Looking for cool to hang in the middle of a room...

June 29, 2007 8:28 AM

Chairs and other things that can hang from a high ceiling... suggestions?

Turns out the loft I just moved into had a former Cirque du Soliel performer as a tenant. She installed a bar between two of the ceiling beams which can support several hundred pounds.

I'm considering hunting down an Eero Aarnio bubble chair but am curious if anyone else has any suggestions for equally cool-looking furniture or other things that can be suspended in the middle of a room. Friends have suggested a punching bag, a swing, etc.

As for swings... does anyone manufacture something ready made for such a purpose? I did some searches but only found swing sets. Thanks.

posted by dobbs to home & garden (17 comments total)

We have one of these in our cottage porch. It hangs from a single point. It's the most comfortable chair in the universe, though I'm not sure you're looking for something so hammocky.

For swings... I don't want to admit how I know this but you might want to look at some of the higher-end adult product vendors. Some of them sell swings and such.

Personally, I'd put in a tire swing. Weeeee!
posted by bondcliff at 8:38 AM on June 29, 2007

Hammock!
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:38 AM on June 29, 2007

Bubble swings are sexy.
posted by iconomy at 8:40 AM on June 29, 2007

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I should have mentioned that single point is best but the bar is probably 3 ft wide so a regular swing would work but a traditional hammock would not.
posted by dobbs at 8:49 AM on June 29, 2007

I second the tire swing. Omg fun.
posted by tastybrains at 8:52 AM on June 29, 2007

A gallery with some swings - some nice stuff, and links.

Another cool thing would be a huge, really sharp pendulum that would kill you if you didn't time walking past it just right. It would give your place a nice Vincent Price kind of feel.
posted by iconomy at 8:54 AM on June 29, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I have a high ceiling and very little storage space - we store our bikes hanging from the ceiling. A pulley system anchored to the wall gets 'em up and down.
posted by quinoa at 9:03 AM on June 29, 2007

C'mon, dobbs, what you want is all right here.
posted by klangklangston at 9:19 AM on June 29, 2007

A comfy hanging chair would get more use than a swing. But a tire swing would be SO cool!
posted by happyturtle at 9:30 AM on June 29, 2007

I don't have actual logistics, so you are on your own as far as that goes, but... I have seen (Monster House???) people make a suspended dining table, which raises against the ceiling when not in use. The underside of the table can serve as a flat, funky, modern, chandelier, and when lowered it is a table suspended by cables on the corners. Pull up some chairs and dine away. Retractable legs can reduce the sway. You could also do it on a smaller scale as a desk or project table.
posted by The Deej at 10:07 AM on June 29, 2007

Porch swing + + +
posted by dersins at 10:52 AM on June 29, 2007

I personally would hang a variety of plants at different heights, along with pully systems to drop them up and down for watering. That would be really nice. Maybe a monkey just to complete the look.
posted by brinkzilla at 11:45 AM on June 29, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Wow, I envy you! How about a sky chair?
posted by misha at 12:55 PM on June 29, 2007

How about an amazing mobile? If you can afford the bubble chair, I bet you could afford a really unique and beautiful mobile. The problem with a chair is if it's not placed right, it will just look dorky. And sex swings embarrass your parents when they're over for Thanksgiving.

I'm so jealous -- a former trapeezist!
posted by amanda at 2:23 PM on June 29, 2007

Thanks for all the answers, folks! I'm liking the tire swing idea and can't believe I didn't think of it myself. Much cooler (though less romantic) than a swing swing.

And amanda, I don't think she was a trapeezist--she was one of those people who hangs from a rope by her ankle and spins around at high speeds. One of my neighbors says she had crazy parties and spun ... naked. Um, yeah.
posted by dobbs at 2:43 PM on June 29, 2007

So.... SPIN NAKED!!!!!!
posted by The Deej at 3:47 PM on June 29, 2007

Admittedly I'm a circus nerd but I really think you should buy some silks. Even if you don't use them like she did they'd look great and make for a fun story.

I've heard those Cirque folks get pretty crazy too!
posted by Drew_Blood at 4:40 PM on June 29, 2007