Picking the right living room chair

The right seat for your living room makes for an enjoyable get-together, game night or evening staying in to watch television with your family. But, choosing the right seating isn’t always obvious. Sure, there are plenty of chairs that look terrific; but you also want your chair to be comfortable as well as durable.

Seating choices

When determining the type of chair you want, always take into account important matters like whether you have pets and if they get hair on your furniture. Kids are another factor, because that increases your likelihood for spills and stains.

As always, size is another consideration. A chair that’s either not the right scale or oversized won’t look right in your room. Make sure you have a good measurement of your room and any other pieces of furniture, such as a sofa. Take pictures too. Strangely enough, you’ll often find that once you’re in the furniture store or shopping online, the way your room or furniture looks can elude you -- and that can lead to you making some regrettable decisions.

Upholstery

When choosing a chair look for upholstery that will be easy to clean, especially if you have pets or kids. Think about the ability to disguise stains too. A chair with patterned upholstery won’t show stains or marks as much as a chair that’s upholstered in a solid color.

For a comfortable seat, look closely at the filling material, such as foam or feathers. Foam makes a good choice for something that will stand up to pets, kids and lots of use. A feather-filled chair is a luxury and perfect for a more formal setting that is used less often. Or, try one that’s a combination for maximum comfort.

Chair types

If your room is on the smaller side, chairs with low or no arms (like slipper chairs) make a wise choice; they won’t take up as much room, and they’re stylish to boot. If you want the flexibility of a recliner without the look of a traditional large recliner, there are now chairs that mask the fact that they can recline and include a footrest. They offer all the comfort and relaxation of a recliner without that bulky size or look.

The Palatine manual recliner pulls off a mid-century look and offers a color selection that would be stylish in any home. The Antonio swivel glider in gray looks sumptuous for curling up with a good book, but it offers a swivel option for enjoying TV or a glider for rocking. (Both are available at www.wayfair.com.)

Proportions

Besides being sized appropriately for your living room, the chair should also be sized for its use. A large chair that allows you to fold your legs under is great for watching television or reading. One chair that’s a bit more formal but that can be made to fit in a formal or a casual setting is the classic French Bergere chair. For something that’s both dressy and relaxed, opt for a Bergere chair with upholstered arms and matching ottoman. You’ll get formality with comfort.

(For more information, contact Kathryn Weber through her website, www.redlotusletter.com.)

(c) 2018 KATHRYN WEBER. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.