Whether it's your living room, bedroom, or even dining area, a great accent chair can totally reinvent how you perceive the space as a whole.
Modern interiors are all about making the eye move around the space, and a beautiful accent chair can provide the perfect way to anchor this look. Below, we'll share 10 accent chair ideas so you can make your homes chic, bold, and up-to-date:
10 Accent Chair Ideas
1. The boldest of them all
Some of the latest interior design trends dictate that we'll be seeing a lot of Retro Revival in the upcoming year. This means that a lot of interior designs will feature bold colors, textures, and accents. How to make your accent chair stand out amidst all this visual clutter? Easy! Make it the boldest of them all. You can play with fabrics as well go for velvet so that its supple look can outshine the rest of the matte fabrics. Go for vivacious colors such as cherry red, electric blue, and rich emerald green, so that the rest of the color scheme feels like background noise. This is how you can make your accent chair totally eye-catching even in the midst of all the rest of the visual clutter! Let the Husk Chair in red take centre stage in your space.
2. Diversity in matching
Accent chairs don't always have to be mismatched. In fact, one of the most amazing qualities of good accent chairs is that they can still stand out while harmonizing with the overall interior design theme. If you're wondering how this idea can be pulled off, all you have to do is take a look at this image. While the accent chair matches the style of the sofa, it still retains its uniqueness and has been placed in a very eye-catching manner. Both of these things make it absolutely and effortlessly statement-worthy. One iconic pairing would be the Corbusier Grand Modele Armchair along with the Corbusier Grand Modele Three-Seat Sofa.
3. Style Diversity
It's incredibly important to select an accent chair that contrasts the overall style of your interior design. A modern chair can make a splash in a classical or traditional style interior and vice versa. Similarly, an officious-looking chair can add a lot of stylish diversity to a casual interior design. If you're wondering how to do that, you can simply take inspiration from this image. The use of emerald and sapphire accents sets the tone for the backdrop while the two accent chairs provide great visual contrast to highlight the rest of the space!
4. Decorating your accent chair
Accent chairs also need to be spruced up in order to reach their full potential. There are lots of ways you can do that. There are three thumb rules to remember: the decor elements should provide color contrast, have to be unique, and can be patterned/textured for peak impact. You can use small cushions or oversized throws to carry this plan out. Throws have a rather stylish feel while cushions can seem a bit generic. The mint green throw on the grey accent chair in this image is the perfect example of how you can interpret this technique in your own homes. The Flag Halyard Chair that comes with a sheepskin is also a perfect example.
5. Backdrop of the accent chair
The background of your accent chair is very important. Whether it's the main furniture, a statement wall, or something else, you must remember: the background has to be lighter than the chairs. If it's darker or busier than the texture/pattern/color of the chairs, then it'll merge. This will create a mish-mash of things that will have a negative impact on your overall interior design. Therefore, try to make the backdrop as light or contrasting as possible compared to the chairs.
6. All about the accent chairs
Who says you just got to have one accent chair in a room? The fact is, you can design an entire space by using accent chairs as the focal point. This especially applies to sitting rooms and dining areas. If you take a look at this image, you'll immediately see what this means. The vibrant violet colored velvet upholstery of the chairs provides a great focal point that is enhanced by the use of classy background furniture. The Warren Platner Armchairs in a lush velvet surrounding the matching Platner Coffee Table would definitely make your space pop. If you are more into making your home look more futuristic (hint: you may have seen this on Star Trek), an accent chair to consider would be the Egg Pod Chair.
7. Shapely contrast with accent chairs
The best part about introducing accent chairs in an interior design is that you can use them to introduce shapely contrast in a space. If most of your room has been designed in edgy squares and rectangles a la clean, modern design, a curvy accent chair can be a great way to emulate some shapely contrast! What's better is that you can even play with the colors and fabrics of the chair to determine how contrasting you want the shape to seem!
8. What's in the surroundings?
Here's the tea: an accent chair is nothing without its surroundings. Therefore, how you design the ambiance directly around it would have a lot of impact on the overall atmosphere. You can accentuate the presence of your accent chair with suitable furniture pieces such as end tables or consoles. You can also use oversized artwork in the background as well as accessories such as stylish floor lamps, vases, and more. The Arco Lamp is one of the favourites, especially with its varying shapes, textures and materials. All of these should be in colors that contrast the upholstery of the accent chair so you can get maximum visual impact!
9. Thoughts on sizing
The size of an accent chair matters a lot in the grand scheme of things. Your chair needs to have the perfect proportions in order to contrast with the rest of the furniture. For example, you cannot match an oversized accent chair with a large sectional or living room sofa. It'll lose its impact. However, a small accent chair such as the Wassily Chair or a Saarinen Chair would look fantastic next to an upscale and luxurious sectional.
10. Thoughts on placement
The great thing about accent chairs is that you can place them virtually anywhere around your home. If your bedroom feels incomplete, an accent chair can spruce up the ambiance. Pair up an accent chair with some mid century modern lighting. A living room can benefit a lot from the presence of an accent chair. Similarly, two or more accent chairs can diversify the look of your dining area. And more than that, you can just use them as freestanding or paired pieces in spaces such as large entrance foyers, lobbies, corridors, and other transitional or circulation areas.
In conclusion, there are lots of ways to enhance the presence of an accent chair in an interior design, and we hope this list helps you find the best idea for you own space!
