6 Easy Ways To Style An Accent Chair

Style An Accent Chair – While, typically, your sofa is the focal point of your living room, going a step further and incorporating an accent chair in your home shows that you are committed to having a superbly stylish interior.

While accent chairs look great as standalone pieces of furniture, there are a few things you can do to style them, that ensure you’ll truly make the most out of them. Continue reading for further inspiration on how to use your accent chairs to create interest and add depth to your living space. Here you will learn exactly how to style an accent chair.

What Is An Accent Chair?

Simply put, an accent chair is a decorative piece of furniture that will bring personality into your home. Of course, you want your new accent chair to be undeniably comfortable but accent chairs tend to cater more towards the stylistic side, pulling every aspect of your interior design together while also remaining a separate focal point.

Trying to style an accent chair is easy as accent chairs are also incredibly versatile. Like armchairs and swivel chairs, most people use accent chairs as occasional chairs or for extra seating in the lounge. However, you can use them as office chairs or even as dining table chairs, in fact, they work in just about any room of the house. The possibilities are nearly limitless!

Types Of Accent Chairs

Before you deep dive into deciding how you are going to style your chair, it’s beneficial to look over all of the various types, so you can be certain that you have found the perfect accent chair for you.

Armchairs

A classic example of living room furnishings, armchairs tend to prioritise comfort over style, offering deep-seated cushions and convenient armrests so you can get comfy.

However, that’s not to say armchairs can’t be stylish, look at our classic Frinton chair, for example, it’s a wonderfully comfortable chair that certainly isn’t lacking in the style department.

Although most people associate grand, vintage armchairs with leather upholstery, they can be found in a variety of materials, styles, and sizes, meaning they can cater to a range of living spaces, regardless of your colour scheme or decor.

Swivel Chairs

Offering you a seating experience like no other, swivel chairs are exceptionally comfy, convenient, and chic. These rounded, moving chairs provide a great place to curl up comfortably in your lounge.

Typically upholstered in soft fabric or velvet, and available in a large assortment of colours, swivel chairs are equal parts snug and stylish.

Club Chairs

Much like armchairs, club chairs focus on comfortability. With high backs and armrests, paired with deep seat cushions and soft upholstery, a club chair is especially perfect when positioned in front of a fireplace, making for an incredibly relaxing piece of additional seating.

Tub Chairs

Tub chairs, also known as barrel chairs, are an amazing variation of armchairs, that are noticeable for their rounded backs. They are the ideal blend of cosiness and stylishness. Take our Luna Velvet Tub Chair as an example, it looks fantastic in any setting and is insanely comfy too!

Lounge Chairs

Designed with your relaxation in mind, a lounge chair aims to keep you as calm and comfortable as possible. Typically, they have a laid-back, long frame, equipped with somewhere to put your feet for maximum tranquillity.

Side Chairs

Side chairs are distinguishable by their noticeable lack of arms. They are very commonly used as dining chairs or dressing table chairs. They make for perfect occasional chairs if you don’t need the extra seating very often, as they take up little room and can be stored away easily.

Style An Accent Chair

So, you want to use your accent chair as a way of injecting character into your home but you aren’t entirely sure where to start? That’s okay. There are a lot of options for you to consider before solidifying your choice. Let’s have a look at some ideas you may want to use for inspiration.

Symmetry

To style, an accent chair, symmetry is a classic and composed look for a living space. It keeps things neat and orderly, which could be exactly what you desire in your lounge. To style an accent chair, place a large sofa on one side of your seating area and two identical accent chairs on the other, separated by a stylish coffee table.

Burst Of Colour

To style an accent chair, if you have a living room with a neutral colour palette, a bold coloured accent chair could be exactly what you need to bring life into your space. As long as your choice of colour isn’t too out of place in your room’s pre-existing colour scheme, using an accent chair to add colour and warmth to your home is a fabulous idea.

Mixing And Matching

To style an accent chair, if you require multiple chairs for your home, don’t feel pressured to buy the same chair in the same colour repeatedly. The cool thing about chairs is that they are often available in multiple colours. Add interest and depth to your home by purchasing the same accent chair in two different shades that complement each other.

Creating A Nook

Sure, you could keep your accent chair positioned with the rest of your living room furnishings. However, you can use accent chairs to your advantage and create an entirely different space within the same room. To style an accent chair, place your chair next to your window or in one of the corners of your room and pair it with a floor lamp to construct a tremendously cosy reading nook.

Play With Textures

Accent chairs are available in a wide range of materials so you don’t have to limit yourself to matching the material of your accent chair to the material of your sofa, to style an accent chair. An accent chair upholstered in velvet can look fabulous when paired with a fabric sofa, as it provides an additional layer of depth and dimension to your room.

Minimal Accessories

When thinking about how to style an accent chair remember accent chairs are designed to be decorative, therefore don’t require much additional style. They also tend to be quite modest in size, so you don’t want to go overboard with accessories and leave your gorgeous chair feeling overwhelmed. Keep it simple with a small bolster pillow placed on the seat or have a neatly folded throw draped over the back of the chair.

Conclusion

An accent chair is a great addition to the home for a multitude of reasons, they provide convenience, as well as an enormous amount of comfort and style. Once you’ve implemented your dream accent chair into your home and know how to style an accent chair, you’ll be wondering how you went without one for so long.

Minimalist Decor A – 5 Point Essential Guide

Minimalist decor – You may often find family living rooms filled with a variety of sofas and chairs in order to accommodate a number of people, photo frames and knick-knacks scattered around the room to insert personality. Do you ever look at this type of living room and find yourself thinking that less is more?

When done incorrectly, a neutral-toned space with a couple of pieces of furniture can feel relatively cold and lifeless. That’s not what the minimalist style is about. Minimalist interior design is all about simplicity. Everything in a minimalist space is deliberately chosen and placed with a particular scheme in mind to create an entirely functional space.

If you want to master the art of minimalism, read on for an in-depth guide, where we will explore the concept of minimalist design and how to make it work for your home.

What Is Minimalism?

Simply put, minimalist styling focuses on the bare essentials. Everything in your entire house serves a certain purpose and ensures that your living space doesn’t feel cluttered or cramped. This aids in accentuating the architecture of your home.

Typically, you will find that minimalist homes stick to a monochromatic colour scheme, using carefully placed pops of colour as an accent, to add some interest to the room.

Minimalist design tends to include furniture with straight, clean lines, an open floor plan, and lots of natural light to create a modest, yet inviting, atmosphere.

Tips For Creating A Minimalist Space

If you’re interested in converting your house into a minimalist home, there are a number of ways you can do so. Here are some helpful tips on how to beautifully incorporate minimalism into your home.

Cleaning Your Clutter

This first step is essential if you want to create a minimalist interior for your home. It’s very easy to place unnecessary items on your coffee table or your countertops and forget all about them, but it’s time to get practical.

Look at everything you have around you, particularly on your flat surfaces. Are these important documents that can be stored out of sight? Do you really need some of these things or are they past their due date for the bin?

Minimalism focuses on the absolute bare minimum when it comes to furniture, so sift through your belongings and ensure you only keep the essentials. Then, give everything a specific spot and stick to it.

Stick To A Neutral Palette

Monochromatic colour schemes are a huge part of minimalist decor. At surface level, it sounds a little bit mundane. However, sticking to a neutral palette creates a laid back luxury that is both inviting and easy on the eyes.

An easy starting point with minimalist decor would be having a white backdrop for your living room (or whichever room of the house you’re decorating). Different shades of white have a large variety of undertones that can shift the vibe of a room – for example, a yellow hue creates a warm atmosphere while a blue hue gives a more cool, crisp vibe.

It’s completely normal to inject colour into a minimalist living space. You don’t want to go overboard but adding pops of colour via accent pieces such as throw pillows or rugs is encouraged to add warmth and personality to your room.

Most colours work with neutral shades like white and grey, some great options include earthy browns, greens, blues and yellows. Go with whichever colour feels right to you but keep accents to a minimum.

Contemporary Furniture

While you can make the minimalist decor look good with aspects of traditional design, minimalist style is all about geometric shapes and simplicity. The curved nature and intricate designs of traditional furniture can cause too much distraction from the functional nature of minimalist spaces.

Opting for a sofa or chair with clean lines, that boasts square or rectangular shapes, is a fantastic choice for minimalist interior design. Take our Beau 3-Seater Sofa, for example. Its design is simple, making it perfect for a minimalist home, yet it doesn’t lack the comfort factor.

Check out our Top 5 Minimalist Sofas for further inspiration when creating a minimalist look in your home.

Layer Different Textures

As we already established, a totally monochromatic and neutral base for a room can feel quite bland. However, layering different materials and textures as part of the minimalist decor is a quick and easy solution to this problem.

Throw blankets, accent pillows and rugs in soft materials, like velvet, work great for a minimalist home. Select a few pieces in similar tones and you’re sure to bring a sense of vibrancy to your living room without throwing your minimalist interior off balance.

Combining Functionality With Style

As minimalist decor prioritises a fuss-free style of living, with a focus on functionality, a great way of optimising your space is buying quality, multipurpose pieces of furniture.

A perfect example of this would be to invest in an ottoman, such as our Josie Velvet Storage Ottoman. An ottoman makes for great extra storage but can also be used as a footstool, extra seating for guests, or even a coffee table.

Multifunctional minimalist decor items such as ottomans and footstools really mesh well in a minimalist home as they tick multiple boxes while saving up on precious floor space.

The Benefits Of Minimalism In The Home

At its core, minimalism and minimalist decor encourage the idea of a clean and uncluttered space. A lot of people tend to overindulge in things for the homes that they don’t necessarily need and have no practical use for. Realistically, we can live a more frugal life and still be happy and comfortable in our homes.

Overall, focusing on the essentials of life, as well as specific items that hold great personal value, can actually create a fabulously calm and soothing vibe throughout a home. Whereas, a more cramped living room, filled to the brim with trinkets and furniture, can often feel overwhelming and claustrophobic.

Minimalism and minimalist decor focus on quality over quantity so, while you have less stuff, you’ll have more functional and practical pieces of furniture in your home and you’ll save up on floor space and money.

Conclusion

Adapting to having a minimalist design with minimalist decor throughout your home can be a little daunting. Going through the hard task of throwing stuff out, as well as trying to make your minimalist decor look as warm and welcoming as possible, it certainly can be a challenge.

However, once you’ve committed to the minimalist style and you strive through all of the difficulties, you’ll come out on the other side with a beautifully styled, functional space with a seamlessly timeless look and a heap of benefits.

Are Settees And Couches The Same As A Sofa?

Settees and couches; although most commonly referred to as a sofa, you may have heard the words “settee” and “couch” thrown around too. With many alternative ways to refer to our favorite piece of living room furniture, and so many different styles to choose from, it can be hard to keep up with what’s what.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines couch, sofa, and settee as long, upholstered seats for multiple people to sit on, making these terms interchangeable. Therefore, there isn’t necessarily a correct term for the comfy seat in your sitting room.

The History Of Sofas, Settees, And Couches

Throughout history, a lot have things have been determined by class, like settees and couches. While nowadays, the word sofa is the most popular, couch and settee are both perfectly accurate ways of referring to the same item. However, it wasn’t always this way.

Back in the mid-twentieth century, both a working-class person and an upper-class person would use the simple term “sofa.” On the other hand, middle-class people aimed to be different and would use the word “couch” or the word “settee.” Which is where the terms settees and couches comes from.

Why Do We Call It A Sofa?

A sofa is defined as “a long comfortable seat with a back and arms, for two or more people to sit on.” The word actually originated in the eastern Meditteranean, from the Arabic word “soffah,” which referred to a part of the floor, raised by about a foot, that was covered in carpets and cushions so it could be sat on.

The word “sofa” was first written in English by an English man named Samuel Purchas in 1625. He writes of his travels in Arabia and the “sofa with sumptuous carpets of gold.” Famous literary authors over the years picked up the word sofa, as you would find them in the drawing-room of many wealthy, English households after they came over from France.

Why Do We Call It A Couch?

These days, a couch is defined as “a long upholstered piece of furniture for several people to sit on.” While this term isn’t frequently used in the UK and is far more prominent in America, it is still a word we can use to describe our sofas.

Upon their creation, they were practically the original sofa bed. They were a structure covered in soft fabrics, meant for people to lie down and sleep on. The word “couch” comes from the French “coucher” which means ‘to sleep.’ In early writings, the word couch was used to describe a place that one could sleep, however, by around 1500 it was being referred to as a seat.

Unlike sofas, which are typically more formal and strictly for seating, couches tend to be less formal and can be used for lying on.

Why Do We Call It A Settee?

A settee is particularly similar to a sofa. Its definition is “a long comfortable seat with a back and arms, for two or more people to sit on,” so is pretty much the same thing as a sofa. However, the origins of the word differ.

A settee is referred to as a variation of a settle, which was a bench made of oak from the Middle Ages. So, the settee originated from benches with a soft seat, becoming popular throughout the 17th and 18th centuries until they eventually evolved into what we now refer to as a sofa.

Different Types Of Sofas

As we have established, “sofa” is the most popular term in the UK for that comfortable piece of furniture in our lounge that we just love to relax on. There are many variations of the sofa, settees and couches that come in all different shapes and sizes, to accommodate a range of different requirements.

Standard Sofa

A standard sofa is nothing too complex: back, arms, legs, and seat cushions. At Chill Sofas, we have some stunning standard sofas available, as both two-seaters and three-seaters.

Corner Sofa

A corner sofa is a fabulous choice for houses with a larger amount of people to accommodate. Corner sofas take on a few forms including l-shaped sofas and u-shaped sofas, to ensure they can fit meet the needs of different households.

Chaise Longue Sofa

Essentially, a chaise sofa is a combination of a standard sofa and a corner sofa. Taking on the l-shaped quality of corner sofas, as well as the surplus of seating options, a chaise sofa is a standard style sofa with one extended end, that allows you to kick up your feet and chill out.

Conclusion

When it comes to settees and couches, ultimately, the important thing is that we have a seating option in our sitting room that we can come home to after a long day and relax on. However, if you’re interested in the definitions and origins of settees and couches then hopefully you’ve found this informative and have a better understanding of the various types of sofas.

4 Inspiring Living Room Sofa Ideas

Without a doubt, the living room sofa is the heart of all living room furniture. It’s the centrepiece of the place in which we spend our free time and family time. The dominating quality of a couch often dictates the flow of the rest of the living room design.

Long gone are the days of your living room being nothing more than a seating area to entertain guests, our whole lives revolve around this room. Sofas are more than just a place to sit – we eat on them, watch movies, nap, spend time with our family, and much more. Therefore, your lounge and your couch must be as inviting and as stylish as possible.

Regardless of whether you are simply looking to redecorate your living space around your settee or you’re replacing your old, rundown sofa with a brand new one, here are some examples of fabulous living room sofa ideas to leave you feeling inspired.

Living Room Sofas With Functionality

Living room sofas serve different purposes for each and every person. A variety of factors such as career and family size can have a direct impact on how people use their space.

If your living room is going to be used largely as a family room, you may consider a larger sofa, such as an l-shaped sofa in a soft fabric, so there is plenty of seating space to keep everyone comfortable. Ensure it is placed in front of the TV to keep the kids happy while they watch Netflix or play video games.

However, if your living room sofa is mainly used for entertaining guests, a great idea is to have a couple of two-seater sofas placed opposite one another, with a coffee table in between them, so you’re able to freely converse without craning your neck awkwardly, and you’ll have a handy surface for food and beverages directly in front of you.

However, if the only function your living room sofa is serving is style, look for something a little more minimalistic. Opt for a neutral backdrop in your sitting room, also choose neutral colours, such as cream or beige, for your couch, to keep things simple and stylish. To make your living room furniture a focal point in your home, place a brightly coloured accent chair or rug in a neutral space to make all the furniture pop.

Pick A Statement Colour

Pretty much the entire living room scheme is influenced by the colour you choose for your sofa. If you’re not looking to redecorate your living space, be careful with what colour you choose for your sofa, to avoid leaving your living room feeling lifeless.

For example, if you have a grey living room, picking a living room sofa in another shade of grey is going to leave your room very monotonous, not generating much excitement. To create a vibrant living room, you want an eclectic mix of shades. Choose a bold colour for your couch, like indigo or teal, paired against your understated or neutral palette. Decorate accordingly with throw pillows in complementary colours and side tables or coffee tables that work well with your sofa’s colour and fabric.

A great colour scheme for a living room sofa for refreshing your lounge is earthy tones. Choosing a green shade for your sofa, like emerald, while scattering orange and brown accent pieces around your living room, will ultimately provide a very warm and welcoming vibe to your home.

Regardless of what avenue you choose for your home, make a statement with the colour of your couch and ensure the rest of your living room furniture corresponds, to create a cohesive and timeless look.

Add Interest With Shapes

Typically, living room sofas either boast subtle curves or clean lines and this usually helps determine whether it’s a modern or classic sofa. As with most things, it ultimately comes down to preference and what style you are trying to convey in your living room.

Sofas that have a gentle curvature tend to be the traditional-style or vintage sofas, particularly if they sport scroll-arms, buttoning detail, or turned wooden legs. Curvaceous furniture works to soften your lounge, leaving it with a homely and relaxed look. Try something bold like a curved corner sofa to add character and make a statement.

For a more contemporary look, find a sofa with squared arms and cushions, and clean, straight lines, such as our Madden two-seater. The simple yet striking design of these sofas gives them a particularly modern edge, making them stand out when matched with the right furniture. If you have a small space to work with, sofas with straight edges are an advantage as they are likely to fit in neatly.

Another thing to take into consideration, when choosing the shape of your sofa, are the proportions of your room. If your living room doesn’t have the advantage of high ceilings, you should go for a sofa with a low back to create the illusion of extra space in your lounge, giving your room an airy feel.

Patterned Upholstery

Instead of opting for an accent wall, why not invest in a patterned sofa instead? We don’t mean the tired, floral patterning of your great grandma’s old settee – there are plenty of great options out there that adopt a more modern feel.

Whether your preference is stripes, polka dots, or geometric patterns, there will be a sofa out there for you, that is sure to supply your living room with an immense amount of character.

Conclusion

The key to a stunning sitting room is ensuring that it is decorated with your personality in mind. Have a good think about your preferences and what your living room means to you and take note of your ideas. In the end, you’re bound to know exactly what you want and, while following some of these tips, you’re sure to have a room that is cohesive, comfortable, and captivating.

6 Important Considerations For Sofas Under The Stairs

Sofas under the stairs – While it’s true that most staircases are found in a hallway, right by the front door, stairs in the living room aren’t totally unheard of. If anything, they offer a strikingly contemporary feel to a house, offering an open plan design that exudes sophistication.

For those of you who have stairs in your living space, you may find yourself wondering what to do with that pesky space underneath the steps. There are plenty of ways to make use of that space but most people lean towards utilising the gap by filling it with a sofa.

Like most things, this topic has multiple factors to consider before you make a definitive choice. Join us as we look at some of the pros and cons of an under the stairs sofa placement.

Pros

First of all, we will delve into some of the great benefits of having a sofa under the stairs.

Saving Space

Sofas under the stairs are beneficial because, simply put, if you want to save space in your home, this method could be for you. Why place your new sofa in the middle of your lounge when you could tuck it neatly under the stairs, saving up that precious floor space?

Sofas tend to take up quite a lot of room so, if your home has smaller rooms, then slotting your sofas under the stairs is a perfectly practical solution to ensure you have enough space for other furniture and decor. You may find that other sofa placements overbear the entire space that you have to work with.

Functionality

When considering sofas under the stairs, you may think that the spot under the stairs would be reserved for a two-seater but, in fact, depending on how much space you have, you may be able to fit in something larger so you have plenty of seating space for the whole family.

If there’s room, consider placing a small corner sofa in the gap beneath your stairs. A corner sofa with a chaise end will guarantee that you’re always as comfy as can be and certifies that you have room for everyone to sit down comfortably.

Additionally, if you have guests staying over, placing a sofa bed under the stairs is a fantastic way of utilising your space for multiple functions. Sofa beds are also great for those of you who are partial to having a nap in the lounge – just make sure you keep plenty of cushions and blankets handy!

Style

When it comes to sofas under the stairs, regardless of whether you’re a fan of faux leather sofas, velvet sofas, recliner sofas, corner sofas, or anything in between, placing your fabulous sofa under the stairs is sure to add a stylish flair to your living space.

It’s only ever so often that you see someone with stairs in their living room, so regardless of your sofa’s design or material, you can be certain that it will become a focal point in your home.

Cons

On the flip side, let’s take a look at why a sofa under the staircase may not be an ideal option for every household.

Minimum Space

Unfortunately, when placing sofas under the stairs, while you’re maximising the available space in the rest of the room, ultimately you are left with minimum space for your couch.

It may not be a huge deal to some people, if they can fit the sofa in that space then they’re more than content. However, for others, the small gap, reaching from the lowest point of the steps to the wall, coupled with the slope of the staircase, may leave them feeling a little bit cramped and claustrophobic.

Finding A Sofa To Fit

With sofas under the stairs, as we’re all aware, there isn’t likely to be much space to play with to fill this gap, so you may be hard-pressed to find a sofa that is the correct size, let alone one that meets all of your other requirements.

It can be a relatively stressful process if you’re struggling to find something that ticks all of your boxes, so you may opt to just find your ideal sofa and find another place for it within your lounge.

General Annoyances

Also with sofas under the stairs, regardless of the generally cramped nature of a sofa under the stairs, there are some other general annoyances you may want to take into consideration.

For example, there’s the obvious notion that you may find yourself banging your head quite often, due to the sloped angle of the staircase. Furthermore, the sound of people walking up and down the stairs right above your head may be too much for you to handle.

Also with sofas under the stairs, you may find that some of the dust and dirt that gathers on your steps will inevitably drop down onto your sofa from time to time, but that’s not something that very little maintenance can’t handle.

Additional Ideas For The Space Under The Stairs

If you’re still on the fence or have simply decided against sofas under the stairs, here are some great tips for other ways to make the most out of that space.

Accent Chairs

While you might find it difficult to seek out a settee small enough for this space, you’re far more likely to find an amazing accent chair that will fit right in.

Whether you go for an armchair, a swivel chair, or a cocktail chair, you can easily create your own personalised position in the living room. With the addition of a well-suited lamp, you’ll have yourself a dreamy little reading nook to die for.

More Space For Decor

Pick out a nice table and place trinkets, framed photos, or a clock along the length of it, to add a personal feel to your lounge. Make sure that the table takes up most of the length of the gap to ensure you’re making the most out of the space.

Mini-Bar

If you fancy something a little bit different, consider purchasing a serving trolley and placing your selection of spirits or wines on it. This is an effective and creative way of filling up your excess space while leaving extra room in your kitchen.

Conclusion

Sofas under the stairs can be a great approach for those who don’t mind a challenge, while others might find it to be more stressful than it’s worth.

It can truly make a statement and create an incredibly inviting warmth in your lounge. However, if it’s not the right choice for you, there are plenty of other terrific ways to optimise your space, so you don’t have any irritating gaps to fill.