Hancock & Moore Recliners: Comfort That Does Not Look Like a Recliner

Hancock & Moore recliners are built to disappear into a well-furnished room. The house has been making upholstered seating in North Carolina since 1981, and its recliner frames are constructed and covered to the same standard as fixed lounge chairs. Sutter & Vale carries the full made-to-order line, with leather, fabric, and nailhead options drawn from one of the broadest material programs in American upholstery.

How Does Hancock & Moore Hide the Reclining Mechanism?

Proportion and upholstery technique do the work. The frames are sized so the footrest tucks completely out of sight when closed. There is no visible gap at the front rail, no exposed metal, and no bulk at the back that signals the chair's function. The leather wraps the mechanism the way it wraps any fixed frame: pulled taut, seams placed deliberately, nailhead set by hand where the design calls for it.

That hand-set nailhead detail is worth understanding. The house offers two gauges, 5/8 inch (medium) and 7/8 inch (large), in Pewter, Old Brass, French Natural, and Vintage Brass. A craftsperson can run a dense small-gauge line along an arm roll and space a larger-gauge row on the outside back of the same chair. That layered detail is what makes the silhouette read as furniture rather than equipment.

Which Recliner Styles Does Sutter & Vale Carry?

The line covers classic wing chair forms and more formal carved frames. A few anchor styles to know:

• Browning: a high-back wing silhouette available as the Browning Wing Chair Power Recliner or the Browning Tufted Wing Chair Power Recliner. The tufted back adds grid depth to a shape that photographs well from any angle.
• Sterling: a leaner wing profile, offered in manual, power, and battery configurations, with the option of a plain or tufted back.
• Addison Bustleback Ball & Claw Power Recliner: the most formal option in the group. The bustleback silhouette and carved ball-and-claw feet place this chair in a traditional library or study without visual compromise.
• Haworth: a wingback with a quieter profile, suited to rooms where the recliner sits among several upholstered pieces rather than standing alone as a focal point.

All are made to order through the Hancock & Moore collection.

Manual Lever, Power Motor, or Battery: What Is the Difference?

The operating system changes how you use the chair, not how it looks.

The battery option, available on the Browning and Addison lines, means the chair can sit in the center of a room or in front of a window without a cord running to the wall. For arrangements that treat the recliner as a proper accent chair rather than a wall-hugger, this is the practical choice.

What Leather and Finish Options Apply to the Recliner Line?

Hancock & Moore selects and grades hides before any frame is cut. The goal is leather that holds up through twenty years of use without losing character. You choose grain, color, and finish from the same options used for fixed sofas and lounge chairs, so a recliner can be ordered to coordinate with existing pieces in the room.

Fabric is available across the line as well. For rooms that carry velvet or woven textiles in the surrounding seating, specifying the recliner in the same cloth keeps it from reading as an outlier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Hancock & Moore recliner work in a formal living room?

Yes, and the Addison Bustleback Ball & Claw is the clearest example. Its carved feet and traditional bustleback silhouette match the visual language of a formal room, and the reclining function is not apparent until the footrest deploys. Covered in a dark leather with Pewter or Old Brass nailhead, it reads as a period library chair.

How much floor space does a Hancock & Moore recliner need to open fully?

Most wing-chair recliners in this class require between 8 and 12 inches of clearance behind the back to recline completely. Power and battery models can sit closer to a wall than manual versions, because the motor controls recline speed and angle without requiring a full lean-back to activate. Confirm the exact clearance for your chosen model with Sutter & Vale before finalizing placement.

Are these chairs made to order, and how does customization work?

Every recliner in the Hancock & Moore line at Sutter & Vale is made to order in North Carolina. You select the frame, the operating system, the leather or fabric, and the nailhead finish and gauge. Lead times reflect that production sequence, so plan accordingly when the chair is part of a larger installation.

The Sutter & Vale Team