Decorating
Trend: Add Timeless Elegance With a Classic Midcentury Armchair
This staple of the ’50s and ’60s continues to bring hipster curves and colour to contemporary rooms. Here's why you need one in your home
Re-covered, rediscovered and reworked, the midcentury armchair has become a design icon. Along with its more refined cousin, the cocktail chair, it adds can’t-miss-it style to any kind of space, whether you want a coolly contemporary look or a vintage vibe. They’re a canny second-hand buy, so look out for their signature subtle curves in junk shops and on eBay. And reupholstered in standout shades and luxurious materials, we think the midcentury armchair is a star of the furniture world.
Pay attention to trimmings
The button backs and the neat piping on these chairs are what sets them apart. Whether you’re buying new or scouting for a vintage number to refurbish, detailing is a sign that a chair has been carefully and professionally finished.
The button backs and the neat piping on these chairs are what sets them apart. Whether you’re buying new or scouting for a vintage number to refurbish, detailing is a sign that a chair has been carefully and professionally finished.
Bring style and comfort to a bedroom
Simply incorporating a midcentury chair into an existing scheme adds another dimension. In a bedroom, it can be useful as a place to drape clothes, and also turns a corner into a relaxing nook. And if it works an eye-catching colour and shape, it can transform a neutral bedroom into something special.
Simply incorporating a midcentury chair into an existing scheme adds another dimension. In a bedroom, it can be useful as a place to drape clothes, and also turns a corner into a relaxing nook. And if it works an eye-catching colour and shape, it can transform a neutral bedroom into something special.
Combine them with a modern piece
A pair of chairs in matching fabric partnered with a sofa in a contrasting style looks elegantly unstudied and less ‘matchy’ than a three-piece suite. Here, the sleek lines of the minimal sofa are a subtle counterpoint to the chairs’ organic curves.
A pair of chairs in matching fabric partnered with a sofa in a contrasting style looks elegantly unstudied and less ‘matchy’ than a three-piece suite. Here, the sleek lines of the minimal sofa are a subtle counterpoint to the chairs’ organic curves.
Embrace the period
To really showcase the age of your chair, you could surround it with a whole ’60s-inspired scheme. This room has a distinctly retro vibe, with geometric patterns, a shaggy rug and a design-classic clock. It’s as chic as a James Bond movie, with a light and playful touch, and the blue of the chair against the natural tones makes it the standout piece.
To really showcase the age of your chair, you could surround it with a whole ’60s-inspired scheme. This room has a distinctly retro vibe, with geometric patterns, a shaggy rug and a design-classic clock. It’s as chic as a James Bond movie, with a light and playful touch, and the blue of the chair against the natural tones makes it the standout piece.
Pick warm wood tones
Midcentury furniture-makers excelled at working in wood, creating elegant swoops and tapered designs from honeyed timber. The clean outlines of the generously upholstered chairs pictured show off this craftsmanship and are best left as polished wood, rather than painted.
Midcentury furniture-makers excelled at working in wood, creating elegant swoops and tapered designs from honeyed timber. The clean outlines of the generously upholstered chairs pictured show off this craftsmanship and are best left as polished wood, rather than painted.
Invest in a classic
This space-agey number by Hans J Wegner feels fresh and innovative all over again. The electric-blue shade instantly draws the eye and makes it really pop in this urban setting. Proof that a design classic never goes out of style.
This space-agey number by Hans J Wegner feels fresh and innovative all over again. The electric-blue shade instantly draws the eye and makes it really pop in this urban setting. Proof that a design classic never goes out of style.
Create a reading corner
A comfortable armchair in a shelf-lined corner adds warmth to a living space. Books are said to furnish a room, but a midcentury library chair is the perfect finishing touch – especially in a wonderfully plush velvet, like this one. Made for lingering in.
Find out why we love velvet
A comfortable armchair in a shelf-lined corner adds warmth to a living space. Books are said to furnish a room, but a midcentury library chair is the perfect finishing touch – especially in a wonderfully plush velvet, like this one. Made for lingering in.
Find out why we love velvet
Go for bold
A ’50s tub chair is a simple piece that can be an easy way to inject colour and vibrancy into a scheme. This curvaceous design makes a feature of this calm corner, complemented by era-appropriate lighting and antique art. Opt for an eye-popping colour like vivid turquoise, canary yellow or fuchsia pink, to make your chair the star of the show.
A ’50s tub chair is a simple piece that can be an easy way to inject colour and vibrancy into a scheme. This curvaceous design makes a feature of this calm corner, complemented by era-appropriate lighting and antique art. Opt for an eye-popping colour like vivid turquoise, canary yellow or fuchsia pink, to make your chair the star of the show.
Pick a luxe fabric
This chair has centre-stage appeal thanks to its tactile fabric in a soft, mossy green. The silky cushion offers a texture contrast that makes the velvet even more touchable, and note the Sputnik-style flared legs – so go-ahead in the ’50s and ’60s and still elegant today.
TELL US…
Do you have a much-loved midcentury find? Tell us where you discovered it and where it lives in your home in the Comments below.
This chair has centre-stage appeal thanks to its tactile fabric in a soft, mossy green. The silky cushion offers a texture contrast that makes the velvet even more touchable, and note the Sputnik-style flared legs – so go-ahead in the ’50s and ’60s and still elegant today.
TELL US…
Do you have a much-loved midcentury find? Tell us where you discovered it and where it lives in your home in the Comments below.
Is there a more sophisticated combination than black and white? I don’t think so. And reupholstering a classic ’50s chair in a bold geometric monochrome makes for a versatile piece that’ll be a talking point in any room.
See more elegant ways to decorate in black and white