Choosing an armchair comes with many decisions, but unlike when choosing a sofa where you would usually have to consider the size to accommodate other people, you can tailor your new armchair to your own needs and preferences.
An armchair does not necessarily have to match your current sofas, but it should complement it and of course, be comfortable! And remember, an armchair is not just for the living room – a stylish, well-placed chair also has a place in other rooms of the home, such as the bedroom or hallway. To help you decide which armchair or accent chair is right for your needs, we’ve taken a look at the key things you should consider…
What style armchair should I choose?
What fabric armchair should I choose?
What colour armchair should I choose?
What style armchair should I choose?
An armchair should reflect your style and personality, whilst complementing the environment that you live in, so picking the right style for your home is an important factor. Do you want a lovely, laid-back number, something to pop in the corner of your bedroom or do you need something that can be used everyday, and withstand little hands and pets? Deciding your chosen style and needs at the start will help your decision process along the way.
Traditional armchair
If you want to encapsulate comfort, try a traditionally styled armchair, the kind of chair you can’t wait to get home to at the end of the day and curl up on! Our Poppy armchair boasts a classic chesterfield design with a beautiful button back, scrolled arms and turned legs. With a choice of castors you can make the armchair truly yours.
Statement armchair
If you’re looking to add an armchair to your interiors to create a little character or act as a focal piece, choose a style that is recognisable as a standalone piece. The Hockney is a unique design that’s sure to make a statement. Contrasting angular wooden arms and curved bulbous base will bring a touch of contemporary into your home.
Accent chair
Sometimes an accent chair is just what a space needs. Designed to provide an element of visual interest to the room, an accent chair sits perfectly in living rooms, but also in hallways, bedrooms and other spaces throughout the home. Standing tall, the Louis armchair brings cool retro curves and winged back to cocoon you. It’s the ideal chair for a bigger environment.
Chaise armchair
A chaise armchair is a thing of luxury! Consisting of an armchair with an elongated seat, or built in footstool, the chaise armchair allows you to sit down and curl up, or equally stretch your legs out, being able to put your feet up in style. Based on a wooden plinth, the Costello is the perfect slice of mid-century comfort. With a choice of one arm of two on our Iggy & Costello chaise armchairs, you can personalise you style to your needs.
Loveseat armchair
Sometimes, a regular sized armchair just isn’t quite big enough to curl up on, but you don’t always have room for a sofa, and this is exactly why we created our range of loveseats! Smaller than a sofa, but bigger than an armchair, our wide range of loveseats allow you to sit in comfort, whether you’re having some time to yourself, or cuddling up with someone special.
What fabric armchair should I choose?
When searching for your perfect armchair, it’s really important to put thought and consideration into the type of fabric you want for your home. The right fabric and colour can completely transform your living space, so finding the perfect fabric, whether that’s to create a leather armchair, a velvet armchair or a cotton or linen armchair, is definitely something that requires consideration.
Cotton and Linen Armchairs
Derived from natural materials, cotton & linen are inherently sustainable fabrics. Both durable fabrics they will provide long lasting comfort for you and your family to enjoy for many seasons to come.
Norfolk Cotton
Our Norfolk cotton fabric is made from 100% cotton, and has been designed to combine style, comfort and practicality. A Norfolk cotton armchair would look stunning in both traditional and contemporary homes, and there are a number of different colourways to choose from.
Organic Smart Cotton
Made from 100% cotton, this fabric is inherently sustainable thanks to its plant origins, plus it’s also certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Tightly intertwined with a powdery matt finish that’s perfect for a contemporary space. Plus, its special finish prevents accidental spills from sinking into its fibres giving it a stain resistant quality, ideal for busy homes and families.
Brushed Linen Cotton
One of our most popular fabric ranges, our brushed linen cottons are made from 63% cotton and 37% linen. A brushed linen cotton armchair is soft to touch, but also highly durable, perfect for busier homes, and the fabric can be professionally dry cleaned. There are a variety of colours to choose from, meaning you can create a brushed linen cotton armchair that makes a statement, or equally opt for a more neutral tone if preferred.
House collection
We’ve created our very own House collection of fabrics, including our house herringbone weave, house plain weave and house basket weave, to allow you to create a durable yet stunning armchair. The house collection has been created with a simple, neutral colour palette in mind, allowing you to create a neutral armchair, whilst adding texture and colour elsewhere, through accessories or paint colours.
Baylee Viscose Linen Armchairs
Designed with a beautiful subtle basket weave texture, an armchair upholstered in our stunning Baylee viscose linen will also have an elegant, soft sheen finish to it. We’ve designed our Baylee viscose linen fabrics in a range of natural tones, allowing you to create your dream neutral armchair, accessorising with colours and patterns where desired.
Velvet Armchairs
Soft and sumptuous, a velvet armchair is the ultimate choice for that luxurious feeling. Choose between a plush pile or a splash of pattern as well as an abundance of colour choices.
Cotton Matt Velvet Armchairs
If you’re searching for the armchair of your dreams, with statement style, a cotton matt velvet armchair is the answer! There’s something undeniably cool about owning a velvet armchair, and not only does a velvet chair looks stunning, but it’s also luxuriously soft, and inviting to sit on. Our cotton matt velvet fabrics are available in bold colours to create a statement armchair, but also in a number of more subtle tones, allowing you to create an armchair that suits your home.
Bubble Velvet
Make a velvet statement with a ‘70s inspired twist. The pop of pattern and plush texture of our bubble velvet is the perfect way to inject some playfulness and personality into your home this season. With a choice of retro colourways, the hardwearing nature of our bubble velvet brings a whole new meaning to work hard, play hard.
Textured Boucle Armchairs
Luxe Boucle
Stay on-trend with our boucle fabric, the perfect way to add texture and interest to your home. A textured boucle armchair is not only stunning to look at, but is also soft and cosy to touch, and our textured boucle fabrics are available in two colourways, allowing you to bring statement style into your home.
Smart Fabric Armchairs
As well as our range of cottons, linens, tweeds, velvets and leathers, we’ve created a selection of ‘smart’ fabrics, designed so that every household can enjoy sitting in their dream armchair – even a busy household prone to accidents! Each of our smart fabrics prevents spillages from sinking into the fibres too quickly, meaning you can simply blot the spillage away and keep your armchair clean. Choose from our smart cottons, smart velvets and even smart slubby cottons, to create the armchair of your dreams without compromising on style.
What colour armchair should I choose?
Choosing the right coloured armchair is so important, and can completely transform how a room looks and feels. We have over 100 fabrics to choose from, in a variety of colours, giving you the freedom to choose the perfect colour armchair for your home. Of course, sometimes you already have the exact colour armchair in mind, but in other cases you might simply know that a linen armchair would be the perfect fit for your home.
It’s really important to take your existing colour scheme into account when choosing the colour of your armchair. Additionally, it’s important to ask yourself if you’d like your armchair to be a statement piece, and stand out as a bold accent of colour, or you’d prefer for the armchair to seamlessly blend in with the rest of the colour scheme.
Bold and colourful – Bright armchairs
Some of our most popular coloured fabrics are in bold and beautiful fabrics, helping you to inject colour into a room with a bold colourful armchair. Whether you’re looking for a bright pink armchair to make an impact, or a bright yellow armchair that injects sunshine into the room, we’re confident that we’ve got the right fabric to create your dream armchair. There’s nothing better than creating an armchair that is not only incredibly comfortable but also a statement piece that brightens up your home!
Neutral shades of calm – Neutral armchairs
Sometimes, creating a home that is full of calming neutral shades is preferred, and having a neutral coloured armchair that is the perfect place to relax in has never been more important. We’ve seen a rise in the popularity of neutral armchairs recently, and with many of our neutral fabrics drawing inspiration from nature, we can understand why. From Canvas and Taupe to cooler neutral stone and clay tones, our neutral fabrics allow you to create a simple and understated neutral armchair, ready for you to relax in after a long day.
Maritime hues – Blue armchairs
If you’re wanting to create a home that draws inspiration from the coast, adding a blue armchair is the perfect addition. Our vast collection of blue fabrics that can be used to upholster your armchair in blue hues ensures that there’s something for everyone to help create their perfect blue armchair From subtle nods to the sea using from our Uniform house weave, to bold Deep Turquoise and Scuba velvet blue armchairs, the variety of blue fabrics is as vast as the Pacific ocean.
Sophisticated monochrome – Grey armchairs
If you’re searching for the perfect armchair to sit amongst a monochrome interior, we have a vast range of monochrome fabrics to choose from. From velvet grey armchairs, to soft grey cotton armchairs and laid back grey linen armchairs, there’s something for everyone. By keeping the colour palette simple and toned down with a grey armchair, you can use accessories to brighten up the space if desired, using cushions, blankets and throws to update the colour palette as the seasons change.
Should my armchair match or contrast with my sofa?
When choosing the perfect armchair, one of the most common questions is whether you should choose an armchair that matches your current furniture, or contrasts.
When designing a living room, or updating a living space, the first thing to consider is the colour palette you want to use. Whether you’re looking to create a bold and colourful interior, or a more subtle pared back neutral living space your armchair and sofa will be a big part of your scheme and should work together in harmony. Having said that, keeping your sofa and armchair both within the colour palette of the space doesn’t mean that the armchair has to match the sofa! You could opt for different shades of the same colour, different fabrics and patterns, or even contrasting colours, and then use accessories to tie the two pieces of furniture together. The world’s your oyster!
