Provide feedback on the information shown on this page This item has been discontinued by the manufacturer, or please describe the issue: Prices subject to home office audit & correction.Accent chairs provide not just extra seating, but are a great way to add a new silhouette, style reference, or color to any room. We’ve gathered our favorite styles with tips for how to spot them and where to place them. KEY FEATURES: An upholstered, roomy armchair with extra-deep seats, perfect for curling up with a book. As accent chairs go, this one is most likely to be filled with a happy (and perhaps snoozing) occupant. FREQUENTLY SPOTTED: In pairs making up a cozy nook or as the ideal companion alongside a living room sofa. MOST LIKELY TO: Have leather upholstery or nail-head trim (or both). FUN FACTOID: The club chair’s name often connects it to gentleman’s clubs, but it originated in the chic design studios of France under the name fauteuil confortable.
KEY ATTRIBUTES: Armless, upholstered accent chair with a petite silhouette and a seat that’s likely closer to the ground than you’re used to. If space is a scarce resource around your home, a slipper is a great option. FREQUENTLY SPOTTED: As extra seating next to a coffee table, particularly in small apartments, or prettying up the boudoir as a duo at the end of the bed. MOST LIKELY TO: Be the seat of choice for anyone who’s petite. The low seat height can make them a somewhat awkward affair for tall people with legs for days. FUN FACTOID: It was the 18th-century and Victorian-era need among ladies for an easy chair to get in and out of when slipping on shoes that landed this accent chair its name. KEY ATTRIBUTES: These accents chairs run the gamut in terms of shape and style, but the one common denominator is that they’re lightweight and easy to move when the need, or “occasion,” for more seating arises. Most are armless due to the weight factor.
FREQUENTLY SPOTTED: Anywhere and everywhere, which is the beauty of this type of accent chair. MOST LIKELY TO: Have an especially eye-catching or shapely design. Because occasional chairs need to function anywhere in the home, they typically bring the entire design “moment” with them wherever they go. NOTABLE MVP: The Chiavari chair is one you’ve likely sat on during a fancy wedding, but it’s also one of the most widely used occasional chairs thanks to its sinuous silhouette and ultra-lightweight design. KEY ATTRIBUTES: An easy-to-spot accent chair thanks to its signature winged sides and typically tall back. The generous size of a wingback makes it an ideal counterpart to a large sofa, since it can give the room a sense of balance in scale. FREQUENTLY SPOTTED: Perched next to a fireplace. Protecting the inhabitant from drafts and the heat from a roaring fire was the original purpose of the chair’s side wings, and some things, like winter, never change.
OUR FAVORITE UNEXPECTED USE: As end chairs at the head and foot of a dining table. There’s something undeniably thronelike about the stately shaped of wingback chairs, and as dining chairs they give meals added gravitas. MOST LIKELY TO: Stay put in its designated spot. The size and heft of most wingback chairs means they’re not the easiest to move when there’s a need for extra seating during a party. KEY ATTRIBUTES: The regal lines of a bergère are easy to spot thanks to its exposed wooden frame surrounding an upholstered seat and back. The loose seat cushion is what keeps it from feeling overly formal. FREQUENTLY SPOTTED: Used in pairs opposite a sofa or tucked into the corner of a bedroom with a matching ottoman. OUR FAVORITE UNEXPECTED USE: Adding an air of elegance to especially contemporary rooms. Their ability to fit in anywhere speaks to the timelessness of these accent chairs. FUN FACTOID: Bergères first gained popularity as a part of palace life among 17th-century French nobility, but they’re also part of stateside “palace” life, with a notable number used in the White House.
(Image credit: Bethany Nauert) How does that old saying go? "Measure twice, decorate once," or something like that. The spacing and placement of furniture is critical in any high-traffic living space. Doubly so for anyone starting with a small room. No more getting up to set a drink down or having to crane your neck to watch television— Keeping these guidelines in mind when planning a layout will always ensure a well-proportioned living space that's easy to walk and live in. Don't forget, though: Rules are made to be broken! The most interesting rooms are always the ones that don't play it safe (just check out the art on the floor in this industrial loft's living room). Think of this post like a fundamentals class and take a tip from Pablo Picasso: "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." Pictured above: Lori and John's Functional Modern Home The general rule of thumb is to place the coffee table within about 14 inches to 18 inches from the sofa.
That's close enough to reach for a magazine, but still offers plenty of leg room. Candace's Bright and Beautiful California Home (Image credit: Michael Alan Hoy) Coffee table heights vary greatly, but keep it close to the seat height of the sofa (within 4 inches in either direction) for easy access. The coffee table should be about ½ to ⅔ the size of the sofa, at least visually. It's almost impossible to measure, but "a little more than half the size" is a good rule of thumb when shopping for a center table. Isabelle's Top Floor Flat in London (Image credit: Claire Bock) Side tables may sit closer to the chair or sofa than the coffee table would. The ideal measurement here is "close enough to set down a drink." Try sitting in each seat and imagine trying to set down your coffee or magazine. An end table should be no taller than the height of the arm of the chair(s) they're serving, and no lower than the height of the seat. The best height is one around 3 inches shorter than the arm.
For chairs without arms, aim for a table top that's no more than 8 inches above the seat height. Sofa tables, the console table that sits behind the sofa, should be no taller than the height the sofa back. As for size, consoles can be anywhere from half the length to nearly the full length of the sofa (making sure to allow at least 6 inches from either end). Ross' Greenwich Village Home (Image credit: Liana Hayles Newton) There should be no more than 10 feet and no less than 3 feet between people seated around the room to optimize intimate conversation and everyone's personal space. People sharing sofas and love seats are the exception, but the people seated on each ends should be at least 3 feet from the next closest chair. You’ll want about 30 inches to 36 inches of walkway between pieces to avoid feeling like you're in a crowded movie theater. Hope and Pete's Bohemian Modern Abode (Image credit: Kim Lucian) Generally speaking, area rugs should never be closer than 6 inches from the wall.
The best distance is 24 inches from the wall in large rooms, and between 12 inches and 18 inches in a small space. In every room, though, rugs should be large enough to rest under two legs of the sofa and chairs. Adam's Eclectic Vintage Bungalow (Image credit: Bethany Nauert) To minimize reflections and ensure a comfortable viewing position, people seated in the room should be looking slightly down at the television. An optimal height for the center of the screen is 30 inches above the lowest seat height in the room (the center of a 50-inch TV is around 14 inches from the top or bottom). If you're not wall-mounting, remember to make adjustments for the height of the TV's stand below the bottom of the screen when choosing an appropriate TV console height. This will vary greatly depending on the size and quality of your television, not to mention your personal taste about how close to sit to the screen. A rule of thumb is to keep a distance between the TV and seating that is 1.5 times the diagonal measurement of the screen for the average viewer.