Survey: Is Animal Print Seating a Do or a Don't?

A friend recently moved back DC and found herself in an empty apartment facing a four to six week wait for the delivery of all her worldly goods. She borrowed an air mattress and TV, and then set out to find comfortable seating for her living room. Though her original plan was to purchase something neutral, she found herself instead the proud owner of a leopard print chair...

Though our initial reaction was surprise to say the least, we have to admit the chair is kind of appealing in a strange sort of way. We know animal print rugs are a popular option for Apartment Therapy readers, but we haven't seen many animal print chairs in our House Tours so far. Given that, we leave you with a survey on animal print seating to take us into the weekend...

Comments (23)

Animal-print seating really pops, as long as it's not competing with too much else. Leopard chairs look good on their own, but add in a brightly patterned rug and you've got instant overkill.

I think it's good for an accent chair or rug. Just found this yellow zebra print chair at Horchow that I love, but it's currently out of my price range...

http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=cprod46840025&parentId=cat5720731&masterId=cat1290731&index=40&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat1290731cat5720731

I know IKEA Poang chairs are considered tacky by the style gurus that post to this site, but I'd love to get a zebra-striped cover for mine.

i'd love a zebra ottoman but not a whole couch, a little is nice with a few other accents (like those zebra mirrors from JK Place in Italy) but thats it. and NO zebra with red, looks awful.

where is that first chair pictured from? White "ball" chair with brown zebra print?

I just think the story is hilarious. :-) Like the chair picked her. haha

That first chair is delightful

These pieces aren't my style, but I think they're all handsome and well done... definitely a "do!"

It's not really my style, but I think it works. I actually really like that couch!

The first chair is from the Patagonia Trading Co.:

http://www.patagoniatradingco.com/occasional_chairs.php?aurel=pict36&name=FRANKLIN chair

Leopard print ISN'T a neutral?

Do.

I love zebra print (as long as it isn't from a real zebra...). That said, less is more.

I just don't get animal prints, especially the very popular zebra stripes. Cat prints look tacky and zebra stripes are just plain ugly. So, these chairs a definite don't in my decor universe!

I am so not a lover of the animal print. It pains my eye and offends my senses!

I agree with PaleyGirl. Leave it in the tacky homes we got the inspiration from.

I think as a furniture accent piece is fine, but personally, my butt is way too big to wear them. I might be mistaken for the animal and shot...

I have a leopard fainting couch that I absolutely adore -- it has lush sweeping lines, and a rich detailed fabric. It is my favorite piece of furniture that adds a lot of impact to the living room. I love it.

That said, there are tons of crappy, cheesey, gaudy items of furniture in leopard or zebra print out there, that should be avoided by everyone but teenage girls.

Also, leopard is often far more subtle than zebra print, therefore be more restrained with the use of zebra.

I love animal print used judiciously. I just recently recovered my dining room chairs with zebra fabric. Looks great.

I'm not a big fan of the zebra print on anything in particular. I would also never wear any animal print but I find that on the right piece of furniture it looks magnificent.

I've been trying to find the perfect accent chair to reupholster using a velvet leopard fabric I fell in love with it and bought.

that chair would be so much sexier with a different pattern. zebra is out!

depends on the room, you could go heavier in a bedroom

I redid the cushion on a curbside find chair with a tan and chocolate ocelot print in chenille. It doesn't "roar" at you, but the pattern itself is a bit more muted. Plus, it's on wood framed chair--a little goes a long way.