by large-scale sales of “cocoons”. People who value privacy especially loved this chair. Sitting in such a seat, a person gains 75% isolation from the outside world. The structure swings gently, which promotes peace and tranquility.
• "A drop"
  . This variety can most often be found in children's rooms. In appearance it is a large bag that looks like a house. Reliable slings are used to secure the chair to the ceiling. As a result, the child gets a comfortable place to play and relax. The placement features of this design make it possible not to clutter up the space of the room.

Almost all types of hanging chairs can be attached not only to the ceiling. As a rule, the kit includes a special frame that allows the use of such furniture in houses with weak ceilings that cannot withstand suspension. In addition, the frame makes it possible to adjust the swing amplitude.

A case will help

Hanging chair-hammock
How can you make a hanging chair with your own hands without having the skills, for example, of knitting and macrame? It is best to choose the option of a hanging chair with a cover. To make this we will need:

• hoop;
• piece of cloth;
• interlining or braid;
• slings;
• buckles and a metal ring (for fixation).

The hoop can be created from pipes, using metal-plastic, or from wood. When using the latter, you should be prepared for the fact that the natural material may dry out over time.

First of all, we make a cover. Having cut it out and marked the places for the slings, sew both circles together, leaving a hole to insert the hoop. Fill the case with padding polyester, securing it with an invisible seam. Strengthen the structure on the hoop. Secure the slings by putting buckles on them in order to be able to adjust the chair.

Today on the Internet you can find detailed diagrams for the manufacture of suspended structures, videos explaining them, as well as numerous drawings.

It’s easy to make a nest chair yourself using a hoop and thick threads

By learning how to make chairs with your own hands, you will be able to make a piece of furniture that will help you truly relax, feeling peace and quiet in your own home.

Interior matching

The appearance of the chair attached to the ceiling gives a clear impression of good taste on its owner. At the same time, it is important not to rush into buying the first model you like, since no interior will accept it harmoniously.

There are a number of recommendations to help you select a suitable hanging chair:

1. A strict classic interior basically excludes the possibility of using such structures. At the same time, efforts to adapt the hanging chair to this style continue. The result is simply a repetition of the design of classic furniture, equipped with a specific fastening. Such products must have a comfortable back and wooden armrests. It is clear that we are not talking about any wicker or plastic models here.
2. Despite the fact that Baroque, Rocaille or Rococo are also considered classical styles, they allow the presence of swings. In this case, it is advisable to do without plastic, cocoons and rattan models. Options made from natural wood, the lacquered back of which is decorated with beautiful carvings, are perfect: this favorably emphasizes the pomp of the overall design. In these styles, the use of artistic forging is encouraged: given the large weight of forged chairs, it is recommended to install them on frames.
3. In cases where the owner of a classic interior still wants to purchase a hanging chair, during its installation there is no need to hide power fasteners (chains, cable, etc.). On the contrary, these details are often highlighted with additional decor.
4. The Art Nouveau style is distinguished by its versatility, which makes it possible to use any type of suspended structures. It is important to remember that Art Nouveau is characterized by a riot of bright colors. This opens up wide possibilities for the use of bright wicker cocoons, transparent “Bubble” and fabric mini-hammocks. The main thing is that this furniture is bright and catchy.
5. Country and French Provence are perfectly complemented by wicker furniture. The design of the chairs here can be very diverse: the main condition is that they must be wicker. When using fabric models, they try to give preference to rounded shapes. Provence allows the possibility of using forged pendants installed on separate frames.
6. It is not advisable to complement the increasingly popular ecological and ethnic interiors with plastic furniture. The ban does not apply to other materials here. It can be an imposing hammock, a wicker cocoon, a fabric or wooden drop.
7. Most often in high-tech style they use transparent “Bubble”. It is important to remember that despite the assurances of emancipation and freedom of action, this style has a fairly extensive list of restrictions (almost the same as the strict classics). They try to give preference to furniture made of plastic and nickel-plated metal. Bizarre configurations are encouraged.
8. The modern loft is also distinguished by its originality. Considering the fact that the loft is classified as an attic style, knitted and fabric hammocks fit most harmoniously into it. A cloth drop would also be appropriate here. Transparent “Bubble” will come in very handy in the loft style, which cannot be said about wicker lashes.

How to choose?

When choosing a hanging chair, you must first decide which design you will prefer. It is known that the chair can be attached to the ceiling; in this case, installation is carried out and it cannot be moved. There are also portable structures, they are a stand on which such a chair is attached.

If you want to purchase the most reliable option, which you plan to constantly place in one place in the house, it is better for you to give preference to the first model. If you intend to rearrange such furniture from room to room or take it outside or onto the veranda, then it is better to choose the second option. In addition, the first option is considered more reliable, it has high-quality fasteners and is quite difficult to break.

Also, when choosing a hanging chair, you need to pay attention to the material from which it is made. It is best to purchase models whose frame and weaving are made of natural substances

If you want to decorate a nursery or bedroom, then models made from the most environmentally friendly materials - rattan or wicker - are best suited for such rooms. If you want to arrange the interior of another room in this way, for example, a living room or kitchen, you can choose something else - options made of plastic or other non-natural materials are suitable; they are also reliable, but not environmentally friendly.

Pay special attention to the material from which the chair is made if you are purchasing it for a cold loggia, terrace or veranda. It must be resistant to external factors, it must be resistant to cold, wind and precipitation

In addition, materials should not fade, because the rays of the sun can change their external qualities, so you should choose the most durable and least susceptible to change pieces of furniture.

This is important because hanging chairs must be durable, because during the cold season you can bring this piece of furniture into your home to enjoy the comfort of it.

A very important factor when choosing such a chair is that it should fit into the interior. An armchair, like any other furniture, must match the design of the room and organically complement it

If you are installing such a piece of furniture in a small room, for example, in the kitchen or bedroom, it is better to give preference to compact and not flashy options that will look very neat, but will also attract attention

You should not buy massive hanging models for a small room, as it will look ridiculous. In a spacious room, you can install larger hanging chairs, especially for rooms with non-standard high ceilings - the furniture in it can be larger, since the room looks wider.

You should also choose chairs depending on where they will be installed and what they will be used for. For children's games, teardrop models are best suited, in which the child can hide and mind his own business. For living rooms, the most beautiful are oval armchairs, which are shaped like an egg.

You also need to select such furniture depending on the style of your interior:

• For rooms decorated in Country style, wicker models made to look like wood are best suited. They will fit perfectly into such a room and become the highlight of its interior.
• If you have decorated a room in a high-tech style, then models made of plastic and other modern materials are best suited for you.
• For a children's room, it is best to choose small models with a bright design, regardless of how the room is decorated. If the room, be it a bedroom or a nursery, is decorated in the Provence style, you can choose a white or pale pink hanging chair with beautiful weaving; it will perfectly complement such a room. Models made of wicker with an artificially aged finish will look great in such a room.

• If you are going to install such a piece of furniture in a room in a Retro style, then choose dark and simple models.
• There are also chairs in a minimalist style, which have a small number of small parts, usually they are not completely closed, their weaving is not continuous, they are distinguished only by the frame and the seat with a low back. They are suitable for decorating a room in the Minimalist style, and usually these are models of discreet tones that look very interesting.

Recommendations for choosing a hanging chair

To determine the optimal hanging chair model, you should consider the following nuances:

• In addition to originality and external beauty, the strength of the structure is of great importance. Considering the fact that after installing such a chair there is still some space between it and the floor, if the fastening breaks, there is a real risk of injury. Therefore, when considering different options, it is important to consider how much weight each model is designed to carry. You should be especially careful with wicker chairs made from natural materials: as a rule, their load capacity is limited to 120 kg.

• If these same models are equipped with a metal frame, this will raise the load-bearing level to 150 kg. If the macrame technique and strong rope are used to make a small hammock or basket, the safety margin in this case is set at “100 kg”. Double versions have a slightly higher carrying capacity. In general, after forged iron products, “Bubble” chairs are considered the most durable: the use of modern hard plastic for their manufacture ensures that they can withstand loads of up to 200 kg.
• In addition to the static load on the structure, it is necessary to take into account the dynamic load. This parameter largely depends on the room where the hanging chair is installed. In living rooms, the amplitude of its swing usually does not exceed 50 cm. In children's rooms, this furniture is often used as a full-fledged swing.
• The way to hang a chair from the ceiling deserves special attention. Such products can be mounted on the ceiling itself, on special braces between two parallel walls, or on a special frame (support stand). As practice shows, the most reliable is mounting on a frame. As a result, you can acquire mobile furniture, without being tied to a specific place. In addition, this approach provides a fairly high load capacity. You have to pay for safety, which is reflected in the fairly high prices for these models.
• Much depends on the material of manufacture. When considering among the options for purchasing wicker or rattan wicker, you should pay attention to chairs with an internal metal frame. The cost of metal and wooden frames is almost identical, so there will be no financial losses in this case. Among other things, the frame is securely hidden by weaving and is not visible.
• The cost of wicker products largely depends on the complexity of the weaving. The most expensive is considered to be openwork weaving made from willow vines. An even pattern made from the same material will cost an order of magnitude cheaper. The same is true for wooden models: the presence of wood carvings makes the product more expensive. As for seats knitted from ropes, the complexity of knitting has virtually no effect on pricing. Brand awareness is of great importance: the most expensive hanging furniture is Italian, the cheapest is Chinese.

• Despite the stereotypes, among Chinese samples you can find chairs of fairly good quality. However, the most optimal in terms of price/quality ratio are considered to be products of Malaysian and Indonesian origin.
• When searching for hanging chairs in online stores, it is recommended to also look through the “swing chairs” category. Manufacturers often offer such furniture for decorating personal plots and summer cottages.
• The most famous seller of hanging chairs on the domestic market is the Ikea brand. Its offices are located in almost every major city in the country. They can also be easily found on the World Wide Web.
• The Uyuterra and Kit-market retail chains are famous for their significant variety of quality goods (hanging chairs are placed in the garden furniture sections there). It is recommended to order the original “Bubble” from the official dealer of the company: these products are patented, and a quality guarantee can only be given by the manufacturer.

What is

Hanging chairs from the ceiling were invented by designers in the mid-20th century. At first they were common only in Finland and Denmark, but soon became popular all over the world. The demand for the model is due to a number of advantages:

• a wide variety of designs and materials allows you to choose an option for an interior decorated in any style;
• rocking is an excellent way of relaxation, so this chair will become a place for comfortable rest;
• for children - a good replacement for swings;
• in the chair you can read, watch TV, relax and even sleep.

The design of the chair has no legs, is attached to the ceiling using a chain and is more like a hammock or swing. A special feature is its light weight and unusual shape - streamlined, which creates a feeling of comfort, and closeness on almost all sides allows you to relax and isolate yourself from external irritants. Most often this piece of furniture is a ball or oval.

There are several options for hanging chairs on the ceiling:

1. The classic model is a chair made of rattan or wicker. In budget versions, artificial materials are used. But in any case, such an openwork design is popular and will suit many interior styles. It is suspended on a chain or using special blocks.
2. The hemisphere chair is one of the first models that was made of transparent plastic. Now they are made in color, in the form of a drop or a cocoon.
3. A hammock chair is a textile product that is considered the most comfortable. It is soft, openwork, and has many design options. It can be hung in the form of a drop or a triangle.
4. Cocoon - covers the sitter from almost all sides. Allows privacy and relaxation. It can have both solid and openwork walls. Some models are made with a lockable entrance. Children really like these houses.
5. The drop-shaped chair is comfortable and stylish. Most often it is made of fabric, which is why it has received the additional name bean bag chair.

All structures are lightweight, which helps not to overload the suspended support - the ceiling.

Classic model

Hemisphere chair

Bag

Hammock chair

Cocoon

Review of popular models that are attached to the ceiling

In order to somewhat understand the varied palette of armchairs suspended from the ceiling presented on the furniture market, we should distinguish three main groups of these products - plastic, wicker and knitted products. The classic “Bubble” has been the most popular among buyers who prefer high-tech and other techno styles for several decades. The cost of this famous bubble-like design varies by supplier.

Quite original models from MAFFAM, for the manufacture of which they use basalt fiber, compete well with the transparent ball. The most popular type of basalt chair at present is the cocoon. As for wicker modifications of hanging chairs, they are most widely represented on the market by products from China, Indonesia and Malaysia. Worthy competitors also began to appear among domestic companies. Models made from natural wicker are more expensive. Plastic analogs are about 2-3 times cheaper.

The main form for knitted and textile varieties is a hammock or basket. There are other configurations, but they are very rare (most often they are made to order). Products of this type are budget products. The most expensive representatives of knitted chairs are those made from polyamide and nylon threads. The use of natural wood is currently practiced quite rarely: such models are considered exclusive and are valued quite highly. Even for the simplest design, which includes several wooden arches and two pillows, you have to pay a tidy sum. Lacquered samples with openwork carvings are even more expensive.

As for making hanging chairs yourself, this procedure is considered quite labor-intensive. The fact is that these products, according to the standards, belong to highly loaded structures, which imposes additional difficulties. Any mistake can result in the product collapsing onto the floor along with the person sitting there.

Types of construction

There are many models of hanging chairs, and each of them can complement a garden plot or apartment. Making furniture with your own hands has a number of advantages over purchased goods, because they allow you to show your imagination and make sure of its quality.

Hanging swing

These unusual chairs can be made from different materials. The design itself is lightweight and reliable, and most importantly, it can have both a soft and hard base. A swing can be used to decorate a cottage, sleeping area, children's room, attic or playground. You can make it yourself using strong ropes and thick textiles.

Wicker cocoon

The cocoon chair, or egg, is one of the most popular models. It differs from other products in the presence of walls that hide almost the entire internal space. It is usually made from natural or artificial rattan, and sometimes wicker is used. This design will appeal not only to adults, but also to children. After all, in such a cocoon you can find solitude.

Nest chair made of hoop

This model is interesting because to make it you only need an iron hoop, which needs to be braided with strong yarn. The structure itself must be suspended from the ceiling with strong ropes. The nest can fit in any room, even a small room.

The variety of models also provides a method for attaching the base. A hanging chair can be attached to the ceiling, or it can stand on a stand. The choice of fastening depends on the characteristics of the room and the personal preferences of the owner.

So, to build a swing you need to prepare thick fabric, strong ropes and wooden blocks. And if the product involves weaving, then willow, bird cherry and rattan twigs are suitable. They should be flexible enough to be woven by hand.

To make a nest chair, you will need an iron or plastic hoop that has sufficient rigidity

And to give a unique style, it is important to use wear-resistant fabric, foam filling, laces for weaving and wooden boards

Much depends on the weaving technique. One of the most famous is the macrame style, which involves intertwining knots of rope or ropes. With its help, you can achieve a sophisticated look for the product.

To ensure the reliability of the base, the patchwork technique is used. To do this, a patchwork blanket is attached on top of the main material.

The base of the product can be knitted with strong yarn or laces. Weaving from multi-colored laces will look especially beautiful.

An openwork pattern can be created using the tatting technique

Such a product will seem weightless and light, which will undoubtedly attract the attention of guests.

Installation features

Popular recommendations for attaching a hanging chair to the ceiling emphasize the use of a chemical anchor. To be fair, it is worth noting that this term does not apply to the anchor bolt itself, but to the installation method. In this case, you will need the most ordinary anchor, and a special paste is pumped into the hole made for it. After polymerization, this composition will provide a very strong bolt fastening. In this way, it is most convenient to hang chairs exclusively from a monolithic concrete beam. As you know, ordinary city apartments are not equipped with such structures.

Hollow reinforced concrete slabs are used as floors in multi-storey buildings, the walls of which are no more than 40 mm thick. At dachas and inside private houses, in addition to reinforced concrete slabs, durable wooden beams can be used. For example, you can disassemble the installation of a hanging chair to the ceiling of a children's room: in this case, it is necessary to ensure maximum fastening strength in order to ensure that collapse is avoided. Installation is carried out not on one, but on several chemical anchors.

Operating procedure:

1. Take a metal plate 5 mm thick, square in shape (the length of one side is 30 cm). Drilling is done in the center and in each of the corners. The central zone is equipped with a securely fastened repair bolt. Mounting bolts will later be threaded into the holes in the corners.
2. The back of the repair bolt is exposed from behind, making it difficult to press the sheet tightly to the ceiling base. To solve the problem, the shank is measured, according to which 4 pipes are made of metal.
3. Anchors are immersed in these pipes and installed at each of the corners of the plate (in the space between the plate and the ceiling). This will make it possible to provide the fastening with stability that is important for it. Next, markings are made along the holes in the plate on the base of the ceiling: holes are drilled in the designated areas and filled with fastening mortar. After this, you can install the anchors.
4. It is better to choose a reliable chain as a suspension for the chair. To disguise not very attractive ceiling fasteners, you can use decorative foam elements (molding, frieze, etc.). Despite their cheapness, they are distinguished by their visual appeal.
5. Installation of a hanging wicker chair to a wood ceiling is done without the use of chemical anchors. The best option in this situation would be a solid metal clamp that completely encircles the supporting beam. Considering the fact that the maximum load on fasteners sometimes exceeds 200 kg, it is recommended to use tape with a width of 50 mm and a thickness of 3 mm to make the clamp. As a rule, timber with a cross-section of at least 100 mm is used to construct ceiling beams. The suspension can be done on a rounded log, which is stronger than a simple beam.

Types of structures

The main difference between garden swings and all others is their location outside a residential building. Because of this feature, they are not connected to a power source and cannot be electrically driven, like some models of small children's swings installed in the room. Such structures, which do not have power sources and sway solely due to human movements and inertia, are called mechanical.

• Sun loungers. This is a single-seat device, the chair of which has a suspension at one point. In this case, the seats themselves can be of various shapes: in the form of a folding chair, round and square, with a mesh or soft seat. They are suspended on a rigid spring and can withstand weight up to 200 kg.
• Cocoons. These swings are made in the form of a sphere with a hole; they have an additional stand, so they do not require fastening or erecting a frame. The structure of the stand and cocoon is most often made of metal, and the filling of the empty space is made of threads, rattan or fabric. Such cocoons can be not only single, but also accommodate up to 4 people.
• Hammocks. The peculiarity of such swings is that they are attached not to a horizontal crossbar, but to two vertical supports. Classic hammocks are made of fabric or threads, however, there are also wicker models. An ordinary hammock is the simplest, cheapest and most reliable option for organizing a place to relax in your garden plot.

• Benches. Most often, such structures are designed for a large number of people: from 3 to 5. They require an additional frame with a horizontal crossbar, to which a bench is attached on rigid or flexible crossbars. The simplest version of such a swing is a simple board attached with ropes to a thick tree branch.
• Sofas. A peculiar modification of the swing-bench, which, unlike the previous one, has not only a seat, but also a backrest. Most often they are made of metal or wood, and are covered with soft mattresses on top. More expensive models can fold out and turn into a kind of hanging bed, which can comfortably accommodate two people. Due to the fact that they are designed for a large number of people and are themselves quite heavy, such structures require a metal-reinforced frame, to which they are most often attached to rigid crossbars.

Depending on the purpose and maximum permissible weight, garden swings can be divided into children's and adults. Their main difference is the permissible load. In addition, children's swings most often have a lighter, collapsible design so that they can be moved around the area and put away for the winter. Adult swings are most often non-demountable, as they have a more complex design.

Depending on the installation location, the following can be mounted:

• free-standing hanging bench or chaise lounge;
• a small hammock right on the open veranda or inside a large gazebo.

Hanging benches on chains inside a pergola (canopy made of climbing plants) look especially beautiful, but for this it must initially have a fairly strong frame that can withstand the weight of the swing itself and the people sitting on it. Depending on the ability to move, structures can be stationary or portable. Stationary swings are securely fixed in the ground, most often they have a small but durable canopy or roof. All soft seats and mattresses from such structures are removed for a period from late autumn to early spring. Portable products have a lighter frame and are usually stored in a garage or pantry during cold weather. To ensure greater reliability, such swings can have a metal frame, but be collapsible.