When it comes to a well furnished room, it's all about the mix. Too much of any one style, no matter how well chosen, can tip the balance toward the space feeling too "safe". Offsetting the basics with even one unexpected piece wakes up the overall design — adding a fantastic, chic chair in a style that is just a touch off of your norm and a click toward luxe is an easy way to accomplish this eclectic objective...and you can do it for under $500:
Here are ten seating choices that, while varied in style and materials, all have an air of high-end chic, while clocking in at the under $500 mark. Maybe it's not in the budget to buy a pair or completely surround your dining room table or with them all in one go, but as a single signature piece in a living room or a special side chair in the bedroom, they are perfect.
Shown above, top row, left to right:
1. Soren Chair for $449 at Room & Board
2. Era Round Armchair for $250 at Design Within Reach
3. Contact Stool for $129 at CB2
4. Madeleine Side Chair for $109 at Restoration Hardware
5. Tobias Chair for $99 at IKEA
Bottom row, left to right:
6. Vintage French Leather Armchair for $379 at Restoration Hardware
7. Xanadu Bench for $349 at Ethan Allen
8. Upholstered Dhurrie Slab for $299 at West Elm
9. Tolix Marais A56 Armchair for $275 at Design Within Reach
10. Eames DCM Molded Plywood Chair for $499 at Design Within Reach
Of course, unusual, well designed vintage chairs are also a great way to go when you need to mix things up a bit, so if buying new isn't your style, head out to your favorite thrift source or start checking our daily scavenger roundups to add a dose of eclectic chic to your own home.
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Comments (31)
I thought this was going to be how to get all 4 chairs to actually complete the look for $500!
If you buy #3, #4 or #5 chairs, you can!
@toastercat Same here on my end! It's nice to know that Ikea's got a chic looking chair, though, but its individual price is still a little too steep if I wanted to get a set of six-eight of the same.
L O V E the soren chair, wish they weren't $449 each. I also like the tobias chair from IKEA but am a bit concerned about the long term durability - has anyone seen it in person? How flimsy is it?
@HouseOnClintonAve - I know but I saw the SOREN chairs and was like OOOOH then clicked into the link and they're almost $500 each :(
I picked up five vintage (not in the best shape) Series 7 chairs for $400 a few months ago though, so I'm good on chairs for the moment anyway :)
LOL agreed @ toastercat
Does anybody know if that Ikea chair is comfy? It might be great as an office chair.
I am not even a fan of mid century stuff but I love those Soren chairs...so handsome and charismatic! lol
I'm sorry, but the Soren chair is a complete rip-off of Helge Sibast's nr 8 chair: http://www.deconet.com/decopedia/object/9882/Model_nr_8_by_Helge_Sibast.
At that price? Buy the original.
@morganif
yeah, they pretty much are the same, except the soren's arms actually angle down (probably making it more comfortable!)... i, too, always prefer vintage to newer productions, but i assume for most people it's easier to order from room and board than it is to scour the internet for a set of vintage.
if one kitchen chair for $450 is not "high end" ... um... pardon my provincialism and tell me what would constitute a "high end" chair?
You can get that Tolix Marais A56 Armchair look for way less than $275. Right now I see a banner ad for Industry West for $99.
We actually own 4 of the Tobias IKEA chairs and have had them for 2 years now. They are very comfy and look just as beautiful as when we bought them. Totally recommend those! IKEA actually released a new version in grey which we're thinking of buying to add to the mix.
Does anyone know where that dining table in the Ikea picture is from or where I can get one similar? Love it!
Ps. someone also needs to start a blog like budgetista for homewares - finding pieces matching those high end pieces. As in I'd love to but know nothing about starting a blog, only researching.
Nice chairs, but the post is very misleading. This makes it kind of annoying. To recreate the main photo showing four Soren chairs around a table would cost aprox. $1,700 for just chairs.
"High end looks" for a room include a multitude of things besides one expensive chair as is the case with #1,6,7 and 10. A lovely silver tray, a beautiful mirror or vase can also contribute to a high end look and may be in the price range that many who are reading this submission can financially manage.
I'm glad someone pointed out that the Soren Chair is a knock-off. I didn't know.
I can see where all the comments are coming from - $500 for one chair is pricey - but I also think that it's hard for AT to introduce a wide variety of new sources all the time. Everybody knows the usual suspects anyway (IKEA, CB2, West Elm, etc.)
I've started to realize AT doesn't put its efforts into extensive research and coming up with the most complete lists and articles ever. AT has such wide readership and such an active community that the power simply lies in the introduction of the idea. Point demonstrated - I always get a little out of the AT articles, but the opportunity to get A LOT out of the comments is multiplied immensely.
niabassett you are right on with your comments!
we've had the ikea chairs for at least two years and they are definitely well made. They're more comfortable than your average dining chair - the shape allows you to sort of rock back & forth.
Yeah, the Tobias from IKEA isn't bad. I have a pair. Don't think I'd use it as a desk chair though, at least not for extensive use. For starters, you can't adjust the height...
The headline was misleading, I thought it was going to be a post about making a room look chic for $500.
Maybe chic chairs under $500 that look high end may have been better... :-)
I love the IKEA chairs and I usually don't like IKEA.
My knee jerk was to be a little put off by the bait and switch but after reading:
"Maybe it's not in the budget to buy a pair or completely surround your dining room table or with them all in one go, but as a single signature piece in a living room or a special side chair in the bedroom, they are perfect."
...I thought about it again. Maybe it IS a worthy idea to buy just one chair as an accent piece or a reading nook chair, then when you can, buy another. These you can make a little vignette with a small table or put in a breakfast area. Buy another when you can and either place it with the other two or in it's own little space...and so on and so forth until you get the set you need.
So maybe it's not "complete the look for under 5 bills" but more "complete the look for under 5 bills at a time...over time"! Sucks if they stop selling the chair of choice before you complete a set though!
Mr. Modtomic
Oh, FFS. One $500 chair is bad enough, but if you need a herd of them to actually use them for their typical use (i.e. around a dining table)? That's $3-4K. Shoot me if I'm ever Extravagant American enough to drop that on a place to put butts for dinner while there are still Starving Children in Ethiopia.
I really wish Re-Nest had more traffic, because since AT's shift to writing as though anything under $10K is totally reasonable and attainable, Re-Nest fits my outlook better, but the posts typically get less than 10 comments.
I agree with you, niabassett.
Yes, the title to this post is very misleading.
More bummed than inspired. Was very curious cuz I have a table similar to the one w/ the Soren chair. BUT I don't have that kind of money.
I too agree with you, niabassett. Let AT introduce new ideas and trend and see what you can do with it. I usually get a lot of good ideas and great sources from people who post to this site...it's really priceless.
Yes, I was very disappointed when I clicked to read this post. Two things that I feel are often overpriced: chairs and nightstands. Sigh...
And I totally agree with niabassett, as well.
I think chairs tend to seem overpriced because they are more difficult to design/make.
With that said, I agree with the majority of the responders: the title of this post is misleading.
I've been looking at these http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11108348&clickid=body_rv_img
which seem to be an sort of kind of knock off of the 9.Tolix Marais A56 Armchair for $275 at Design Within Reach They're $100 each and I really like the color of the metal better...