Your Guide to the Best Accent Chairs
Pull up a seat! These handpicked styles can work in nearly any space.
Accent chairs are single- or double-seat chairs that not only provide additional seating but also add stand-out style to a space. Many accent chairs are designed to look almost like art pieces when they aren't occupied, making them the perfect accessory to living or dining rooms with extra space that needs filling. If you're a newcomer to the world of accent chairs, use this guide as your map – below, we've described all the different types of accent chairs and handpicked some accent chair ideas so you can choose the best accent chairs for your home.
Best Accent Chair Types
We've outlined 14 types of accent chairs in this guide, but some might fall under multiple categories or none at all. Use the following collage and descriptions as a starting point on your journey to discovering accent chairs.
Armchair: One of the most common and general types of accent chairs, armchairs are comfortable single- or double-seat chairs with armrests. Traditional armchairs are sturdy and simple in design, but nowadays you can find armchairs of almost any color and style. If you're looking for a dependable chair, this type is the one for you.
Wingback: Wingback chairs have winglike structures that curve around the chair's seat back and sometimes conjoin the seat back with the chair's arms. Sometimes the wings are super simple, and other times they're elegant and decorative.
Barrel: Barrel chairs are cozy chairs with arms and a back that are part of one round piece, giving the chair the appearance of a barrel cut in half. The back curves gently around the seat, which can make you feel like you're being hugged while you're sitting in the chair. These chairs can be simple and minimalist or decorative and glam. Regardless of the style, barrel chairs are incredibly comfortable.
Convertible: Convertible chairs can be transformed from super soft seats to single-person sleepers in seconds. Most convertible accent chairs are less artistically decorative than the other accent chairs on this list, but they're absolutely amazing if you're tight on space.
Lounge: If relaxation is important to you, a lounge chair is the best accent chair for you. These usually armless chairs are reclined to encourage utmost relaxation. Many come with a matching ottoman on which you can rest your feet while you relax. Some furniture experts consider reclining chairs – chairs that can be adjusted into a reclined position – separate from lounge chairs, whose reclined positions are usually fixed. But oftentimes, the terms lounge chair and recliner are used interchangeably, both describing some of the comfiest chairs around.
Side: If you'd like your new accent chair to be primarily decorative, browse under the side chairs category. Side chairs are accent chairs that are as decorative as they are functional, if not more so. In this category, you'll find accent chairs of all types and styles.
Chair & a Half: You can think of a chair-and-a-half as the middle ground between single-seat accent chairs and two-to-three-seat loveseats. These chairs are bigger than the typical accent chair and can provide you with more space to stretch out. Most chair-and-a-half options are traditional in style rather than overly decorative.
Club: Club chairs, also referred to as smoking chairs, are sturdy leather or faux leather chairs typical of upscale game rooms, luxurious home offices, and stylish reading nooks. But don't worry if you don't have one of these spaces in your home – these gentlemanly chairs can add handsome, comfy class to any space.
Slipper: These low-to-the-ground, armless chairs are super plush and often upholstered in patterned fabric. Slipper chairs are renowned for their versatility – they come in almost all styles and are available in a wide range of fabrics and patterns. To learn more about the fabulous slipper chair, check out our guide What Is a Slipper Chair?
Parsons: Parsons accent chairs, designed by students at Paris's Parsons School of Design, are characterized by their clean lines and simple silhouettes. These armless chairs typically have high backs and sleek, straight wooden legs that make them the perfect chairs for dining room tables.
Balloon: Thanks to their rounded, sometimes roofed designs, balloon chairs envelop their occupant in a cozy little cocoon. These egg-shaped chairs can be traditional in appearance – modeled after their 1800s ancestors – or stunningly modern and upholstered in vivid fabrics. Some even hang from the ceiling!
Papasan: With their groovy bamboo or rattan bases, nest-like seats, and plush cushions, papasan chairs are straight out of the ՚70s. These stylish accent chairs can be the perfect addition to eclectic or bohemian living spaces with low-key decor. Papasan chairs can also be found in a variety of materials that aren't so retro (including metal and plastic). Regardless of material, all papasan chairs have rounded (and often webbed), cup-like seats.
Chesterfield: With their gorgeous rolled backs, button tufting, and nailhead embellishments, chesterfield accent chairs are the epitome of traditional elegance. If you want an accent chair that is equal parts regal and mature, the chesterfield chair is the best accent chair for you.
Butterfly: Lightweight and effortlessly stylish, butterfly chairs are hammock-like chairs composed of a fabric seat suspended atop a collapsible metal frame. These chairs are also characteristic of bohemian, eclectic, or even industrial spaces. If you're not looking to spend too much money on an accent chair, a butterfly accent chair can be a budget-friendly (and space-saving) choice.
9 Extraordinary Accent Chair Ideas
Now that you've got a basic understanding of all the best accent chairs, we thought it'd be helpful to see some ideas for how to incorporate them into spaces of different styles. Below are nine accent chair ideas that will get your mental gears turning with accent chair inspiration.
1. Eye-Catching Slipper Chair
A brightly colored, expressively patterned slipper chair can go a long way in a traditional space. It can add zany personality to what might otherwise be a toned-down room.
The Victorian silhouette of this classic balloon chair perfectly complements a French-country or upscale farmhouse space. It's equal parts traditional and elegant.
If you've got an eye for design, a lounge chair that combines its wood frame with a simple, upholstered seat and seat back can be the perfect addition to your stylish living space. Its dramatic angles and sleek lines will fit right in.
The bright colors and patterned textiles that characterize eclectic, bohemian spaces lend themselves beautifully to the relaxed silhouette of a beautiful butterfly chair. Add a few tasseled throw blankets to enhance the chair's easygoing vibe.
A handsome leather club chair can immediately give a space an upscale upgrade. These gentlemanly chairs look best in quiet reading nooks or sophisticated executive offices. Wherever you place it, your cozy club chair will become your new favorite seat in the house.
Mixing Parsons chairs made of different materials or upholstered with different fabrics can give your dining table a humble, easygoing look. If you favor coastal-style spaces, think about mixing and matching breezy, linen-upholstered Parson chairs with low-key wicker rattan ones.
Thanks to its luxe silhouette, a barrel chair can be the perfect addition to a space that marries modern design with glam accents, especially if it's embellished with tufting or nailheads.
If you're looking for a simple way to ground a super elegant space, think about furnishing the dining table with upholstered accent chairs, like the striped wingback chairs in the above accent chair idea. Upholstered chairs like these are the perfect combination of humble and upscale.
A giant papasan chair with a bamboo base and a broad cushion top can be the perfect centerpiece or accessory to a global or bohemian space. Some papasan chairs are available with different cushion colors, so you can choose the color that best matches your space.
