Favorite Chairs

I was recently contacted by Chloe of One King's Lane to ask if I would write a post featuring a statement chair in our home.  She included a link in her e-mail to a resource page on the One King's Lane website, along with some basic questions for me to address in my post, such as:  Which era is my chair from?  Is it a centerpiece or an accent to the rest of the room?  What design elements (pattern, texture, color, etc.) of the chair do I love most?   

It took me a while to decide which of our chairs to write about.  I don't have any of those wonderful French accent chairs that are so popular at the moment and so timeless in their classic appeal (unless you count our French Provincial dining chairs).

We have two vintage, mahogany ladder-back chairs that we use as accent chairs in our foyer and living room.

 I've always thought they were pretty; they were given to us by my husband's grandmother close to 20 years ago.  Our ladder-back, or slat-back chairs have rush seats.  According to the article, "18th Century Chairs," from the One King's Lane resource page, "Slat-back chairs are the quintessential early-American chair."  We've also used these chairs as accent chairs in our dining room in previous years.

 

The other chair I featured in this post is the leather, wing-back chair in our family room.  This particular chair is not new, but it's not vintage either.  It also belonged to my husband's grandparents.  We were allowed to choose some of their furniture some years ago when my husband's grandmother entered an assisted living facility.  If you're a regular reader here, you've seen this chair in several of my posts.

I feel that this chair is more of a centerpiece than an accent to the rest of the room.  My husband actually wanted the chair because he wanted a recliner (yes it reclines), but then he discovered he prefers to sit upright while watching television or reading his laptop or Nook®.  But it's a comfortable chair, and provides great extra seating when we have visitors. 

I saw possibilities for using this chair in our den because I like English Country style and Hunt Country style.  I think this chair fits well with those styles.  Its size is just right to anchor this end of the room and fireplace, and it looks warm and inviting in front of our partially paneled walls and built-in bookshelves.  Situated as it is, the person sitting here has the advantage of afternoon sunlight from the window,

 the lamp in the corner for reading, and the warmth of the fireplace just to their right.

 

I saw a very similar chair in an article, "American Federal Style Chairs," linked to the One King's Lane resource page.

This chair is referred to as the "Martha Washington Chair" or the "Lolling Chair."  Its design is very similar to our chair, but it has a floral, fabric upholstery and the legs are much fancier.

The design elements I love most about our chair are the leather upholstery, the nail-head trim, and the fact that this chair adds a masculine touch to our den.  Thanks to air-conditioning, it's as comfortable in summer as it is in winter. 

 Winter

Spring and Summer

 ...and Autumn.

The people at One King's Lane have created the Home Décor Resource Guide to inspire and educate home decor enthusiasts when purchasing or upholstering their perfect statement chair.   Incidentally, we bought a chair for the other side of our fireplace during the Christmas holidays.  Looking carefully at the chairs we already have and reading through this One King's Lane resource guide really gave me a lot to draw on when shopping for our new chair.  In addition, I love history, and furniture plays an important part in the history and culture of our civilization.

Do you have a favorite chair at your house?  Do you love it because of its shape, its vintage look and feel, the texture, or just the fact that it's familiar and comfortable?  Thanks for taking time to read my post -- I'm always glad when you visit!  Have a wonderful weekend.

Denise