Say goodbye to the dad chair. Today's recliners are slimmer, smarter and more stylish than ever. Even La-Z-Boy, the 90-year-old brand whose name is as synonymous with classic recliners as Kleenex is with tissues, has updated its product line over the years. In 2010, the company hired actress Brooke Shields as its celebrity spokeswoman to target women ages 35 to 54 and to distance itself from a decades-long association with grandpas, couch potatoes and frat boys who love the lever-lifting footrests and roly-poly cushions. “I call it Bubba,” Faith Phillips, the company's vice president of retail store experience, said of the iconic chair. “We love Bubba, and we won't stop making Bubba, but we wanted to offer more.” The commercials have been successful: A La-Z-Boy spokeswoman said the company saw three years of double-digit same-store sales growth coinciding with its launch. So last year, the company developed a new retail strategy that puts boutique-style showrooms in cities.

About one-third the size of the company's standard stores, the boutiques feature La-Z-Boy's Urban Attitudes collection, which offers contemporary pieces in small footprints, and design consultations. The first showroom opened about a year ago in Washington, D.C.'s Logan Circle neighborhood.buy chair with footstool “The idea is to make these stores reflect their communities,” Phillips said. bean bag chairs amazon uk“We're considering adding more in other parts of the country, but it has to be the right fit.”cafe tables and chairs for sale perth Kelly Taylor, an interior designer in Providence, R.I., said the generational divide about recliners is as much about size as it is about style.antique skinny chairs for sale

“Clients who ask for recliners are usually older folks who want a place to kick back and have the space to accommodate a big chair and a big ottoman,” she said. “Younger people in their 30s and 40s are all about small spaces, less stuff, cleaner decor. used stacking chairs in londonThey're cool with the single center ottoman.”top office chairs ergonomic They also may not have the “sentimental attachment” to recliners that their parents do, she said, which means brands can't count on that as a draw. massage chair for truckBut that's perhaps where the strategy behind La-Z-Boy's new showrooms comes into play. folding high chair ikeaBy opening up shop in trendy neighborhoods, the company lets customers see firsthand how much recliners have evolved in the past 40 years. white rocking chair patio

) is 33 1⁄2 inches wide and bears little resemblance to earlier counterparts. Other companies have followed suit, of course, and are selling recliners in sleeker silhouettes and modern fabrics. ) is understated with a strip of piping on the trim and could easily be spiced up with a bright throw pillow or fur throw. Room & Board's Wynton recliner ($1,799-$2,699, roomandboard. com) is impressively narrow at 30 inches wide; splurge for the leather if you want a classic feel without the clunk. Most recliners need at least a foot between the chair and the wall to allow adequate space to recline, but that's changing, too. ), which glides the seat forward into a horizontal position and lowers the back without significantly changing the chair back's original position. To keep up with such technical advances, companies are developing battery packs to allow you to float a power recliner in the middle of a room without the hassle of cords and outfitting chairs with USB ports so you can charge your devices.

Needless to say, most modern recliners ditched the lever a long time ago. “So long as it doesn't scream recliner, I like them,” Taylor said. “It's hard to argue with wanting to put your feet up.” Put the refrigerator back in the kitchen! La-Z-Boy Incorporated introduces the ultimate recliner for sports fans. The "Oasis" is the ultimate recliner for sports fans; it comes with a built-in cooler. The Oasis has everything an armchair quarterback needs for the big game. It's armed with a thermo-electric cooling unit located underneath the flip-up armpad that is large enough to hold up to six 12-ounce cans. Now you can drink beer without getting up to fetch it and with the built-in cupholder, you never have to strain yourself reaching for that cool beverage. If you need to order a pizza or call a friend to discuss a play, simply use the full-size corded telephone located in the chair's other armrest. The telephone comes equipped with Caller ID and the memory feature can store up to 99 names and numbers.

The Oasis has a 10-motor massage and heat system that is perfect for getting loose and warming up before the game. As for comfort, the Oasis is plush and overstuffed, offering mounds of soft seating that span 41-inches from arm to arm. And its curved back design and sectioned wings will cradle even the toughest sports spectator. Oasis is available in a wide array of fabrics and leathers- there is even talk of team colors later this year. The Oasis is now available for about $900. For more information call 1-800-625-3246. 8 Awesome New Kickstarters You Should Check Out This Week Don't Buy A Smartwatch Unless You've Read This Guide First Save Big On DSLRs, Bluetooth Speakers And More Of Today's Best Deals 6 Essentials For Having An Awesome Looking Lawn This Spring Why Having Chemistry Can Actually Be Dangerous To A RelationshipMONROE, Mich.—La-Z-Boy Inc., whose name is synonymous with recliners, no longer wants to be known for clunky chairs that dads use to watch football.