7 Beautiful Accent Chairs for Any Budget {+ how to choose the right one for your home}

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The 7 Best Accent Chairs of 2020

A stylish accent chair is more than just a place to sit. It should be a treat for the eyes – a beautiful piece of furniture that grabs your attention as you enter a room.

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Should accent chairs be practical? Perhaps, but not always. If you need a place to rock your newborn to sleep or for guests to sit when the sofa is full, then certainly. But a beautiful accent chair placed in a hallway or on a landing might serve a purely aesthetic purpose. And that’s fine too.

Whether you want somewhere comfortable to curl up with a book and a lap dog or a decorative chair for the corner of your bedroom, you’ll find a huge selection of accent chairs to choose from. 

THE BEST ACCENT CHAIRS TO BUY ONLINE:

Best for small spaces: Union Rustic Hayek Fabric Swivel Armchair

“Mid-century style and comfortable chair will become a classic focal point of your home with its fashion minimalist design.”

Best oversized: Laurel Foundry Modern Farmhouse Marta Barrel Chair

“Whether you love curling up beside loved ones or you prefer lots of elbow room as you lounge, this oversized barrel chair is the perfect pick for your home.”

Best under $200: Duhome Contemporary Accent Chair

“Modern design accent armchair, super soft upholstered velvet fabric design，elegantly curved silhouette provides maximum comfort, is perfect for decor your living room bedroom dining room guest room.”

Best modern: Hashtag Home Araceli Armchair

“Simple, thoughtfully-designed furniture is yours with this modern armchair! Founded on a pinewood, poplar, and ply frame, this armchair features a full back, track arms, and four flared dowel legs.”

Best funky: Orren Ellis Herkimer Swivel Lounge Chair

“Perfectly at home in a modern aesthetic, this lounge chair is constructed from metal, with a silver finish, upholstered with wool, and filled with foam.”

Best upholstered: Langley Street Belz Armchair

“Featuring a clean-lined, angular silhouette and tapered legs, this piece delivers a mid-century look in any room.”

Best velvet: Christopher Knight Home Alyssa New Velvet Chair

“Not only does this chair bring back feelings and memories of the 70s, but it is exceedingly comfortable. With its plush cushions and arms, you will feel wrapped up in love and warmth every time you sit in this arm chair.”

2020 Accent Chairs: Reviewed

We’ve trawled through literally thousands of accent chairs online and handpicked the very best ones which look great and have fantastic reviews.

Here’s our pick of the best accent chairs that will add an extra layer of beauty to any room…

Best for small spaces: Union Rustic Hayek Fabric Swivel Armchair

This mid-century style armchair has a classic minimalist design with a sturdy wooden frame and quilted upholstery. It’s small-sized for an armchair, so is ideal for studios or apartments that don’t have much space to spare.

Upholstered in faux leather, this lovely armchair has a 360-degree swivel function and comes in a choice of seven different colors. You can choose from various shades of brown and gray or a decadent olive green.

Upholstery material: Faux leather

Frame material: Solid wood

Measurements: 33.46” H x 22.83” W x 23.62” D

Weight: 18.41 lb

Maximum weight capacity: 250 lbs

Best oversized: Laurel Foundry Modern Farmhouse Marta Barrel Chair

If you’re looking for somewhere super-comfortable to lounge, then this huge cuddle chair is big enough for two – or one and a cat if you prefer. It comes complete with three back cushions and a toss pillow, which you can arrange until you’re perfectly positioned in comfort. 

The chair comes in a choice of eight colors including neutral tones like brown and cream as well as red or blue if you want your accent chair to add a little zing to your room.

Upholstery material: Polyester blend

Frame material: Solid and manufactured wood

Measurements: 37” H x 61” W x 61” D

Weight: 135 lb

Maximum weight capacity: 400 lbs

RELATED: Best Oversized Reading Chairs

Best under $200: Duhome Contemporary Accent Chair

accent chair under $200

This fashionable mid-century modern accent armchair has an elegantly curved silhouette and soft velvet fabric for maximum comfort. As well as the ergonomically-designed back, it has sturdy metal legs with a black powder coating and non-slip floor protectors.

This chair is available in many different colors including teal, pink and dark green. There’s also a version without arms which can double as a dining chair.

Upholstery material: Velvet

Frame material: Metal

Measurements: 34” H x 21.6” W x ‘19.6’ D

Weight: 21.2 lb

Maximum weight capacity: 280 lbs

Best modern: Hashtag Home Araceli Armchair

Simple, elegant and modern, this accent armchair would make the perfect addition to any home. The flared dowel legs and button tufting give a nudge towards retro whilst still remaining bang on trend.

You can choose from six colors – mustard yellow, dove gray, peacock blue, apple green, burgundy red or orange. According to the reviews, this chair is really comfortable and there’s also space to add a cushion or blanket should you wish.

Upholstery material: Polyester or polyurethane (depending on the color)

Frame material: Manufactured wood

Measurements: 33” H x 30” W x 31” D

Weight: 37.4 lb

Maximum weight capacity: 300 lbs

Best funky: Orren Ellis Herkimer Swivel Lounge Chair

Much more than just a chair, this piece is a work of art! This modern swirl-shaped accent chair is the perfect seat to offer to an extra guest and is certain to be a talking point for all who sit in it.

This funky lounge chair has a shiny stainless steel base and a handy swivel mechanism. If you want your accent chair to be the star of the show, then this is the chair for you! It comes in a rainbow of color options including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, gray and cream.

Upholstery material: Polyester or polyurethane (depending on the color)

Frame material: Manufactured wood

Measurements: 33” H x 30” W x 31” D

Weight: 37.4 lb

Maximum weight capacity: 300 lbs

Best upholstered: Langley Street Belz Armchair

We love the shape of this mid-century orange armchair which is also available in blue, light blue, lime green, charcoal and light gray. It’s tapered wooden legs could be straight out of the 1950s and the piped seams and button-tufted detailing add a touch of elegance.

This chair looks great on its own but it is large enough that you could add an extra cushion in a contrasting color to match your decor.

Upholstery material: 100% Polyester

Frame material: Solid and manufactured wood

Measurements: 31.5” H x 38” W x 30.75” D

Weight: 43.9 lb

Maximum weight capacity: 250 lbs

Best velvet: Christopher Knight Home Alyssa New Velvet Chair

Velvet chairs tend to give off cool retro vibes and this plush wingback armchair is no exception. The velvet is super soft and we love the button tufted detailing.

Purple is a favorite color for flamboyant velvet chairs. But, depending on the decor of your room, you might prefer to get this chair in navy, teal, lavender, brown, ivory or gray.

Upholstery material: Velvet

Frame material: Hardwood

Measurements: 21” H x 21” W x 20.5” D

Weight: 40 lb

Maximum weight capacity: 250 lbs

Why is it called an ‘accent’ chair?

The word ‘accent’ means ‘emphasis’, and that’s just what an accent chair does. As well as providing a place to sit, an accent chair adds visual interest to a room and accentuates the details of the decor. The purpose of an accent chair is to add excitement, drama and definition to an interior space.

Other names for accent chairs are occasional chairs, lounge chairs, wing chairs, club chairs, barrel chairs or side chairs.

How do you choose an accent chair?

When searching for the perfect accent chair, you’ll find so many options to buy online that it’s common to feel overwhelmed. But don’t worry. Choosing the best accent chair is easy when you break down your decision  into manageable steps.

Here’s what you need to think about when choosing an accent chair:

  1. Decide exactly where the chair will go

The first thing to think about is where in the house (or office) your new accent chair will go.

If you happen to stumble across an absolutely stunning accent chair at a yard sale or antique fair then you’ll probably want to snap it up and worry about where it will go later. But, in most cases, you’ll have a space in mind when you begin your search for a chair.

Accent chairs are most often found in living rooms, but they can go anywhere where there’s a space that would benefit from the addition of some bold furniture. You could put your accent in the hallway, bedroom, kitchen or even in the bathroom.

  1. Think about who will use the chair and when

Will you use your chair every day to sit in whilst you watch TV, read books and eat snacks? If so, you’ll want to choose something that’s both comfortable and durable. A large chair will enable you to curl up with your feet off the floor and have space to add a cushion or two.

On the other hand, if your chair is to be placed in a hallway as a purely decorative piece, then you’re free to go for something that’s more artistic than it is practical.

  1. Work out the measurements

When working out what size of accent chair is best, you’ll need to think about not just the size of the space, but also the size of the people who’ll use it. 

If you’re on the larger side and like to curl up and read, you’re going to need an oversized armchair that’s deep and wide enough to be comfortable. You should also take note of the weight capacity of the chair.

If you only have a small space to work with, then you’ll need to take care to make sure that you don’t pick something too large that will end up looking crammed in. You might also want to measure the width of your doors to check what size of chair will fit through. Of course, taking out your windows is an option for large furniture, but this can be costly so you’ll want to avoid it if possible. 

  1. Consider the style of the room

Accent chairs, by their nature, don’t have to match with other furniture in the room. But, it’s important that your piece complements the style of the room and ties everything together.

If you have a very modern room, then an antique chesterfield armchair could actually be a quirky addition. However, if all your other furniture is traditional, then adding a modern chair might cheapen the overall effect. It’s good to choose a style of chair that fits in with at least some of the existing elements of your room.

  1. Decide on a material

The material of a chair can affect the overall feel of a space, with soft materials like velvet and buttery leather making a room feel warm and inviting.

If your accent chair is likely to be used by children and pets, then it makes more sense to go for something wipe-clean like faux leather, plastic or wood. You could warm up the look of an accent chair by adding a fluffy cushion, throw blanket or faux sheepskin.

  1. Choose the best color

To decide which color of accent chair is best, take a look at the other colors that are already in the room. You can either match the chair to those colors, or choose something complementary.

Using an online color calculator, you can enter a color and see what other colors work best with it. For example, if most of your room is brown, you might choose a bright blue accent chair as blue is on the opposite end of the color wheel from brown.

What is the most comfortable accent chair?

Deciding which are the most comfortable chairs isn’t straightforward as much of this decision depends on who is using the chair and for what purpose. A teenager playing video games might find a beanbag chair to be the most comfortable, but an elderly person reading a newspaper would likely prefer a wingback armchair.

Think about the position that you feel most comfortable in, whether that be sitting up, reclining back or curling up on your side. Then, you can look for a chair which allows you to do this comfortably.

Certain features can make accent chairs more comfortable so look out for:

Conclusion

Accent chairs come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, colors and fabrics. Whilst some accent chairs are incredibly comfortable and can swivel or recline, others are mainly for decoration and their main purpose is to look beautiful.

To choose the best accent chair, you should think carefully about where the chair will go and what it will be used for. It doesn’t have to match your other furniture, but ideally it should complement the room and fit in with your overall color scheme.

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Best Accent Chairs 2020

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