there once was an orange velvet chair for free in front of a house.
i rescued it the next day and we all lived happily ever after.
the end.
i believe you can always, always make room for another chair:
stick it in an unused corner of a room next to a bookshelf + lamp = instant reading nook.
put it in your bedroom.
put it at your entry door to hold your bag or put your shoes on/off.
use it as a plant holder.
oh yeah, the always handy “extra seating for guests.”
our orange throne chair came with built-in character and patina.
a statement chair, sometimes referred to as an occasional chair, can effortlessly switch from being the star to being a supporting player.
our throne chair is dramatic and statement making on its own, but can equally play well with a scrappy kantha quilt and union jack pillow.
how can you tell if you’ve found a “statement” chair?
in my experience, you find yourself looking at it and saying “wow” either out loud or within your head.
you will innately know.
a good statement chair usually doesn’t have a matching mate. but if it does, grab both.
two vintage eastlake-esque side chairs i procured from goodwill have nail head seat trim and a carved back design. they have been reimagined as a “bench” side-by-side at a front entry and used individually in different rooms (one supported a large plant pot for a month).
currently, they are flanking our bedroom fireplace and assist with collecting folded laundry to be put away, allow shoes to be put on, or as a valet for clothes to be worn the next day.
sometimes, i leave them to look pretty on their own and enjoy the view from bed.
recently, i recovered one of them with an ikat remnant i’d been hoarding for years and now worked perfectly with our elegant bohemian interiors.
this handsome antique aubergine tufted leather and carved wood arm chair, below, would look equally at home in a storybook tudor as it would in an adobe territorial ranch.
(full disclosure: it’s now sitting in our front room by the fireplace keeping good company with two mid-century modern naugahyde slipper chairs and a vintage leather chesterfield loveseat…)
a statement chair provides character, texture, form & function. it injects an appropriate amount of drama into a space.
a good statement chair can keep your decor grounded instead of precious.
i think the best statement chairs don’t have to be expensive, but always do a sniff & sit test, even for new.
i’m partial to secondhand & vintage furniture not only for the obvious environmental benefits but also the lovely character & patina they’ve attained over time.
options to acquire include local thrift/consignment shops, estate sales, inheriting from a friend/family member, or via a trusted online community.
and sometimes, you get lucky with a free offering by the side of the road.