These hanging chairs are the culmination of a long and somewhat insane evolution that started when we got the idea that it might be cool to suspend a bar beneath our roof beam so we could reach up and stretch anytime we wanted.
The bar we decided would be supported by 1/2” eyebolts that penetrate the entire beam because it looked good and provides excellent redundancy in case either of us gains several thousand pounds.
Once the bar was in place I thought you know what would be really cool is a hanging chair because that would offer luxurious seating that could disappear into a cupboard which seems like the sort of thing you might want in a tiny house.
Of course once we got the chairs (which are insanely comfortable and surprisingly inexpensive), I thought you know what I really want is to be able to hang in front of the French door with the doors open in the middle of summer, and then I thought but it might also be cool to hang over the bed or against the back wall. Long story short I ended up sistering a couple of rafters and drilling through them and installing nut plates on the tops that I could thread a long eye bolt into.
The real trick of course would be finding those holes again once the sheet rock was in place. In a rare moment of flickering brilliance I decided to drop a plumbob from the holes and mark X’s on the floor and then reverse the process later which surprisingly actually worked.
Today was the moment of truth drilling out the holes and hanging the chairs. As planned, these give us great seating options and can be stowed in seconds. From the chair nearest the door I can sit with my toes curled over the warm wood stove hearth and gently rock while I play Monument Valley on my iPhone. (The most beautiful puzzle game ever created) I can’t think of more perfect definition of bliss.
-Brian
