So one of my guilty secrets is that fact that I write for a design blog and yet my favorite chair, the one I can't live without, the one I've moved from home to home for years, is the least stylish chair you can imagine. It has no classic lines, no vintage appeal — in fact, it has nothing going for it all except pure unadulterated comfort. What chair is this that has such a hold on me despite its lack of style?
That's right — my favorite chair is my second-hand double papasan chair. This is the first thing I ever bought from an online listing, back before I really even knew what Craigslist was. It was the autumn of 2000, and I had to get a friend to borrow her parents' station wagon to drive out into the suburbs to pick up this monster chair. At the time, Pier One was no longer selling the double papasan, and I was thrilled to find this one for only $50 despite its grubby cushion and the gnaw marks on the frame from the owner's untrained puppy.
Eleven years later, I'm still in love with this chair. My mom has since recovered the cushion, and I've used a little superglue on some of the peeling rattan, but neither of those cosmetic changes can really disguise the fact that this is simply not an attractive chair. It is too big and too awkward for most rooms, and has to be placed against a wall or in a corner in order not to overwhelm a space. Somehow though, when I curl up in that chair with a good book, I forget about how awkward it is, how ugly it is, and just concentrate on how darn comfortable it is for reading and relaxing. And so it travels with me, five homes in four countries over the last eleven years, and still I just can't imagine living without it.
I would love to hear from any readers who have a similar story of a piece that doesn't match, a piece that shouldn't work, a piece that is somehow just perfect despite its flaws. Share your tale in the comments below!
edited to add:
For those who asked, the bookcases are Drexel Heritage and they came with the house (my IKEA Billy bookcases are all in storage back in the US). The room is rather bare because I took this photo right after unpacking the book boxes- there is more stuff in there now. The rug is a handmade Mahi Tabriz that I bought in Kuwait and I love it as much as I love the chair!
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as a rattan lover..i see nothing wrong with the chair
That's only because you haven't discovered Togo yet.
I inherited an unusual barrel back wing chair from my mother. It has sentimental value because I think it came from my grandmother's thrift store.
It is probably from the turn of the century. But it is surprisingly comfortable. Low to the ground. Room to curl up. Upholstery absolutely in tatters. It's great!
Funny story - my piece I can't get rid of is a papasan as well! I bought it in 8th grade and cannot bring myself to get rid of it. It is comfy and it means a lot to me as my first "buy". I too have recovered the cushion.
It currently lives in my bedroom as my "catchall" chair. It holds any outfit I decide not to wear - until laundry day when I clean it off.
Haha! I have the same problem except mine is a single. I got it for $13 at a yard sale two blocks down. The biggest problem with it is I end up using it as a "catchall" chair, like user audacious mentioned in his/her comment.
Mine was my black puffy leather sectional. So huge & puffy, not the clean lined modern asthetic I usually thrive on.
But, man that was (still is) the most comfortable couch ever, you could easily sit on it for hours. Sadly, one piece fell off the back of a truck during the last move.
I also had this little green and white shelf that my mom gave me when I was in elementary school (my sister had the same one but pink). That shelf stayed with me for 30 years to college, rentals, my condo, my house, resided on three different islands. My ex husband spray painted it black and used it as a landing strip in the garage. He got the shelf in the divorce :-)
Ok, I'll admit my dark secret. When I walk by Bass Pro Shops in the mall, in sneak into their furniture section and sit in what is arguably the ugliest chair on Earth, but the most comfortable. I try to imagine a way that a bulbous puffalump of a chair that has leaping deer on the flannel-ish fabric could work in my living room. Failing that, I sadly walk away from a supremely comfortable chair.
I have the opposite problem. I love the lines of my sofa and chair, but they are not comfortable. I bought both pieces about 6 years ago and don't seem to be showing signs of wearing out (at least to the point where I can justify replacing them). Most pieces can be made to look better, but it is tough to improve comfort.
On a side note, I love, love your bookcases! Where did you find them?
I had a giant - I mean like 108" long - day-glo orange velour sofa I bought from a second hand store for my first apartment. It was arguably the ugliest sofa in the world but my god, a nap on that thing was the stuff legends are made of. When I made the trek from Florida to Connecticut, I had to part with it. I still dream about it.
These rattan chairs look fabalus painted ! Nice bright color, spiffy new printed (?) fabric ? Or perhaps a large sheepskin from Costco thrown over, quite affordable, with a black or grey or silver or bronze metallic frame ? Feel the love !
I miss my old double papasan! Such a cozy pod for curling up and reading in. My current less than gorgeous, but nevertheless wonderful chair is my Lafuma Mellow padded zero-gravity recliner. Heavenly.
it's actually bohemian cool. it's the bookcases that don't work. try something more industrial and then a noguchi type of lamp and you are good to go on style...
My parents bought a sofa and two lounge chairs in a "lovely" pattern of bottle green and orange. Their house interiors are now mushroom so the colours just do not go together at all.
But... 1 family, many guests, 30+ years later, they are still in great condition and that sofa is still so easy to fall asleep on.
I have a hand me down floral chair and a half - very mid 90s. It was a gift from my cousin when he moved out of town.
It doesn't fit my home at all - with it's green and pink floral and rolled arms. However, it is so, so comfy and I just can't see letting it go.
Those are so comfortable! We had tons of single ones in my house growing up. I think they're quite attractive, actually, depending on the fabric!
I have never, ever liked papasan chairs. I find them awkward and uncomfortable.
I don't think you have to worry about that chair as much as those bookcases and/or rug
I love my papasan chair! Although I gave it to my sister since I didn't move it cross-country with me, it's back at our parents place and unused again now. Regardless of it's specific fate, I do one day want a sunroom or covered patio with a papasan of some sort, I think it would look lovely in a more casual semi-outdoor area.
I guessed Poang before i clicked threw.
I once fell asleep in the Pier 1 window display in a papasan.
oh man papasans! so comfy (albeit a bit noisy due to the rattan) makes me think of my college friends and fighting over who got to sit in the papasan!
I had a beanbag chair I dragged to a couple apt in college that was incredibly comfy. It finally split open spilling its 'beans' and that was that.
my old high school desk that i covered in band stickers! as a desk, it's just fine...but i can't seem to part with all those stickers even though none of them are cool (or even around) anymore, not even in a geeky nostalgic way. it's such an eyesore, but i'm not ready to let that part of me go just yet!
Remember the father's, Martin Crain's, chair on "Fraiser"? I even found the dialog of that episode online:
Frasier: So what do you think with what I've done with the place, You know, every item here was carefully selected. The lamp by Corbu, this chair by Eames, and this couch is an exact replica of the one Coco Chanel had in her Paris atelier.
Martin: Nothing matches.
Frasier: Well, it's a style of decorating - it's called eclectic. The theory behind it is, if you have really fine pieces of furniture, it doesn't matter if they match - they will go together.
Martin: It's your money [Doorbell rings]
Frasier: Dad, what do you think of that view - that's the Space Needle over there
Martin: Thanks for pointing that out - being born and raised here, I never would have known.
Deliveryman: Delivery for Martin Crane
Martin: In here.
Deliveryman: Coming through.
Frasier: Excuse me, excuse me. Wait a minute!
Deliveryman: Where do you want it?
Martin: Where's the TV?
Niles: It's in that credenza.
Martin: Point it at that thing.
Deliveryman: What about this chair?
Niles: Here. Let me get it out of your way.
Frasier: Niles, be careful with that - it's a Wassily. Dad, as dear as I'm sure this chair is to you, I just don't think it goes with anything here.
Martin: I know - it's eclectic!
@mschatelaine... that is the most winning comment ever.
I was given a bright gold, crushed-velvet chair and matching ottoman which someone left behind, that reclined easily to almost flat.
I also left it behind when I moved, along with other furniture and have missed it every day for ten years!
I wonder if the person before me missed it too.
.
HAHAHA i JUST bought my girfriend a Papasan. She loves it.
HA! I was going to guess the Poang chair! To be honest, I love the Papasan chairs, perfect for snuggling up and reading a book!
I LOVE my papasan chairs! I've got two single ones, and the are so comfy that I do not care whether or not they suit the apartment's style.
My husband is the one with ugly furniture attachment. He refuses to get rid of his terrible nightstand, as it has been next to his bed since childhood. Imagine a two drawer, off white melamine thing with grey handles, and you probably know exactly what I am talking about.
I have a huge desk chair I bought at Ikea in the early 90s. I've dragged it from France to Senegal to Ghana to Cameroon and now back to Ghana, including one or several moves within each country. I'm 6ft2 and back in the early 90s it was extremely difficult to find appropriate seats for tall people. This one is incredibly comfortable, even though the leather has suffered a lot with the temperature, humidity, sand dust and salty breeze (and a dozen moves). I can sit in it for 10+ hours a day without pains, and have had a few naps in it too. That's how comfortable it is! I bought office chairs since, but none was good enough and I still use this one daily.
I love my great grandmother's painted cane sitting chair. It's a simple wood design, flared slightly at front of the seat where the knee bends to accommodate the flow of the long, full skirts of the 1890's.
My great grandmother painted it ebony with red and yellow and blue flowers. It's lovely (my husband hates it!), sitting in the basement, waiting to be recaned (right after we have the carpenter ants removed and the fascia boards replaced and painted...you know the drill.
to hell with comfort an old eames recliner would look much nicer in this space! perhaps my dislike of your BFF stems from the fact that mine would always tip over and eject me indicating that the dislike may be mutual!!
Oooooo. I wasn't expecting anything THAT bad. Ouch. :) :)
I don't think the chair's the problem -- I think it's the rug. Get rid of the rug and move the chair out into the space a bit?
Yes, the bookcases! I love them. Where did you get them?
I love papasan chairs! They are so inviting and comfy! I finally got mine last year... It's a rocker version (rockasan) and just lovely and oh-so-comfy! I got a cushion in dark teal and have throw pillows in lime green, and purple to contrast (and for snuggling into when reading). It does NOT look dated or weird. These chairs can absolutely look fresh and funky with the right color combos.
Go look for the different fabrics the cushions come in, and don't rule out making a slipcover if you have a fabric you love!
oh, and pier1 has double cushions on clearance for under $50 right now... brand new, but not much choice in the colors.
hmmm... while I wouldn't call it ugly (just ubiquitous), I did drag around an Ikea Poang chair, with footstool, through four apartments over ten years. The screws tended to get a bit loose, though were easily tightened, and it was mighty comfortable. It was the only furniture I could sleep in (beds included), before and immediately after rotator cuff surgery. I guess it kept my shoulder at just the right angle for comfort. Still, it was pretty darned big in our small space, and my 6'3" husband couldn't sit in in comfortably, so I replaced it with a used Siesta chair -- of which I think the Poang is a knock-off, anyway.
yeah! I KNEW it was a papasan chair. lol
Here's the thing. There's style, and there's character.
I love a highly styled room, but the ones that look 'real' - lived in, loved - have some sort of character.
Hey, if you really love it, and I mean LOVE IT, why not design the room around the chair? Betcha could make it work. I kinda did that around my card catalog - most of my furniture is pretty traditional but this thing is a little more modern and I somehow made it fly.
ah, the good ole' pier one days, next to the papasans, were that butterfly chairs, The REAL ones.
The chair may be the least of your problems - rug=ouch!
There is something to be said for comfort. At least the double cushion makes it an unusual one. Maybe if you brought in some more stuff to make the chair less of a focus in the room (curtains, bright throw and/or pillow, coffee and/or side table), you wouldn't feel like sweating it so much. As it stands, it seems like the rug, bookcases, and chair are having trouble feeling like a complete look; it's like the details are all missing and so the chair has to try too hard to be somebody here. :)
@fledgling
First thing I thought of too!Wish he was a commentator here.
I'm not going to put down your popasan.I have the Pier's director chair in my kitchen.
Used and retro.I'd have thought it would be a big hit here.
Yeah,I know....eclectic has 'rules'.
So funny. I bought a papasan for my patio last summer mostly as an "occasional" or decorative chair but we never used it because the mosquitoes got so bad. Since then we have screened in the patio and we are all obsessed with it. It is SO comfortable, and nothing beats curling up in it for a nap with the sound of the wind in the trees and a lawn mower humming in the distance...
Ha! Fantastic post!
I gave away the Most Comfortable Couch in the World (to my great cousin) because it was big and awkward and we wanted to buy something that "fit our new space" as we moved cross country.
Oh, how I miss my couch! I love you, long lost couch.
hahaha! ew.
but oh so comfy- i'm drawn to them at other people's houses
LOL... I totally have on of those in my home! Try to find it... I dare you!
When I saw this post, I immediately thought of my La-Z-Boy rocker/recliner. It's big and puffy and definitely a grandma-grandpa chair, but it's pretty much a rocking CLOUD! It's the kind of rocking chair that's easy to fall asleep in. I can't ever see getting rid of it. :)
I agree with dkeastbay - it's the bookcases that don't work. I actually like the rattan papasan and it's lack of trendiness works in it's favor! Furniture should be functional (couch's function is to be a comfortable place to sit and lounge) and not for show.
And I'm sorry to say I'm not fond of the rug either, the couch is the BEST part of this room by far!
We have those same bookshelves and all the matching furniture that comes with it, our husbands must be in the same line of work. My biggest design challenge is the dinning room table and chairs. Your rug is beautiful.
I have a papasan chair in storage because I couldn't get over how it didn't match my other furniture! It's the most comfortable chair I own! You (and the other comments on this post) have inspired me to put it in my sun room and bask in it's comfort and not worry so much about the matching :)
I love the papasan too!! Yet I still don't own one cuz I got too much furniture and not enough space, but I'm excited to pair it with my grandmother's wingback. It's all just matching colors right??
I love everyone's comments about their favorite uglies! Papasans are great - apparently my parents used to put me down to sleep in one (tilted up to lay flat) before they had a crib! Horror of horrors, right? But hey, I'm still here! ;)
I have this really fabulous looking vintage orange chair. It is made of material that feels like a carpet bag and has a black L frame. I have never seen anything like it, but it just sits in our limbo room waiting to find a resting place where it doesn't damage toes due to its obtrusive build.
Thanks for the great tips. I'd never heard of a double papasan chair, and never sat in a standard papasan chair because they look very uncomfortable. I love comfortable seating, and now look forward to trying out papasan chairs.
I have never liked papasans either; I just don't find them comfortable. But I can't live without a recliner; the one I have now is not a super-puffy hideous beast, but neither is it going to win any design awards. But it is excessively comfortable!
I have no shame admitting that I myself covet a papasan chair a great deal. They are so bohemian and comfortable. I cannot for the life of me understand why people don't like these, or buy them and then never use them. My dog, cat and I would have to fight over it if we had one.
I have a guilty chair too, I paid $15 for it at a yardsale in college, it's a 48" round footstool with a low crescent back, and I fight with my husband and 2 dogs over it. It's also strategically the closest piece of furniture to the TV, and the most comfortable in my entire livingroom, and perfect for a 2 person or 1 person and 1 canine snuggle session. It would be stylish if I could part with it long enough to have it recovered, but no, I cant face weeks on my rock-hard IKEA leather sofa and I dont think the dogs could either.
So it stays under a tapestry, hidden, awaiting the next popcorn & remote night event. Tonight!
I had a friend recently call me and ask "is it okay for me to put a papasan chair in my livingroom?" and my answer was "no." They are unattractive AND can be dangerous. I toppled over in mine as a child way too many times. You might as well buy a white wicker bedroom set and call it a day.
HAHAHA a wicker bedroom set @highondesign
These papasans really are SO HIDEOUS. I know they're comfortable, but couldn't something be done to tart up their appearance? Maybe a box on the bottom that could also be used as storage? Make it look like a day-bed and a papasan made wild passionate love?
Mine is the same Ikea double papasan. I'm sitting in it right now! It's too big, it doesn't match a thing, and it really doesn't fit properly in any space, but it's so comfortable.
I have to ask, though, since there are so many papasan owners here. How do you all keep the cushion from sliding down in the base of the chair? Perhaps it's just me, but the cushion on my papasans (and particularly the double one, since it's so large) never seems to stay put in the base and has to constantly be reshifted when it's in use.
Snooty, snooty, snooty! I can't believe the pretension I occasionally read on here from commentators. The bookcases look respectable and solid, while the rug is subdued...I'd love to be a fly on the wall in some of your more critical reader's "high style" homes.
Papasan chair-not my pick for comfort, but then again I'm sitting on an orange sectional from 1964.
Let me tell you a sad story. My father had one of those chairs. Big leather monster, but soooo comfortable, and indestructible. My parents listened to the little interior designer voice in their heads that said it had to go, and regret it still.
Keep it, love it, and it's really not that ugly. It's quirky!
My husband has a La-Z-Boy recliner. Puffy, huge, it looks like the Michelin man is sitting in the middle of our living room.
I love papasans and I want one. I think they look a heck of a lot better than half the stuff posted on design blogs.
Enjoy the quirks of the furniture that you love; it's FAR more important than being "in fashion."
I don't follow AT for the high fashion homes; I follow for the minimal homes and the ones that look lived in and loved. When the two meet...heaven!
I have a dining table and chairs that have been passed down from my great-grandmother. One might think, "Vintage! How great!" ...but it's just not pretty. It's traditional styling in the middle of my minimalist modern apartment but it has way too much sentimental value to ever part with it and I'm kind of in love with all its stains and scratches that show it's been well-loved over the generations.
That chair although not great looking could look just fine with the right type of things around it. I would switch to a different color other than brown.
We have a "barrel" table made from an old barrel and plywood. My husband's father made it and he is no longer with us. It is hideous and will never be banished to any unsafe location. We took it when we had to evacuate for a hurricane! And people are so negative! If one doesn't like a rug or bookshelves then do not put it in the house!
We have a few of these on our decking and they are damn comfy
We have tried a few things and painting the rattan white or black with a modern colour or pattern cussion really makes it blend it quite nicely.
You can also try wrapping rope or strips of material around the base to give it a new look as well.
That's what it's all about, surely. Finding space for the things you love and using your furniture, your way.
I have a La-Z-Boy recliner. Frasier's Dad was right. Comfort with a capital C. I at least chose a nice corduroy, similar to the color of your chair.
Absolutely, @trudyjh! There's nothing like an old La-Z-Boy.
it looks just nice...should keep it the way it is. or perhaps give it a repaint job - turn it into black.
I really enjoyed this discussion. Everyone does have their thing. Love the Frasier "eclectic" reference. I would have guessed puffy La-Z-Boy or maybe even Poang. Papasan chairs seem very college-girl-dorm-room to me and I've never wanted one. But I realized I've never tried sitting in one. If they really are so comfortable, I could see putting one in a sunroom or screened porch.
Not everyone can afford the price tag that usually comes with high style + comfort. So, do what works for you!