Expert Advice on Choosing an Armchair for your Home

An armchair is an investment piece so it is important to ensure that it enhances your décor. Armchairs are much more than just adding an additional seating space, they can act as a stylish statement piece too, while providing a luxurious refuge in which to enjoy a little me time. With just a little imagination, you can use an armchair to create a cozy seating area in your living room, under a flight of chairs, or even in a balcony or backyard. 

When buying an armchair, it is also an opportunity to be a little selfish. Unlike buying a sofa, where the focus is on providing comfort for the crowd, choosing an armchair allows you to put your preferences front and center. Best of all, if you’ve been itching to experiment with form, a Pierre Jeanneret famous armchair is a great place to start with. 

This armchair is made of teak and cane and was created by Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret in the 1950s. The famous architect, Charles Edouard Jeanneret or Le Corbusier as he is famously known, recruited Pierre to create furniture for a newly-minted, modern city Chandigarh. 

The designer chose to work with local Burma teak to combat the humidity and insects that plagued the area. He hired city’s craftsmen to bring his design to life and the result was sturdy, comfortable, and cool armchair. These armchairs mainly furnished administrative buildings and schools.

Years later, styles changed and people moved towards contemporary furniture and Jeanneret’s creations were neglected and often tossed out in the street. But yesterday’s trash is today’s treasure and since the late 1990s dealers and people have been sweeping Chandigarh to lay their hand on Pierre Jeanneret famous armchair, most which need refurbishing.

Now let’s come to the point how to choose an armchair.

When buying an armchair there are certain things to keep in mind. Here in this post, we have put together a useful armchair buying guide featuring expert tips. 

Things to Keep in Mind

Match Existing Furniture

When you buy a mid-century furniture piece, it should match with your existing furniture. If you already own a leather sofa or suite which you intend to keep, consider choosing an armchair in a plain fabric matching the dominant color of the pattern. On the other hand, if you have a plain sofa, then the Pierre Jeanneret armchair can be refurbished with leather, linen of velvet , if you wish so to complement your decor. However these armchairs have the ability to enhance any interior.  Bringing an important collector item into your home.

Create a Contrast 

Alternatively, why not consider using the addition of the Pierre Jeanneret armchair to introduce a striking contrast in your color scheme? This armchair is made of Burma teak which is golden brown in colour which works well with browns or muted blues, or for an even more exciting feel, try pairing this armchair with grey or green décor. Another option is to decide on a defined color palette, for instance, autumnal tones work well in any home décor. You just need to experiment with different color combinations. 

Now let’s take a look at other important aspects of an armchair. 

The Chair Seat

The seat of an armchair is the most critical feature as it offers comfort. When shopping for an armchair, consider these seat elements: 

Feel – the seat should feel soft to sit and at the same time offer firm support. However, if the seat sinks in too much you will have to struggle to get out of the chair. Or if it's too hard, you may become uncomfortable after sitting in the chair even for a short period. Pierre Jeanneret was creating beauty but was reflecting about comfort too,

Depth – if you are taller, look for a seat with greater depth as it can easily accommodate the length of your legs. A shallower depth is great if you are not very tall or suffer from bad knees. The point here is, that you should be able to sit fully back in the chair so that the bottom of the chair touches your calves without applying too much pressure. 

The Chair Back

The chair back offers lumbar support to the lower back, and it can be high or low. However, if you read in your chair, you may want a high back that offers some support to your neck too just like the Pierre Jeanneret famous armchair. Chairs with lower backs are good for conversations since you tend to sit up straighter, but they are not as good for lounging. 

There are two basic kinds of backs, some with a tight cover or with loose cushions. You can choose whichever appeals to you, however, if you are looking for comfort, cushions make the chair a little cozier. You can also choose a combination, a chair with tight back and a cushioned seat or vice versa. 

The Chair Arms

Choosing a chair with arms or not is completely a matter of personal preference. However, it depends on how you sit, and how often or how long you would sit in that chair. If the back is slightly curved in, you will get some support without actual armrests.

The armrests allow you to place the arms on it making for better relaxation, especially if you use the chair often. The arms are not of much importance for a chair that is used occasionally.

The  Pierre Jeanneret famous armchair has either upholstered or hard arms. You can choose the one as per your preference.

Beauty of Armchair

The chairs are collector items, they are cultural goods and represent an important part of the Word Heritage site in Chandigarh. We think it’s great to own such a design piece of such an importance. Finally it’s an iconic piece of design.

These are a few of the practical things you need to keep in mind when choosing an armchair for your home.