apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

how about a couple of eames molded plywood lounge chairs?

javascript:document['frm66016'].submit();- From Anthropologie.

if interest is what you seek, then, for the luv of gawd, stay away from the typical Barcelona chair or Womb chair... just stay away from DWR.
Mix it up a bit, I say.. how about you find yourself a pair of Lousi XVI chairs on Craigs List and paint them a neat color, say silver, and upholster them with something atypical like pony hide or faux alligator?

Oops, sorry, bad link. Check the Anthropologie site and the Astrid chair.

The room looks rather modern, so I would maybe mix it up a little with an antique chair. Something older. That will bring in some of the character you're looking for. Once you find the right anitique chair, you can get it reholpostered in something colorful, funky. the juxtaposition will be fantastic.

Perhaps a hint of vintage is in order? I think it's not necessary and maybe even preferred to not have "name" vintage either (ie. Eames, Bertoia, Saarinen), just something with nice character, a bit of texture or small patterned fabric. Graphic black/white upholstery could be nice too (like the pony hide chris_94131 suggested)

I think a great big plant in the corner with the windows would be nice as well.

What a great clean slate you have to work with, I feel like the possibilities are endless!

Another vote for antique chair(s).

I see two chunky modern wicker chairs for texture. With
maybe red cushions for punch. Then you could add some
sort of red print pillow to the sofa. Room has a wonderful
start, though!

Are you sure you want/like that ottoman? It, in combination with the brown Flor tiles, appears to dominate the room.

Maybe Black & White or a cow-hide/print?

http://hivemodern.com/products/?view=sub_product&sid=199&cid=2&cid2=3

http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=8227

http://www.sleekspaces.com/buy/Living_Room/Seating/Lounge_Chairs/Egg_Chair

I think the room needs some richer color...so the upholstery of any chairs is key.
BB Italia:: BB Swivel chair

Or a cheaper knockoff:
Alchemy Swivel chair

I might also enlarge the dimension of your FLOR. I kinda feel like the sofa should overlap the rug a little bit.

I would do a pair of the Beverly Lounge Chairs from DESIRON... you can see a picture of it here
http://desiron.com/seating/chairs/index.html

i'd keep it low, open design (airy as opposed to chunky), and mainly mid century :)

some ideas:

http://www.sleekspaces.com/buy/Living_Room/Seating/Side_Chairs/Circa_Armchair

http://www.sleekspaces.com/buy/Living_Room/Seating/Side_Chairs/Melrose_Chairs_%2528Set_of_2%2529

or even a nice thick armchair:

http://dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=8593



but i really love the open design in this:

http://hivemodern.com/products/?view=sub_product&sid=1196&cid=2&cid2=104

While the DWR route would probably give you a nice-looking end result, it would also be very safe -- and it sounds like that's exactly what you're trying to avoid. Any way to combine the two concepts? Eames LCW in red?

But honestly, if you're looking for a little "pop," color-wise, attitude-wise, etc., I agree that antiques would look great. There's a cool Danish Modern lounge chair in orange naugahyde at a vintage shop here in Boston I've been coveting--I bet it would look great in your room.

I second AJC's suggestion of Eames LCW in red. They would really pop against the neutral setting. I also agree with JenPDX you should enlarge the Flor rug.

There are several things you can do to warm up this room. I do agree with the people who are pointing you in the Louis Chair direction; however, I'm not sure if I agree with the "upholster a thrift shop find with something wild and crazy" approach - it's just too bohemian for this room.

A more ornate Louis chair upholstered in black or brown leather (a warmer texture which will help sex up the room) would make more sense for me; you could put one in the sunny windowed corner in the back with a small table for reading. Here's an example of one that might work (although I think it may be a bit short) from Horchow: http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=cprod23220122&parentId=cat5720733&masterId=cat5720731&index=11&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat000002cat1290731cat5720731cat5720733

While so many rooms often have too much clutter, a low open bookcase along one wall with lots of colored backs of books and some sculptures, bowls or other objets would be great in this space too. I'm not sure if you have room for something like this behind the couch, something small on the same wall as your artwork would also be fine.

Putting a large wood tray on part of the ottoman and using it to display a couple of books, etc. would also help add some personality and visual interest. I would also inject some pattern with throw pillows, you have so many simple shapes and big blocks of color that using solid-colored pillows doesn't really work for me here.

After making those changes, the plywood Eames Chair thing (although i agree with the posters above, maybe a little too DWR) might be a good occasional piece to add for more seating. Looking for something fabulous and 70's in lucite might also be interesting. And definitely plants will help too!

I agree with kdkaboom. If I were you, I'd go the Hans Wegner route. His chairs almost always have lines that will complement your design choices without overwhelming them. The addition of this designer will also make way for the introduction of other elements that can stand out with a little more personality: sideboard, lamps, art, etc.

I agree with the earlier posters about maybe adding maybe two rows of FLOR under the sofa, and trying to add something wood or perhaps patterned or otherwise bright to contrast with the sofa.

I don't have any specific suggestions for chairs at the moment, but would just recommend that whatever chairs you get have a lower-than-average seat height, so that when you have multiple people sitting there everyone feels like they're at roughly the same eyeline.

You can also add some contrasting texture and even color with your end tables (and coffee table?), so be sure to consider what each of them will contribute.

A bright lacquer tray would look cool on that ottoman, for example...

Initially, I thought about recommending Eames LCW chairs. However, the sofa and ottoman seem quite large. Consequently, I think the LCWs might look out of proportion with the sofa and ottoman.

Unfortunately, I don't have my own chair recommendation, although I did like some of the links above.

fun project you've got! i'm in love with many of these room and board chairs
and i like the idea of something not completely upholstered to balance the room a bit: from above link, the hubbard

I'm in the not-completely-uphostered camp. And I think you want to introduce a lighter or blond color into the scheme to keep it from being too heavy, but the form of the chair needs to be substantial enough to go with the chunky sofa.

See link below from Crate and Barrel:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=943&f=4297

Or this one from Ethan Allen:

http://www.ethanallen.com/jsp/universalprod.jsp
itemID=137051&mainSelect=5&subSelect=11

I agree that most anything DWR is going to make it look like a model home. I like the Anthropologie chairs, or something else with more feminine lines. How about these: http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/fur/378118310.html
They aren't a bold color but with a small table between at the far end of the couch they would be very unique. They might be on the small side though...

Sorry, here's that Ethan Allen link again.

Or try looking on the Ethan Allen site under Chairs --> Wicker. My pick was the first chair in the group.

Yikes!! -- they are wanting you to spend some money aren't they!!

let us, for the sake of those of us who don't have $2300 to spend on a chair, look at some less expensive options:

these wicker chairs could lighten things up and give the room some more texture: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30057735

these are quite good looking from west elm: http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODf296&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNCHR&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNCHR

a knockoff bertoia in white? http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODf515&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNCHR&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNCHR

these from ebay are pretty freaking serious, but what if you covered a seat cover for them with something crazy! http://cgi.ebay.com/PAIR-ANTIQUE-JACOBEAN-GOTHIC-OAK-THRONE-2-ARM-CHAIRS_W0QQitemZ250145500711QQihZ015QQcategoryZ63568QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

cheap! lots of money left to recover! http://cgi.ebay.com/PAIR-OF-FRENCH-VICTORIAN-SHABBY-CHIC-ARM-CHAIRS_W0QQitemZ320139123185QQihZ011QQcategoryZ63568QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

oh! these would be fun!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-GLAM-armchair-pair-HOLLYWOOD-REGENCY-chairs-WOW_W0QQitemZ330148397566QQihZ014QQcategoryZ115763QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

mix it up a little --- maybe this on one side: http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=3148
and something more modern on the other.
sort of like this room: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foohqwah/355171507/in/set-72157594420475013/

minimal and cool: http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=2454

would add lots of interest to the room: http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=3204

How about adding something mid-C but not necessarily a design icon like the DCW chair:

www.baxterliebchen.com

Great vintage stuff from a really nice guy!

Add my agreement to several commentators above that you need another row of the Flor tiles, to go under the couch!

I don't think finding the perfect chair is going to be the solution for this room. I would put the chairs on hold and rethink the rug. I would go for something larger and with a bit of pattern or history to give some life to the room. I would also bring your personal belongings into the room and make design decisions based on the important personal stuff that you want to include otherwise it is prone to become a bit of a 'tv shrine' that could belong to anyone.

Go Asian! It would complement the nice lines of Mid-C but give it some pop & variety. I'm thinking of chairs with a nice red or black lacquer finish. Couldn't find anything in red lacquer but here's something in black (bottom of page, the black lacquer monk chair) not too expensive: http://www.chinafurnitureonline.com/thumbnail.asp?cid=62&deep=1&searchWord=&offset=1
Also, Asian wicker chairs with red cushions would be great I think!

PS: The Rosewood bamboo chair on the site I posted above would also be great!

I would also reconsider the rug and get something with more pop, and to save you money since you're buying a new rug, I'd move the ottoman to the side and use it as a seat, maybe with a nice folded throw casually strewn over the side. This way you only need one chair, or two small ones for the other side. But it would mean a new coffee table...

my 2 cents: 2 eames plywood chairs on one side, a daybed on the other.

the rug is too small for the sofa. expand it or get a tribal -- there used to be some wonderful red and black kilims from Afganistan on the market that would give a nice pop.

since the sofa is all upholstered, I think an unupholstered chair might work.

And I wouldn't go the louis quelquechose route. A classic Morris chair? I think something in a Mission mode might complement the lines of the sofa, add some contrast and funk, and not look too clever.

Another idea is to stack some 24 inch square pillows -- made of old kilims, say -- for extra seating along with a couple of African stools or chairs.

Eames LCW chairs will look like doll house chairs next to that couch. The scale will be off.

This chair from capellini is nice if you want something new but I suspect it is more than $1K:

http://portal.cappellini.it:7778/portal/page/portal/Prodotti/1_Collezione/5_Poltrone/Ys_de_Luxe

My first instinct is to go for the Eames LCW, but I agree that they would be a little underscaled.

For under 1k you could go for a nice lounge chair by Jens Risom - it has an open airy look and comes in a few colors from DWR

http://dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=7226

for a more rigid geometric look a Wassily chair will be the right scale I think, altho the price is gonna be a little over 1k.

One of my new favorite chairs is by Paulo de Mendes Rocha and is featured in the current issue of Modernism. Its also available from DWR, altho the photos on their website dont do it justice at all... you really need to see one in person. http://dwr.com/search.cfm?Ntx=mode matchpartialmax&N=0&Ntt=paulistano

I would keep it light and airy (and not red). Perhaps the Hans Wegner shell chair?

http://roomandboard.com/rnb/collection.do?method=get&id=378417&cat=26

If you were to use the Eames plywood lounge chair, I would buy two and line them up next to each other.

Good luck!

Something white, organic, and curvy. Preferably white leather.
You also need a little shine in that room, so maybe with a glass or plexi side table between them.

Maybe:
http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=38&ItemId=53046

with:
http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=38&ItemId=52669

Or (although not curvy):
http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=38&ItemId=52874

Or:
http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=38&ItemId=50241

Granted, these are all the same vibe as what's in there, but I don't think that's a bad thing.

If I had your room I might put the ottoman under the windows and have 2 chairs facing the couch or even facing each other. I don't think the ornate Horchow couch is right for your modern room(I'm guessing the link might be incorrect) I would totally love the eames molded red chair. Is your couch sage green or light grey? Its hard to tell the exact color. Also have you considered getting a lighter colored TV stand? It would make tht corner seem less of a black hole.

AJC-
You mentioned an antique shop in Boston. If you don't mind sharing, I'd love to find out more. I'm currently in the market for a dining table and chairs...

Maybe reproduction black lacquer Chinese chairs, which would integrate the black media console and give sculptural interest to the room - which is too safe. This is an interesting shape - you could find something like it, new, in black http://www.pacificimports.com/antiques.html These are also interesting http://www.pacificimports.com/antiques.html I would not worry overly about seat heights if it means limiting the room to less interesting options.

If you wanted to, you could add square cushions to the chairs in an Asian red /cinnebar and carry that through the rest of the room. I'd love to tell you to get a brighter rug which would further pull the colors together but know that you just bought it.

This is just an idea - and a suggestion that you put something very different and original in the room. It doesn't need to be mid-century, it doesn't need to be modern - it could be reproduction Burmese Art Deco - just something unpredictable.

And stay away from tarted-up Louis XIV, which is a fad that will soon look very dated.

what ever chairs you choose, i would break up the room in conversation areas. i prefer for furniture not always to be positioned around the television. since the tv is set inside an alcove,install a rod up at the ceiling, fabric in a similar color as the wall to hide the tv. draw the drape over when you want to watch. a television changes the entire dynamic of a room. i like watching television, but when it is not the focal point of a room, the space becomes more interesting. when a television is in a room it is like a spoiled child screaming for attention.
add 3 beautiful coffee table books that represent your interests and something living, a flower, plant or bowl of clementines. add life to your room, and it will be a happy one!

Hi,

My first suggestion would be to reupholster the ottoman in some kind of pattern fabric. The only reason I say this is because both ottoman and sofa are so square and meaty that together they almost become a kind of green blob. Not that this green is not a nice a color, which it is. But if you change the upholstery on the ottoman to perhaps a fresh punchy print, that will immediately add some personality to the room.

Before I get to the chairs, I want to make a suggestion about the lighting, of which I noticed there is none in the room. Perhaps you could place a side table on the left-hand side of the couch (I would suggest a clear table or something with a thin pedestal) and put a cool lamp with an interesting shade on top. On the other side, you could put a floor lamp (perhaps a white one).

I think a nice leafy tall plant would look really cool in that corner with the facing windows (the kind of plant that really likes light). It will add another nice splash of color to the space.

Now, onto chairs. Since the sofa and ottoman sit so low, I would recommend chairs that are more elevated to break up the levels in the room. I don't agree that everyone should be at "eye level" when they're seated, as someone pointed out. I think that's kind of boring, and there should be variations in the height of pieces within a space.

I think the chairs should have more elegant, almost light-weight frames, since the sofa is so square and thick. Someone suggested Anthropologie chairs and I agree they do make nice chairs. Crate and Barrel also has some nice chairs for under $1k, as well as roomandboard.com, which has a chair with metal arms, which I think would work in this space.

I think if you consider the two chair types -- thinner frame, higher seat -- you will have many many options under $1k.

Good luck! Wonderful space, by the way!

all_for_design,

The shop I referred to is Reside in Cambridge (think the website is resideinc.com). Their stuff is mostly (if not totally) mid-century / Danish modern, and the prices can run on the high side. But their pieces are usually in excellent condition. They also have warehouse space with lots of other stuff not on display in the store.


Hope that helps!

Ok, this might sound cheesy, but I immediately thought of a new chair from Ikea, the frame seems to work perfectly, the price is grand, and you could find some fabric and have the cushions done custom that would set this room off;

http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/68256_PE182408_S3.jpg

see what you think. a fabric like this for instance:

http://www.pollackassociates.com/fabrics/intro-rave/group_l.jpg
or this:

http://www.pollackassociates.com/fabrics/intro-rave/rave_l.jpg

or this:

http://www.myungjinfabric.com/images/swatches/sm_swatch_31.jpg

http://www.brentanofabrics.com/products/images/FestivalStripe-BanquetHall5130-07.jpg

good luck :)

chairs on http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/jump.jsp?itemID=833&itemType=CATEGORY&iMainCat=3&iSubCat=833&sort=0&viewall=All&furnish070716&1

Check out the Jane Chair from Gus*.

https://www.bobbyberkhome.com/product/seating/1703/chair.html

Wow - thanks for all the great feedback, and thanks AT for posting my request for help. We're definitely going to either get more FLOR tiles for now, and in the future when it wears out switch it out with something more interesting.

I'll send an update photo once we make a decision on chairs!

The WHITTY options:

- get either one of these chairs -- either two of these
Bertioa Bird http://www.unicahome.com/p10856/knoll/bird-lounge-chair-by-harry-bertoia.html

or

Large Diamond http://www.unicahome.com/p10867/knoll/large-diamond-chair-by-harry-bertoia-and-knoll.html

or

http://www.unicahome.com/p11055/herman-miller/coconut-chair-by-george-nelson.html

or a Saarinen Womb Chair -- not new, but from vintage places, or on Ebay, preferably without the upholstery (or with damaged upholstery), and have it recovered in some Fortuny fabric -- there is a Fortuny store in NY, or remnents can be found on Ebay etc. You won't need much. Here are some examples of possible colourways:

http://www.oreillers.com/Fortuny%2079.htm
http://www.oreillers.com/Fortuny%2084.htm

The WHIMSICAL option:

http://www.unicahome.com/p3133/droog-design/cappellini-knotted-chair-by-marcel-wanders.html

The LEATHER option:

http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/koi_k3.html
(in brown)

RUG suggestions:

Kim Parker: either Bolero or Mums and Asters or
Paul Smith's Paris Swirl, all at http://www.therugcompany.info/default.aspx -- these would all work well with either the leather chair suggeseted, or the whimsical one; for the whitty option, something plainer but with texture (flokati? stepevi Touch Me rug?...)

Oh for the love of Pete!

That would be WITTY and witty...

...don't have a clue where that came from..!

I see that KatieC! is still shilling for Bobby Berk Home.

And if you *Do* like that Gus Modern chair, go right to the source:

http://gusmodern.com/

Or the Gus Modern store here in NYC, Chelsea.

How about a kelim upholstered amrchair? Take a look at the chairs on

http://www.kilimfurniturecompany.com/

Here is an illustration of the witty concept -- a Bertoia bird chair in a fabric from Designer's Guild --

http://www.designersguild.com/products/designersguild/fabricandwallpaper/sarafan/

Designer's Guild would be perfect for such a project -- in your case, a turquoise colourway would look amazing; it would be stunning counterpoint to the colours you already have -- it would make them sing.

I just upholstered a Lepo "Moderno Rocker" in this turquoise fabric from Designer's Guild, and we are thrilled with the result ( you would need a pattern though)--
http://www.designersguild.com/products/designersguild/fabricandwallpaper/essentials/

Here are more possibilities for you --
http://www.designersguild.com/products/designersguild/fabricandwallpaper/ruzzini/

i adore that first living room monika.......I agree on the turquoise - would you suggest buying the chair and the fabric and then bringing it somewhere?

Leigh -- I think usually your upholsterer (or the furniture manufacturer) can get you the fabric cheaper than you can get it yourself (unless you have a friend in the trade; know any designers?). At least that was the case with my purchase from Designers Guild -- the company in Finland making my chair (Lepo) bought the fabric from DGuild directly -- there seems to be one in every city! It was much cheaper -- by about half -- probably because they did not charge a markup on it (which is not typical). I think it would work that way with Fortuny fabric too -- their website seems to indicate they are TTO (to the trade only).


If that is the way you want to go, the Bertioa Large Diamond chairs would be your least expensive option (they seem to show up pretty regularly in vintage stores, on EBay, etc.), but the Bird chairs are such a fun contrast with your sofa!