I think this is going to become dated very fast. It was say, Restoration Hardware catalog 2011.

Also, what's with their recent obsession with light-colored linen upholstery? I can't imagine living with it anywhere but the bedroom.

It's delightfully bizarre and in a small home would be overwhelming, but in the living room of an estate? Sure!

Kelly Wearstler has been using different iterations of these domed chairs for years. A quick google search turned up this link with some pictures of Wearstler's designs incorporating domed chairs (also features the RH version):
http://marcusdesigninc.blogspot.com/2010/06/le-dome-chair.html
I rather prefer the saturated colored-versions that Wearstlers uses, compared to the neutral Restoration Hardware version. In any case, I think these chairs certainly transcend Restoration Hardware, and will not look "dated" or "Restoration Hardware catalog 2011" when viewed in posterity. They add instant drama to a space.

i do like the look, but only if the rest of the room doesn't mimic the era or isnt too busy....it could easily become too much.

i agree with the above, this fabric pattern it's doing much for me. i'd like to see it in some of the fabrics of the bolder horchow or anthropologie upholstered pieces.

DC_Mom makes a good point that it will reference the RH catalog and seem dated and inauthentic. That said, I love RH stuff, can't help it. Right now they also have all this aluminum furniture that looks like an Airstream trailer or airplane fuselage. So cool.

I am still trying to find out whether i like this chair or not...still pondering...
I love the linen...it's so relaxing looking yet formal and classy.
I actually ordered one of their linen upholstered bed frames and it's on its way..I will scotchguard it and hopefully it won't stain too much.

Love it. It stuck with me too after I saw it. It's a very solitary chair though. Not designed for a social space.

I think it's hideous and over-the-top and not in a fun way. And, I hate to bring this kooky subject up but...it doesn't look very comfortable or practical. Unlike those modern egg chairs, you can't even curl up in it so what's the roof for?

I don't like it, but not because of the shape, and I do kind of like the inside design, but the out side looks like dried skin that has been nailed on to the surface. Its kind of gross.

I don't know. It's definitely not for my house, but maybe there is a place for it.

I think they are beyond ugly and should only be in some ridiculous medieval castle. Shame on you, Restoration Hardware.

This chair would work in a bedroom corner as well for a nursing mother or just story time for the kids.

Still don't' know if I like it or not but I do like the light and neutral look.

I am so in love with this chair. I think it's fantastic. I just wish I had the right space and the money for it.

The Astor Hotel in New Orleans has several of these. They're smaller than the RH version, and, to my mind, less comfortable.

I personally like them. In the group I was with at the Astor, every single man commented on them.

This is a perfect example of the chair that was built for a purpose. That being keeping the valets (or door men) in manor homes from experience cold air drafts as they waited for visitors to arrive in large entry halls. They were meant to feel closed off and in turn created an intimate closed in space. It is like putting a screen around a seating area to create privacy. If you want something fancy with an enclosed feeling this is the chair for you.

I would like it a lot better if it were in a fun color. This looks too much like a hollowed-out seed pod.

I think it is HOT - like the pilot's chair in a space-flying castle.

(That said, I'd never actually buy it. But do highly appreciate its design.)

I love 'em, but all depends on context. Thank you JY196 for the link to show how great they look in a completely done up space. I also think they'd be fabulous in a deconstructed loft space with exposed beams and ducts -- just like the chair, or in a hyper-minimalist space where the chair is dramatic focal point.

Do they work in traditional suburban homes? probably not.

The first time I saw a Balloon Chair (which is the proper name for these) my family and I were at the old Perry Davis Hotel in Petoskey Michigan in the early 1970's, and I saw a few of these in the lobby covered in Black Mohair with Brass Nailhead trim - They were far more ornate than the one pictured - more like this one from Old Hickory Chair:
http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=cprod10070086&parentId=cat5720731&masterId=cat1290731&index=101&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat1290731cat5720731

So I had to hop up in the seat to try it out - I loved how cozy and enveloping it was, even moreso than a regular Wing Chair.

As far as the comment about them being dated in a few years - That's exactly what people thought about MCM & Danish Modern furniture in the 80's and 90's.

I saw it at RH past weekend. The first thought that came to my mind is that it would be an amazing addition to the office where I could just curl in it with a book.

it is pretty and i hate it.

I thought it could be a cool, private reading chair....and then I sat in it.

Absolutely uncomfortable.

Personally, I like them. I think they can act like an objet d'art in a more modern room., especially depending on how they are upholstered and if the wood is painted. I don't know about the RH version, though. Here's an example from another AT post that I think is more sucessful:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/inspiration/inspiration-adding-spring-color-to-your-home-140907

I also think the chair would look better in a different color. The drab linen and sense of solitary confinement makes it look like Hannibal Lecter's mask.

I love it. I would find a way to hack it and put hidden speakers in the sides. Plus, drape a blanket over it and you've got an instant personal fort. I saw one at an estate sale a few years ago and I still kick myself for not buying it.

I LOVE these chairs. I really like the ones shown in jy196's link, the ones that Kelly is sitting in at the top of the article. What a fun shaped for the dome. I think that the bones of the RH version are perfect, I think it needs a designer's touch with maybe a painted frame and better fabric. The chair is perfect for applying two or more fabrics to for a real impact.

Every time I see this kind of chair it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. I would rather have it in some sort of colour, maybe one colour on the outside, another on the inside? Rose on the inside, blue on the outside? As is it looks like it belongs in a sepia toned photograph. It would be fun in a kids room as a reading chair, especially if the rest of the room played with scale in an "Alice" way.

Beautiful yes, but we like the idea of domed bed headboard - privacy and sultry moods to the maximum, creating a little cave for the night-time.

I love seeing them in hotel lobbies.

I remember an arrangement that was particularly charming..two sets along side a window, each set had two Balloon Chairs facing each other with an occasional table in between. It created a cozy semi private way to meet with another person and look out the window at the same time. They looked lovely lined up along the window. They were in a beautiful black mohair with white stitching.
There is a similar set up at the Gansevoort Park Hotel on Park Ave another nice lobby for meetings, not the Balloon Chair but a high back in a houndstooth.

I love domed chairs but they will only look great in a big mansions or hotel lobbies and not the average homes. Coincidentally, I also did a blog post about it. Check it out at www.mixandchic.com

I don't really care for this chair and its part of the reason I am essentially turned off by Restoration Hardware as a whole. It may look ok in the right space, but for most homes I think not.

I used to love this store, but not so much anymore. Now their catalog sucks the life out of me. Too drab for my taste.

Looks like a doombuggy from the haunted house ride at Disneyland. Don't like. Creepy.

Love it. Want it. Will get it - I hope!

frivolous. steampunk. love.

Creepy. Makes me think of a skeleton/monster reaching up over the back of someone's chair.

@Lawdesigner I think its funny that you see it that way..
I had suggested using one in black fabric for my friend's project and she said no way it reminded her of a tipped up baby stroller for a Rosemary's Baby, Exorcist kind of movie.

I don't know about the comfort of this chair, but I love the sense of solitary space that it gives. I think this would be great for a reading nook or bedroom corner. It's a like a private retreat.

It looks like an empty turtle shell.

The whole sepia-toned Restoration Hardware catalog that this chair was featured in was strange. I was seriously taken aback --- RH has gone steampunk??? Really??? I'm trying to understand what kind of market they are trying to reach/create.

Seriously, that chair is horrid.

Great for doormen, not for me. Unbalanced, topheavy, fussy.

I'm not loving the look.

I've actually sat in a few of these -they can be very cozy! This is a great 'type' of chair/furniture that's wonderful in an awkward corner of a room because when you're in it - it feels like a secluded nook. That's the best way to think about it - a reading/quiet nook that you can move around your house.

However, personally, the RH one was uncomfortable - very little cushioning and it's not to my taste. If I inherited one in leather, I would incorporate it into a room. They are fun if they are comfortable. It wouldn't 'go' with anything I have, but it would be worth it.

A chair that is as ugly as it is uncomfortable. Perfect for the fashionista crowd, ridiculous for the rest of us mere mortals who must use what we place in our homes.

restoration hardware always reminds me of the episode of absolutely fabulous where they tear down eddy's kitchen completely bare and patsy says "this could take a designer years to come up with" it's all to sterile and boring for me.
that said, the restoration hardware version is very uncomfortable. i found a nice vintage one in orange velvet that is super comfortable and i have it as an accent chair in my small living room & i love it.

Creepy. Don't make me sit in it.

Unless it contains a hair dryer-no

I personally think they are terrible. It would be better with bright fabric, then maybe it could pull off being whimsical because of the unusual shape.

No. I want to be able to see the sniper come in as he approaches me from behind.

I'M WITH JY196... ITS BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE NOW. PHILIPPE STARCK HAS USED THEM TOO N HIS HIGHRISE/CLUB PROJECTS AND I HAVE 1 IN GLOSSY BLK UPHOLSTERED IN RALPH LAUREN VELVET CHEETAH IN A MODERN HIGHRISE- ITS DEFINITELY A STATEMENT PIECE. 8-)

If you tire of the "Haunted Mansion" look, you can reupholster in the red to create the "Tilt-A-Whirl" look.

Reminds me of the bug chair on the Other Mother's side in Coraline. Claustrophobic and creepy. Pass, thank you.

Sometimes I drape a blanket or a scarf over the top of my regular wing chair to make a warm little fort. If I had a balloon chair, I would use it all the time. This RH version is horrible, though.

Creepy! It looks it'll just wrap all the way around and trap you...forever! Make it black with red velvet and it could be Elvira's throne.

It's like having your own personal Tilt-A-Whirl cart! Minus the lap bar..and the fun.

I think it's creepy. My friends seem to feel the same way.

i would feel very claustrophobic sitting in one of these chairs, however, they are interesting + dramatic. not sure if i'd ever own one though...

I think this chair would look sweet in the dark gray velvet offered on the Restoration Hardware website. The burlap would be an interesting juxtaposition against the velvet.

I really dig Restoration Hardware's new look- (not that this post was about them) It is a classic European look that has been around for ages- and blends really well with other styles. i think the neutral palette they've created always for a LOT of flexibility when bringing in your own colors.
I've sat in the chair- it is as comfortable as any other wingback. Do you buy wingbacks for style or comfort?

I think it's hideous and ugly and makes me feel as though I'd be sitting in an upright coffin.

not a fan. husband does like them though.

I have this with a palm in my entry, mind you its in red lacquer and red fabric with birds of paradise all over it...its a great visual, and a good place for mail, keys, coats, etc...

Good spot from which to oversee your evil empire. . . or just get a bit of privacy in a hotel lobby.

I absolutely love this. I love neat and comfortable spaces that are private. Maybe its something about making ultimate club houses as a kid. Or finding small study spaces while in college that kept out noise. I ran across a chair like this while in london and I only wish I could have magically (aka free) transported into my living room. I would take this ANY DAY!

I love it. I think it is perfect for book worms.

hi - this chair was actually historically for sitting in front of a fireplace. similar to the high-back wing chair - also for the same purpose of capturing and reflecting heat. looks funny, but very practical back when cost of heating was much higher...

I've seen antique chairs of this sort w/ cane backs - post-colonial vibe. I agree w/ the poster that loves it and feels it is perfect for book worms. As for the RH take on it - don't like it "as is". For $400 more, they'll do the interior in velvet - however, the only colors available are boring Pottery Barn play-it-safe in mushroom browns etc etc. Would love to see it in green or purple velvet.

I would recommend also this chair. http://www.zinhome.com/napoleon-domed-chair/

I bought this chair. It will reside in the 14 x 24 living room of the large log cabin I am just finishing. The living room has three sets of French doors, open beamed ceiling and on the long wall a rough stone fireplace. The logs are quite large, with irregular surfaces, saddle notched corners. The floor is rough sawed pine. I really disliked the look of log cabins that are given the cowboy or adirondack treatment. So I am going to try a more formal look with the domed chair as a starter, and keeping all the materials neutral. I want the focus of the room to be the log walls and rough textured ceiling rafters highlighted by the 12 foot natural stone fireplace. Wish me luck, I am not a decorator.