I used to say that we have had the same, four original arm chairs for the past ten years! I bought the first pair separately in a Swiss brocante in Nyon. Everyone was buying modern decor and I found by chance, a male and a female Louis XVI chair at different sellers. I got them cheaply and spent more having them refurbished but love them still. They are still in good shape in spite of two cats using the arms as a scratching post! Fast forward several years, we still have two of them.
What Is It For?
Is it for relaxing with a book, to offer additional dining seating, a functional chair or a statement piece for the room? Once you have decided, sit in it. I like to pull my feet up and look for a full seat, others like a firm back to be able to sit comfortably. If it is for extra dining seating consider folding chairs and keep in mind that fabric can get marked.
For a statement piece, consider how long you want it for. Will it be an investment or simply a piece for the moment. IKEA offers inexpensive chairs but I prefer to go up in price a bit for more innovative design and colour choice. Rahaus or Maison du Monde offer a good middle-priced range of furniture and then you can go in to the stratosphere of art.
What Style?
As you know, I have bought, sold and given away sofas over the years due to different sizes, age and one mistake. Decide if you are buying a sofa and chairs but if not, what look do you want it to have with current furniture. I like a mix of modern with vintage and have a BoConcept sofa to match my chairs and to take a ‘backseat’ to them. Others choose a statement sofa with the chair blending in. When doing this, consider the room dimensions and other furniture sizes. Sometimes a big sofa can look great in a small space depending on the colour and style blend.
Colour, Texture and Fabric
For the Loius XVIs, I chose a timeless blue and cafe latte stripe and have a beige sofa to match. Always use the colour ratio of 60% main colour, 30% secondary and 10% for a third. If you are feeling brave, add a fourth colour to tone in. For example, in France, I had a beige IKEA sofa against the dominant mostly white walls with lemon and lime as the second and third colour. I added a touch of aqua as a fourth tonal accent. In my Berlin apartment, I had a beige and sky blue against the dominant ivory colours. Texture in fabric can add a wow factor, look at velvets and wool but alway water proof. And if like me, you have cats, find the least pingable fabric you can!
