There’s only so much seating space that a sofa can provide. Even if you got yourself the biggest corner couch you could find, there will still be situations when extra seating is needed. And this is why chairs are another essential element for the comfort and functionality of the living room.
If you already came to this point, then you should know besides being a practical living room addition, unique designer chairs can also be used to spice up the room’s aesthetic, giving it an exquisite stylish touch. If you’re looking for a game-changing chair that will perfectly blend in with your contemporary interior, here’s what to consider.
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Choose the Style of the Chair
When it comes to picking out a chair or several chairs for your living room, style is the first thing you need to get right. So, make sure to choose from the most popular styles of contemporary seating so that the chair perform as an ensemble with the rest of the furniture and decorations and won’t stand out in a bad way.
Take Wingback chairs, for example. There’s a reason why they’re one of the most popular contemporary seating options. This luxurious-looking chair is known for its dramatic winged sides along with its tall back, making it a perfect companion for spacious rooms with large sofas. Also, its dramatic appearance is perfect to give your living room a sense of elegance and works best in areas near a fireplace.
On the other hand, even though rocking chairs were originally invented for gardens, nowadays they are commonly used for providing a warm touch to contemporary living rooms. They’re famous for their curved band design which allows you to swing back and forth instead of staying in the same position and come in different shapes, sizes and designs to perfectly fit any contemporary living room. Not only you can fit it in every corner, but this chair will also become your favourite place to sit just because of its rocking feature.
But if you wanted to turn your living room into a cozy place where you can relax, then don’t hesitate to go for the classic club chair. Featuring deep seats, these chairs are spacious and comfortable and perfect to fit them in the corner of your living room where you take your time to read a book while having a cup of tea. They also come in different designs- from leather layouts to give your living room an elegant effect to the minimal fabric patterns to complement the modern seating furniture in your living room.
Rolled arms, button tufting, nailhead trim- what could be more dramatic than the classic Chesterfield chair? This chair is an essential piece of furniture in every elegant living room since the 1700s. Even though the times and the living room styles changed, the Chesterfield seat never went out of fashion, still being considered as the ultimate contemporary chairs to give every space room an edgy, sexy and rich look.
Finally, we have the French sophisticated Bergère that is an attention-stealer and makes for a great detail to break the monotony and add some “suave” flavour to every contemporary living room. This classic, yet modern chair features an exposed wooden frame surrounded by upholster seat in different designs. Combine this chair with a matching ottoman to give your living room an even more elegant touch.
Aim for Comfort
Choosing a designer chair that makes a statement in your living room doesn’t mean that you should compensate for comfort since nowadays the chairs are designed to deliver the most comfortable sitting experience while looking superb.
For this purpose, the most critical feature of your new contemporary chair is its seat, since it’s the part of the chair that will support your body. The seat should offer firm support to your body and feel soft since the hard seats tend to be uncomfortable making it impossible to sit for a longer period. But be careful, because choosing a seat that’s too soft where you’re going to sink can be also uncomfortable since you’ll struggle to get out of the chair.
The next feature is the back of the chair which offers lumbar support to the lower back. So, if you want a cosy chair to lounge on, go for a chair that has a high back. These chairs are also great to support your neck. On the other hand, the chairs with lower backs are great too since you’ll be able to sit straight while you make a conversation with your guests.
When it comes to armrests, they are more a matter of personal preference. If you’re looking for a chair where you’ll relax and enjoy your living room’s designer ambience, then choose a chair that features armrests. On the other hand, if your goal is to buy modern chairs to impress your guests, an armless chair wouldn’t be much of a problem as long as it features the desired design.
Consider the Upholstery
Considering your new chair’s upholstery is essential. Not only can the material make the first impression of the chair, but it’s also important for the chair’s durability.
From the classic velvet fabrics to different cotton materials, polyesters or silks, these are all options that are very pleasant to the touch. These fabrics make every chair look luxurious since it offers different textures and rich colour options. But be careful with the velvet materials, since they’re sensitive and difficult to clean.
But when it comes to durability, the most long-lasting chairs are those made of heavy-duty linen. This fabric is made from flax which makes it an extremely strong, natural fabric. To additionally improve its comfort and elasticity, this material is often blended with cotton. This mixture of fabrics makes for a great smooth and soft material that resists pilling and soiling, and come in different designs and colours too.
Leather materials, on the other hand, are the ultimate contemporary upholstery options that will never go out of fashion. Leather makes for a durable, stain and moisture-resistant and easy to clean material. Also, it’s is one of the most luxurious and “powerful” material options for upholstery, but it tends to be cold to the touch and expensive. So, make sure you’re always careful when choosing leathers since there’re different grades of it that affect the leather’s quality and durability.
How to Style the Chair?
Styling a new chair with the rest of your living room furniture and decorations may seem a little bit daunting at first. But if you think that the best option is to play it safe and choose a single style and design of the living room furniture, we encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and experiment. Compared to a sofa, a chair isn’t such a bulky element, so you can get away with going for something bold. Once you get creative, you’ll see the endless opportunities a simple designer chair offers.
Create a Contrast with the Sofa
Don’t be afraid to break your living room’s plain design by creating contrast with a chair. If you have a sofa in a neutral colour such as black, white, beige or brown, adding a vibrant-coloured chair will come as a refreshment and kill the monotony of your living room. Colours such as reds, blues and oranges are a great option to make your living room more vibrant.
Go for Patterns
Give your living room a unique spirit by choosing a contemporary chair in patterned designs and different textures. Patterned chairs are a great way to spice up your boring one-coloured furniture, and when combined with curtains and cushions in a similar style, they have the power to give your living room the ultimate designer touch, and won’t cost you a fortune too.
The Room’s Layout is Critical
Not everyone is blessed to have a spacious living room, and planning every single metre of it to be functional is essential. When it comes to fitting a chair, make sure you create symmetry by aligning it between or next to sofas. Also, have in mind that the size of the chair should fit the living room’s size. If you’re limited with space, throwing a bulky armchair will ruin the balance of the room and won’t deliver the desired designer effect. So, make sure you consider your living room’s flow and think optimal.
Don’t Forget to Keep It Minimalist
At the end of the day, the contemporary style is about minimalism, which means removing the unnecessary to make way for the more important. So make sure you don’t overdo it with different styles, designs and colours since it’ll ruin the entire composition of your living room. The key is to enhance, not to overdo.