How to Style an Accent Chair for Your Living Room
Don’t underestimate the power of an accent chair.
The living room is one of our favorite spaces: It’s our go-to place for game night with the family, drinks with friends, and down time, curling up with your current novel. With all that happens in this room, there needs to be enough seating, one cozy sofa won’t cut it – enter the accent chair. We’ll introduce you to all of your accent chair options and show you how to style an accent chair to get the most out of your living room space.
Accent Chair Designs
Accent Chair Features
How to Decorate With Accent Chairs
Before You Begin
Before you begin decorating with accent chairs, it's important to understand the designs and features available as these can impact style and how you use the chair. We also provide some tips and other considerations in the decorating with accent chairs section below.
Accent Chair Designs
Before any accent chair styling can begin, it’s important to know all of your seating options. Consider your living room space, aesthetic, and functional needs as you read through these chair designs and styles.
Wingback Chair: Wingback chairs are known for their tall backs and winged out sides. This style was first created as a solution to keep wind and chill off the user’s back as they found warmth up against the living room’s fireplace. This is a statement accent chair that balances out a large living room sofa perfectly.
Chaise Lounge:A chaise lounge is a long couch with an armrest on one side. It’s shape allows you to fully recline your legs and keep your torso upright.
Armchair: An armchair is a chair with arms to support a person’s arms and elbows. These are available in a variety of styles to fit any home.
Club Chair: A club chair is a subset of armchair known for its deeper seating and comfy upholstery – usually leather – making it ideal for curling up and hanging out.
Lounge Chair: Lounge chairs are designed to be lower to the ground and at a slightly more reclined angle, for a more comfortable seating position. Since these chairs are at a less attentive angle, they’re best by a TV stand or fireplace and less so around a coffee table designed for socializing.
Barrel Chair: Barrel chairs are named for their high, curved backs and wraparound arms that resemble a barrel. Its curved shape has made it a standout accent chair that adds a fun silhouette to any living room space.
Accent Chair Features
Swivel: The swivel feature allows your chair to turn up to 360°. Swivel is great for adding another level of comfort to your seating–it’s natural to get a little restless sitting in a stationary chair, so the ability to sway and rotate feels more natural and relaxing.
Recliner: Take your accent chair to the next level with a reclining function. This feature is great for relaxing while watching a movie, reading a book, or taking a midday nap.
Wide: Wider seating means a wider length seat and a wider back, accommodating more seating and relaxation needs for you and your guests.
Pro Tip:
You can find this information in the Product Overview or Specifications tab within a product page.
How to Decorate with Accent Chairs
Below are a few stylist-approved tips and ideas for decorating with accent chairs. These tips are designed to help make the most of your living room space and provide additional seating and comfort – without compromising style.
1. Place Them Around Your Coffee Table
Give your accent chair purpose with strategic placement in your living room. Coffee tables define the center of a space and serve as a communal point to gather around, so seating is crucial. Two accent chairs on one side of the coffee table is just right, anymore and it will begin to feel crowded. Place your sofa on the other side of the table to balance the setup. Play around with contrasting shapes between your accent chairs and the coffee table – we love how this round, rustic coffee table is paired with a more modern and rectangular set of accent chairs.
When accent chairs aren’t centered around a coffee table, they make for perfect nook fillers. If you have an empty corner or want a cozy reading spot, then a cushioned accent chair is just what you need. Place this accent chair by a bookcase that gets a lot of natural light to create an inviting space for someone to rest their legs, catch up on emails, or dive into a good read. Make this spot extra tempting with a cushioned, deep-seated armchair that’s comfortable to spend a few hours sitting.
Pro Tip:
To create your own reading nook, check out our 6 Cozy Reading Nook Ideas guide.
3. Choose Versatile Chairs
When decorating with accent chairs, consider the space you have. If you’re working with a smaller living room, you may need to bring your accent chairs in only when you have guests for a dinner party or event. Versatile accent chairs are the perfect solution to these dilemmas. Place these accent chairs wherever you see fit throughout your house: guest bedrooms, extra seating at your dining table, or on the patio. Bring the chairs into the living room when needed. Look for chairs with a lighter frame, as they’re easier to move around the room and home as you see fit.
4. Comfort & Care are Key
Accent chairs for living room spaces are different from accent chairs in your bedroom. While your bedroom accent chairs are for focused tasks like putting on your shoes or organizing clothes, accent chairs for a living room need to be comfortable, supportive, and easy-to-clean. If you use your accent chairs often, we recommend chairs with back cushions to provide ample back support and foam-filled seats will prevent you from getting sore. Choose a material that is easy to clean, like leather, microfiber, and performance fabrics.
Pro Tip:
Learn more about easy to clean materials with Your Guide to the Best Sofa Fabrics.
5. Go Bold
Use your accent chair to add a splash of color to a neutral space or to further saturate a bold room. If your main sofa set is on the natural side then a colorful accent chair can be the standout piece the room needs. Keep in mind that you should still match the tones in the room – if the rest of your room features deeper neutrals like mocha, charcoal, or olive, try richer colors like emerald, navy, eggplant, marigold, or maroon. For rooms with mainly lighter neutrals like cream, sand, or taupe, try softer colors like sage, dusty rose, or slate blue.
Don’t just think of accent chairs as a functional piece of furniture, choose your seating to build on your aesthetic, too. If your space leans more modern, choose blond woods or metals and a sleek silhouette. Love the glam look? Choose a chair with gold metal accents and plush fabrics like velvet. Coastal spaces will look great with natural materials, think: Wood frame, rattan seats, or linen upholstery. Look for tufted upholstery, rolled arms, or ornate wood details for traditional homes.
Step up your lounge game with the help of a chaise lounge. This permanently reclined accent chair is another great cozy nook option. Create the perfect relaxation station with your lounge chair, a task floor lamp overhead for reading, some throw pillows for extra back support, and a throw blanket in case you need a nap break.
When it comes to styling an accent chair, give your accent chairs and living room as a whole the decor it deserves by adding in throw pillows. This is an easy and effective way to further connect your sofa with your accent chairs and make the overall feel more cohesive. Throw pillows add pattern, color, and extra comfort to your seating – change the pillow case seasonally to give your living room a new feel, especially if your furniture is on the neutral side.
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