Accent chairs are a unique piece of furniture that is ever growing in popularity. It has quickly transformed into a staple in most living rooms, and gives personal spaces versatility and a pop of something unique. But as more accent chairs flood the market, it can be an overwhelming task on how to choose the perfect one! Albarado’s Fine Furnishings is happy to give you a step-by-step guide to make sure you find the chair that works best for your living room, leaving no room for buyer’s remorse.
A Guide to Choosing an Accent Chair
Step One: Define Your Color Scheme
The goal isn’t always to find the prettiest chair or the one with the most style, rather the best chair for your already established space. Some like to make sure everything matches, but others may be just looking for something that complements. Whatever you pick, cohesion is a priority and you need to decide what is the most important to you. Maybe you have a neutral couch, and you’re looking for a fun pattern to add boldness, or maybe you have the opposite problem and want a subtle addition. Whichever you choose, sit down and make a game plan for what your ideal color design is. This will help you save hours of browsing time and narrowing down what you actually want.
Step Two: Determine Its Use
Depending on how the chair will be used will also influence which chair will be acceptable. Is this for the living room, meant to be used frequently for socializing and watching TV? Or is it in a reading nook, something that won’t be used daily? Or maybe it’s for a rarely used drawing room, used to accentuate your decor. If you plan to use the chair daily, you will want to make sure you purchase a more stable, nicer quality chair so it can last. If you’re looking for something that won’t be sat in often, you might discover an incredible find at a local estate sale. When you make your final selection, keep in mind if it makes the most sense for your intended use.
Step Three: Consider Your Environment
If your home is filled with children or pets, this is also something you want to take into account. Leather is not an option with cats nor is silk for dogs. A good fabric substitute for pets is choosing tightly woven fabrics as opposed to loose woven; tight woven fabrics prevent pets from making damage due to claws. If you still have small children running about, you may opt to purchase a sturdy chair as opposed to a more fragile, antique one.
A Word of Caution: What Not to Do
Some designers’ biggest pet peeve when it comes to the accent chair is forgetting the accent part! This is the place to be bold, or add a splash of color to your current scheme. It may seem safe and acceptable to go with a neutral color, but this isn’t the place to do it. Instead choose a neutral for your sofa that way you can splurge a bit with color when you finally make your final chair purchase.
Designer Living has a great in-depth article of what types of chairs to consider and other features to keep in mind when shopping, if you would like further research.
A Chair for Every Purpose
Albarado’s Fine Furnishings’ wide selection of luxury brands will help make the selection of your accent chair even easier. Our interior design experts not only offer consulting services, but can guide you in finding the right fit for you. We will help you discover what are the most important features and functions for your living spaces, as well as what is most needed. Visit our showroom or contact us via our website to begin the design process.