THE RETURN OF THE SWING SEAT
Swinging sofas conjure up childhood memories of long summer days when there was little more to do than leaf through a book, while gently rocking. It’s a nostalgic image, which still seems an extremely satisfactory way to spend a sunny afternoon. Could a swinging sofa be the garden must-have we never knew we needed?
ODD (oddlimited.com) has been making its Old Rocker swing seats in very limited runs for nearly 20 years and counts actors and designers (including Helena Bonham Carter and Pearl Lowe) among its clients.
Their old-style aesthetic – brightly-coloured, tentlike, waterproof canvas roof and sides and comfortable cushions in linen and velvet – gives a fairytale effect. “They are a bit of a curiosity,” says the brand’s coowner, Emerald Brown. “A fully upholstered sofa in the garden – and not only that, it swings.”
A swinging sofa is also an excellent place for a cosy chat, according to Elizabeth Durrant, co-owner of Wilverley (wilverley.com), whose Idler swinging seat – designed to replicate ones sold in 1920s Army & Navy stores – boasts more famous fans and has featured on screen in television programmes such as Poirot.
Sofas at both ODD (where prices start at £3,900) and Wilverley (£2,395) are pricey, but there are budget-friendly options available from garden centres and brands such as Cox & Cox. Despite their country-house connotations, they are far from outdated or stuffy and can be styled up to the nines – Brown likens the appeal of “dressing your rocker” to that of tablesetting. And when it comes to cushions and fabric choices, “more is more”.