Decorating Guides
These Questions Will Help You Choose the Right Accent Chair
Narrow down the style, color, material and size you want for a chair that will enhance your space
Accent chairs not only provide additional seating but also are a great way to add more personality, style reference or color to a room. When choosing an accent chair, you have many considerations, from selecting a style that complements your space to determining the right size and material to fit your needs.
To help guide the decision process and narrow down the choices, ask yourself the following six questions.
To help guide the decision process and narrow down the choices, ask yourself the following six questions.
1. How will the accent chair be used? Nailing down the function of your chair can help guide other decisions like style, fabric material, comfort level and overall durability. For example, are you looking for a cushy armchair you can sink into every evening or a not-often-used style piece to provide color in an entryway?
Deep comfort was a goal from the start when architect and interior designer Ashley Pace of Sanders Pace Architecture selected a pair of upholstered accent chairs for a client’s master bedroom seating area. Pace chose cream for the upholstery to fit in with the room’s calming, neutral color palette.
Designer tip: Pace had the fabric treated with Scotchgard to protect against spills and staining, given that the chairs would receive moderate daily use.
Armchair: Muse chair, Younger Furniture
Designer tip: Pace had the fabric treated with Scotchgard to protect against spills and staining, given that the chairs would receive moderate daily use.
Armchair: Muse chair, Younger Furniture
2. Where will the chair be placed? Another consideration that affects the type and style of accent chair you choose is where it will be situated in a room.
For accent chairs used as additional seating for a dining table or breakfast nook, keep in mind the size, shape and seat height. Is the back upright enough and is the seat the right height so that one can sit comfortably at the table?
For accent chairs used as additional seating for a dining table or breakfast nook, keep in mind the size, shape and seat height. Is the back upright enough and is the seat the right height so that one can sit comfortably at the table?
If you’d like to use accent chairs to add more seating in the living room, you’ll want to consider how the chairs relate to existing furniture and the overall style of the room.
For example, the two pairs of accent chairs added to this open living space provide flexible seating and visually tie the room together. The gray accent chairs relate to the sofa, while the hot pink ones echo the hue of the dining chairs (out of view).
For example, the two pairs of accent chairs added to this open living space provide flexible seating and visually tie the room together. The gray accent chairs relate to the sofa, while the hot pink ones echo the hue of the dining chairs (out of view).
3. What size should an accent chair be? This question goes hand in hand with asking where an accent chair should be placed. If you’re adding a chair to a space with existing furniture, make sure it relates in both size and scale to what is already in the room.
For example, in this New York apartment, interior designer Sharon Blaustein of B Interior chose a soft velvet accent chair that matches the height of the sofa and other two chairs to complete the living room seating area. The chair “is small and low, so it fits well without overpowering the space,” Blaustein says.
Designer tip: To maintain a cohesive look at home, run a tape measure down existing furniture, taking note of the height of the seat and seat back. Use the heights as a ballpark measurement for selecting the size of an accent chair.
Velvet armchair: Mad chair, Poliform; see more velvet chairs
For example, in this New York apartment, interior designer Sharon Blaustein of B Interior chose a soft velvet accent chair that matches the height of the sofa and other two chairs to complete the living room seating area. The chair “is small and low, so it fits well without overpowering the space,” Blaustein says.
Designer tip: To maintain a cohesive look at home, run a tape measure down existing furniture, taking note of the height of the seat and seat back. Use the heights as a ballpark measurement for selecting the size of an accent chair.
Velvet armchair: Mad chair, Poliform; see more velvet chairs
Also consider the width of new accent chairs, and position them to maintain enough breathing room: 18 inches is a comfortable distance between a chair and a coffee table, while leaving a 2-foot gap or more allows one to walk around a chair. This will help ensure that you can move easily throughout the space while keeping the room feeling spacious rather than cluttered.
4. What material makes sense? To help choose the material of your accent chair, think about how you’d like to use the chair (high versus light use) and what type of feeling you’d like to create.
Natural and synthetic leather are much more durable for everyday wear than more delicate materials such as velvet upholstery.
Materials like wood, metal and plastic can easily be wiped clean, making them options for accent chairs placed in a kitchen or dining area.
Natural and synthetic leather are much more durable for everyday wear than more delicate materials such as velvet upholstery.
Materials like wood, metal and plastic can easily be wiped clean, making them options for accent chairs placed in a kitchen or dining area.
The type of material also influences the overall feel an accent chair provides. Soft materials — like cushy upholstery, buttery leather or velvet — feel warm and inviting, while materials like metal and plastic feel a bit colder. Warm up any accent chair with a cozy throw blanket or faux or real sheepskin.
For upholstery fabrics, including velvet, determine the durability by checking the rub count— a measurement based on a machine rubbing a fabric until it wears down. In general, 25,000 double rubs is considered durable and won’t quickly show wear in a home. Commercial-grade furniture usually uses upholstery fabric with a rub count of over 100,000 double rubs.
The type of fabric and weave can also influence how well it can be cleaned. In general, sturdy wool-based fabrics are more stain resistant and easier to clean than polyester blends or delicates like silk. Also check whether the fabric has been treated with anything to help with stain resistance or, if placed in bright light, color fade resistance.
The type of fabric and weave can also influence how well it can be cleaned. In general, sturdy wool-based fabrics are more stain resistant and easier to clean than polyester blends or delicates like silk. Also check whether the fabric has been treated with anything to help with stain resistance or, if placed in bright light, color fade resistance.
5. What’s your home’s style? On to the fun part: choosing accent chairs based on style. Whether your space is traditional, modern, bohemian or Scandinavian-inspired, there’s an accent chair for every style. While you don’t need to stick to one style theme for a space, make sure that an accent chair at least relates in style and tradition to the existing elements of the room.
Houzz Quiz: What’s Your Decorating Style? | Work with a designer to find your style
Armchair: HAY
Houzz Quiz: What’s Your Decorating Style? | Work with a designer to find your style
Armchair: HAY
Here, leather butterfly chairs work in an eclectic bohemian living room in Stockholm.
In this Austin, Texas, living room, a pair of iconic Eames lounge chairs help hit home a midcentury modern theme.
6. What’s needed to tie the room together? When working with existing furnishings, accent chairs can be great opportunities to either reinforce a theme or color palette for a space or introduce a new pattern or silhouette.
For example, interior designer Kathleen Matthews used a slipper chair covered in a bold blue-and-white fabric to add a twist to a traditional living room in St. Louis and reinforce the color palette. “This chair was chosen to fill out the space and add another element to the living room,” Matthews says. “The fabric has a beautiful organic, geometric feel and brings in the dark navy that was the accent color along with gray.”
Slipper chair: Beauchamp chair, Sherrill Furniture, covered in a woven cotton-poly fabric from Vervain
For example, interior designer Kathleen Matthews used a slipper chair covered in a bold blue-and-white fabric to add a twist to a traditional living room in St. Louis and reinforce the color palette. “This chair was chosen to fill out the space and add another element to the living room,” Matthews says. “The fabric has a beautiful organic, geometric feel and brings in the dark navy that was the accent color along with gray.”
Slipper chair: Beauchamp chair, Sherrill Furniture, covered in a woven cotton-poly fabric from Vervain
Conversely, an accent chair can be used to add contrast in color, style and material compared to other existing elements in a room. Adding a modern accent chair — or one with an iconic style — to a more traditional interior can quickly update a space to feel fresh and contemporary.
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Decorating 101: How to Shop for Furniture
Find an interior designer in your area
Browse armchairs and accent chairs
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Decorating 101: How to Shop for Furniture
Find an interior designer in your area
Browse armchairs and accent chairs