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Best accent chairs to liven up your home

 (La Redoute)
(La Redoute)

It’s the little things that can make a huge difference to your home.

A colour-coordinated bookshelf, a curation of decorative pillows, bright wall art and a well-placed accent chair.

The latter, an armchair-slash-ornamental investment has uses far beyond just sitting. You can, of course, have it as additional seating in your living room, but you can also pop into a corner of a space to create a cosy reading nook or use it a make-shift wardrobe for your clothes when you don’t have the time to fold or hang them back up. Hey, it’s better than your current floordrobe situation.

These chairs act as a finishing touch to the room, the icing on top of your carefully-curated interiors cake. There are so many styles to choose from that work to enhance or set the tone. Opt for rattan for a bohemian look, metal for modern, velvet for understated elegance, leather for traditional or linen for a Scandi-inspired look.

While the aesthetic is important, you must also take comfort and support into consideration. You may only be using the chair for ceremonial reasons, but it still needs to serve its true purpose first and foremost.

We have gathered our favourite accent chairs available right now to suit any and all interiors.

Malu Rattan Chair

Once the reserve of Florida retirees, rattan has had a huge rebrand and is now one of the most sought-after interior trends. The natural material can create a bohemian feel that will transport you to far-flung tropical destinations. Tap into the trend with this chair from La Redoute that can be easily adapted to most spaces through some monochrome or brightly hued throw pillows. It has been handcrafted from natural cane and woven rattan and given a nitrocellulose and acrylic paint finish. The sturdy chair will stand the test of time.

La Redoute
La Redoute

£265 | La Redoute

Topeka Accent Armchair in Faux Sheepskin

Pop this sheepskin chair from Made in any corner to create a cosy nook that you can bundle up in with blankets and pillows. It gives you a sitting-on-a-cloud-like feel with a style that is both traditional yet still modern. It is made from polyester and is available in six shades, from this classic white to neutral hues of black, grey, navy and terracotta.

Made
Made

£179 | Made

Flora Scalloped Velvet Armchair

Oliver Bonas always has its finger on the pulse of the latest home trends and there are very few things in its curated offering that we wouldn’t welcome. However, this scalloped chair - a mainstay of its collection for a while - is top of the list. Not only does it have a sumptuous velvet feel but the silhouette itself makes a show-stopping piece. It is also available in an array of colours, each as bright and bold as the last. We love this mustard yellow but also the pink and the more understated grey and blue hues.

Oliver Bonas
Oliver Bonas

£395 | Oliver Bonas

Timothy Oulton Professor Chair

Moo-ve over minimalist Scandi and Japandi interiors, we are looking for something bolder to bring joy to our homes in a whole new way. Enter this cow-print chair from Timothy Oulton that is as supportive as it is super stylish. You will be surprised at the adaptiveness of the monochromatic print that can be a focal point but also blend into your space. The classic silhouette puts comfort at the forefront with a contoured shaping.

Timothy Oulton
Timothy Oulton

£2015 | Barker and Stonehouse

John Lewis & Partners Claverdon Semi-Aniline Leather Armchair in Galveston Hide

This leather-bound armchair oozes with sophistication. Add it to your home office to elevate the space with its traditional upholstered design. It is also a very supportive chair with a high back and large, padded arms and cushions for added comfort. Expect scarring on the leather that gives it an authenticity and shows the quality of the product. It is extremely hard-wearing.

John Lewis
John Lewis

£1,599 | John Lewis

Rug-Printed Kennett Chair

Bring colour and playfulness to your home with this chair from Anthropologie. It has a large back design with a wide seat cushion filled with a foam and fibre combination. Crafted from a hardwood frame with oak wood legs, it’s sturdy and durable. Best of all, it is adorned with rug-printed upholstery design with a vintage look.

Anthropologie
Anthropologie

£1,098 | Anthropologie

Loaf Sweetspot

Add more seating options to your space with an armchair that will become your go-to. There’s nothing worse than lounging with lumpy cushions and uncomfortable hard backs so opt instead for the cosiness of this iteration from Loaf that has feather-wrapped foam seat cushions made for sinking right into. The frame is made from a durable Scandinavian birch that has a 10-year guarantee. It is also available in a range of fabrics and colours to personalise the product to your taste.

Loaf
Loaf

£815 | Loaf

Natural Rattan Peacock Chair

This Peacock-inspired design offers far more than just an extra seat or a place to shed your clothes. The contemporary chair is like a piece of art in your home to liven up the space. It is made from blonde rattan with a black metal legs so can be placed in both bohemian and modern design aesthetics with ease. It may not be the most comfortable when it comes to sitting but you can add pillows to up the cosiness levels.

Graham & Green
Graham & Green

£250 | Graham & Green

Boone Velvet Chair

This living room addition is set to become your favourite place to lounge in the house. It may just be one of the most comfortable armchairs out there where you will be enveloped in its cosy cushioning. The seats are stuffed with foam and wrapped in a luxurious velvet material that has elegance in spades. It is available in a range of six colours and fabrics.

Barker and Stonehouse
Barker and Stonehouse

£465 | Barker and Stonehouse

Timothy Oulton Cabana Yeti Chair

Bored of your current drab interiors? Unable to lounge in utmost comfort? Not fur long (sorry). This yeti-inspired chair from Timothy Oulton has a shaggy sheepskin coat that is soft to the touch and offers the perfect setting for your relaxation time. It is available in white or black and has a durable weathered oak frame.

Timothy Oulton
Timothy Oulton

£1,247 | Heal’s

Oliver Bonas Velvet Duck Egg Blue Tub Chair

Fit for the likes of Buckingham Palace, this chair has a regal feel, from the luxe velvet construction to the upholstered detailing. Place in the corner of your bedroom to complete your carefully curated aesthetic with the colour of your choosing. There are nine available, from this subtle duck egg shade, to the bolder, brighter red, orange or pink. It is perfect for those empty nooks that need livening up.

Oliver Bonas
Oliver Bonas

£445 | Oliver Bonas

Melina Chair

This effortless elegance of the Melina Chair has firmed its enduring status in the interiors world. By the simple addition of this sumptuous velvet seat, you will be adding immediate sophistication to your home. It is available in a range of six colours and fabrics and has slim black legs. The cushions are filled with foam and fibre for equal parts comfort and support.

Baker and Stonehouse
Baker and Stonehouse

£275 | Barker and Stonehouse

Edison Leather Lounger in Brown

While the metal and sculptural leg design gives this chair an ultra-modern feel, it can also fit seamlessly among more traditional styles due to the classic leather upper of the lounger. Before we can say much more about the chair, we have to stress the comfort. Place it in your home office for an alternative place to sit when you need a break from your desk and marvel in its adaptive curved silhouette that provides support for both the back and neck.

Perch & Parrow
Perch & Parrow

£990 | Perch & Parrow

Relaxed Lounge Chair - Natural Linen

If your preferred colour palette consists of mostly beiges, browns and neutral hues, this chair will fit like a glove. It has a clean, sleek look with a simple but effective ash wood frame and linen cushion. Comfort comes in the form of the subtle recline and the generously filled foam seat.

Cox & Cox
Cox & Cox

£495 | Cox & Cox

Pod Spitfire Chair

Game rooms, playrooms, man caves or living rooms, this show-stopping chair will become a focal point in industrial or hyper-modern spaces. The futuristic design is reminiscent of the 60s Space Age aesthetic - in fact, it looks like the ones in the first Men In Black film - with a metal panel shell and studded detailing. Those curved sides aren’t just for show though, they do a good job of blocking out some external sounds, perfect for those with chaotic WFH/ home-school households. It is kitted out with a soft velvet cushioning that provides hours of unrivalled comfort.

Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin

£2,995 | Andrew Martin

Verdict

While it truly depends on the aesthetic that you are going for in your home, the Malu Rattan Chair gets our top pick because of its construction. Rattan has been an enduring fabric in the interiors world and has truly come into its own in the last couple of years. It has a versatile feel and can be dressed up to suit your style with the right decorative pillows.