Armchairs have become an integral attribute of a modern home. It’s difficult to even say how long ago the first options for comfortable seating, relaxation, performing various work processes and creative activities appeared. Not only in living rooms can you find an armchair in modern apartments and private houses. Offices, bedrooms, children's rooms, dining rooms and even utilitarian spaces are equipped with armchairs of various modifications. The assortment of modern furniture stores is staggering - there are countless models, frame options, choice of upholstery material and functions that this necessary piece of furniture can perform. Let's take a closer look at the criteria for choosing seating for the different needs of the modern homeowner.
Types of chairs
The types of seats depend primarily on the criterion being compared.
The photo shows a compact chair-bed
Transformation
A standard chair in the interior does not change shape. Transformable chairs easily turn into comfortable loungers or even beds. Recliners are available with a comfortable footrest, which extends using a mechanical or electric drive. The backrest also reclines, allowing you to take a comfortable reclining position.
Design
A classic chair - large, soft, with comfortable armrests. But besides this, there are compact chairs suitable for the dining room. There are also rocking chairs with a rigid frame, complemented by removable pillows.
Recently, frameless furniture has been gaining popularity: its shape resembles regular furniture, but inside instead of a rigid frame there is an elastic soft filler. The absence of hard wood parts and sharp corners makes it an ideal choice for a child's room.
Unusual shapes include beanbags, hanging models, swivel chairs and on wheels.
Purpose
Models for the living room and kitchen will differ: in the living room they put something large and cozy, in the kitchen - small and tall. There are also chairs for work - simple or ergonomic, play chairs, children's chairs. Outdoor furniture, which is used in dachas and plots, deserves special attention.
Chair filler
The main requirements for the filler are a good level of elasticity, its ability to restore shape and at the same time softness. Traditional fillings for chairs are foam rubber and synthetic padding. Foam rubber (or polyurethane foam) is usually used for seats, as it has greater elasticity and the ability to remember the contours of the body. Sintepon is placed in the back of the chair, because the load on it is less.
Do not forget that there are frameless chairs, the basis of which is only filler, there is no solid frame. A filler such as polystyrene foam is used here. A large bag filled with small polystyrene foam balls quickly takes the shape of the body without losing its own. Models can be different: pear, square, round, pillow, oblong and more.
Recommendations for selection
When choosing a chair for the interior of your apartment or house, pay attention to 3 important parameters.
Upholstery
The material of the outer cover is selected from the list of furniture fabrics:
- Matting. Textured, mostly neutral or pastel shades.
- Velours. Pleasant to the touch, fleecy, large selection of colors.
- Flock. Tactile, unlike velor, the pile is not part of the weave, but is simply glued to the base.
- Chenille. Thick fabric with small pile.
- Jacquard. It is somewhat reminiscent of a tapestry: textured and durable.
- Leather. Durable, may be uncomfortable to sit in the summer heat.
- Suede leather. A practical and more pleasant replacement for leather.
The choice of fabric is also influenced by the location where the furniture will be placed. Leather ones, for example, are more appropriate in offices and formal living rooms. Children really like velor. The matting is universal and fits both in the living room and in the kitchen.
For kitchens and children's rooms, choose Easy Clean upholstery. These are fabrics impregnated with a special dirt-repellent composition, thanks to which dirt from furniture is washed off with clean water.
Size
Volumetric ones are used for comfortable relaxation in the living room, but they are not suitable for every style. For example, a leather advertiser with a plump shape would be out of place in a minimalist modern interior. As a replacement, consider living room chairs with simple shapes and low backs. For a kitchen, it is better to choose a high backrest; legs are a must - this makes the furniture seem more compact.
Do not forget about proportionality with the room: the smaller it is, the simpler and more compact the model should be.
Combination
Armchairs in interiors should first of all suit the surrounding environment. The first option is to choose a design that replicates the sofa in whole or in part. For example, Chester to Chester. Or velor upholstery to velor.
The second option is more complex - use the chair as an accent. For these purposes, choose bright armchairs that will stand out in the interior. For example, yellow furniture in a bright room.
The photo shows a model with a high back
Features of designer furniture
Designer items can be roughly divided into 2 categories. Some appear as a result of inspiration, spontaneously. And almost instantly they win the hearts of consumers. Other models have been developed over the years and are a product that combines imagination, technology and style. Be that as it may, most often these are extraordinary things that go beyond customs and traditions. Design thought is characterized by flight and some advance of time.
All these original chairs will combine several parameters.
- High prices. Such furniture costs several orders of magnitude more than traditional options. this is justified not only by the unusual appearance, but also by exclusivity.
- Extravagance. Most of the models look extremely unusual.
- First class materials. By and large, only the best samples of fabrics, wood, etc. are used to make furniture.
- Brightness. It’s rare to find modest colors among designer items. Most often these are flashy, eye-catching colors.
- Reliability. Such furniture is well thought out and therefore lasts a long time.
- The need to choose things extremely thoughtfully to create a harmonious design in the room.
Color solution
Since we touched on the topic of color, let’s talk about it separately. The stores sell models in different shades: from neutral to colored - pastel, deep and even acidic.
The choice should first of all be based on the interior of the room. If you want to focus on decor rather than furniture, choose basic shades: gray, beige, white, black. To put emphasis on the chair, choose contrasting colors: they can be either colored or monochrome, the main thing is that they differ from the surrounding details.
The second aspect that influences the choice of color is the functional purpose of the space. For children's rooms, in most cases they choose a bright palette - and the upholstery is not necessarily monochromatic; options with prints are acceptable.
If you are organizing a relaxation area with an armchair in the bedroom, choose a calm color scheme that promotes relaxation: gray, beige, pastel green or blue. In the office, restrained dark tones are preferred - brown, graphite, indigo, cherry, malachite. The color of furniture in the living room can be neutral or bright.
The photo shows bright furniture by the window
Eames Lounge Chair
Charles and Ray Eames and the legendary Eames chairs
The history of the famous Eames Lounge Chair began in America in 1956. It was then that it was created by a married couple of industrial designers, Charles and Ray Eames. A lounge chair aimed at the high class—that was the goal of creating the model.
The release began at the furniture company Herman Miller, then many companies around the world began to produce direct copies of Eames Lounge. Modern models are as close as possible to the 1956 version.
The Eames Lounge Chair always looks expensive and incredibly stylish
They are made from thin layers of plywood, veneer, high-quality metal and leather. The seat is fixed in a reclining position. It is incredibly soft, as are the backrest, armrests and footrest.
A designer chair with a footrest will equally well decorate a corporate office, a stylish home office interior or a relaxation area in the living room.
How does it look in different styles?
Whatever direction you choose for your home, there is sure to be a chair to go with it!
- Minimalism. Simple shapes, clear lines, minimal decor, neutral upholstery.
- High tech. The design often contains a chrome-plated metal frame, and the upholstery is often leather.
- English. 2 options: strict Chester or a more decorative model with carved wooden armrests and patterns on the back.
- Provence. The main differences are graceful legs, carriage binding, pastel plain fabrics or floral patterns.
In the photo there is a Chelsea model in velvet
- Modern. Smooth lines, slightly futuristic design: the back often resembles a cocoon or an egg.
- Classic. Always expensively decorated: capitonné on the back, wooden patterns, low beautiful legs. For upholstery, jacquard with ornaments is usually used.
- Scandinavian. Adherents of the style often use original models with high, “hugging” backs.
Barcelona
Armchair "Barcelona" - stylish and comfortable at the same time
The Barcelona chair is an example of a style that has not lost popularity for almost 100 years. Quilted leather cushions, scissor legs and incredible comfort are the main features of this luxury piece of furniture.
The creator of the Barcelona chair was the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In 1929, he presented the model at the World Art Fair, where it created an incredible sensation. The first sketches are still kept in MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), and the chair itself often appears in Hollywood films and the interiors of famous personalities.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe - creator of the Barcelona chair
Later, Ludwig’s idea was repeated to create the design of other pieces of furniture: ottomans, couches, sofas. Modern manufacturers supply high-quality analogues of stylish designer Barcelona chairs and furniture, which simply cannot be distinguished from the original. Even designer bar chairs are easily recognizable if they are based on the Barcelona prototype.
The Barcelona chair in a modern interior is a design classic with a rich history. With its help, you will create the ideal interior composition in the style of minimalism, classic, modern, loft, etc.
Summary
A designer chair is not just a piece of furniture, it is an opportunity to show individuality, a sense of taste and status. The world's best designers of the 20th century worked on their creation, so that we can now enjoy using high-quality replicas of iconic models. Designer chairs can be wooden or on a metal frame, leather, fabric or rattan, for work or relaxation. But they have one thing in common - the recognizable hand of the master, an interesting history and worldwide recognition, regardless of time and fashion trends.
