Statement chairs are like the tragus piercings of home decor: unique and horny when done right, and forgettable and uncomfortable when done wrong. We know, we know—finding a comfy couch often takes precedence when you’re fleshing out a living room, and that’s understandable; your sofa will anchor the entire space, and set the tone for your color scheme and design aesthetic. But don’t underestimate the power of a great statement chair, which can become the jewel in your living room’s crown like only a vintage Le Corbusier slingback can.
Every bro deserves a bouclé swivel chair throne, and every host should have the option of sipping their icy martini from a 80s-inspired velvet chair. If you live in a small space, finding an XXL statement chair with some bells and whistles (think, pockets on pockets for you iPad and books) can save you from the fate of trying to squeeze in a couch and a statement chair, when you can just concentrate on investing all your hard-earned clams on a plush, scratch-proof chair that’s big enough for two.
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We’ve run the gamut of design aesthetics over the years, from scorned Victorian vampire to full-blown Japandi jabroni (our current avatar), which is why we’ve given you a wealth of design options from various eras and designers to choose from. Whether you’re a MCM simp or looking for the more affordable cousin of your favorite West Elm pieces, we’ve got a chair for you.
The best affordable statement chair
You don’t have to drop all of your hard-earned coins to get a big ass, comfy chair that can hold its own with the rest of your mid-century modern furniture. The fabric on this 1950s-esque Christopher Knight chair has an impressive, tufted waffle stitching that will make your buds think it’s old school MCM—peep those Googie birch wood legs—and it’s that attention to detail that makes it such a solid best-seller on Amazon; the chair has earned a 4.6-star average rating from over 1,200 reviews on the site, where fans praise how well-packaged and easy to assemble it is.
Evelyn Mid-century Modern Arm Chair (opens in a new window)
A statement chair your cat can’t scratch
… Or anyone else, for that matter. Interior Define’s couches and chairs are famously pet-resistant and scratch-proof thanks to its broad range of durable materials, such as this marigold performance velvet. With its deeply set seat and wide back, this golden statement chair—which is really more like a chair-and-a-half, or a micro-couch—is the kind of furniture staple that really goes the extra mile in a small apartment. “[it offers] perfect support and comfort, plus room for my 80 lb pup, Higgins!” one reviewer writes. “[It has a ] beautiful color that coordinates with my vintage sofa [and] is a joy to lounge in.”
Maxwell Accent Chair (opens in a new window)
If your aesthetic is a little more 1980s Cocaine Decor, we give you the Floria velvet chair from Urban Outfitters. Take your pick from the four versatile colorways (mossy green, lavender, gold, and terracotta), and then get ready to ascend your scratch-proof velvet throne like Sharon Stone.
Floria Velvet Chair (opens in a new window)
Bouclé is the it-fabric RN
Damn. Bouclé sure is a cool way to say, “a fabric that’s as comfortable as sitting on a bunch of plushies from your childhood,” because the material is the same kind of teddy bear fabric that feels so irresistibly soft to the touch (and hides snags like a pro). It’s a staple fabric amongst designers such as Axel Vervoordt, who famously designed Kim and Kanye’s all-white home years ago, and the perfect material for blending in with both contemporary and vintage decor. West Elm’s bouclé chair is a best-selling swivel seat, but Amazon also carries one for a fraction of the price.
This Hans Wegner dupe
A living room filled with all-fabric furniture can risk feeling a little grandma-y, but adding a wood lounger into the mix can do wonders for balancing out the vibe. The Rosie chair by Foundstone is a wildly affordable Hans Wegner dupe, and it’s just begging for one of West Elm’s faux chinchilla fur throws. It’s earned a 4.6-star average rating on the site, where fans say it looks way more expensive than it actually is; “This is such a rich looking chair,” one reviewer writes, “The leather and the wood are beautiful, very high quality.”
Rosie Wide (opens in a new window)
A Togo sofa seat
You’ve probably seen Togo sofas popping up more and more on your Instagram feed in the past few years with the resurgence of 70s style. Michel Ducaroy’s iconic couch is famous for mastering the nonchalant, Paris-with-a-cigarette-in-1978 energy we aspire to bring into our homes. We’ve penned an extensive guide about where to cop the cult-fave sofa for less, but Amazon is hands-down one of the best places on the list to find couches and chairs inspired by the designer’s wares. Plus, there’s literally no assembly for this hot lump—just roll it out of the box, and curl-up on it for movie time.
This $96 version of a best-selling West Elm chair
The Auburn is one of West Elm’s best-selling statement chairs, because it has a little more cushion for the pushin’ with its slightly extended seat. So when we saw this dopplegänger with an under a hundo price tag, we were smitten.
The best recliner statement chair
Why is it so hard to find reclining chairs that aren’t fugly? This highly-rated Wade Logan chair gives you the ability to slide back and put your feet up without compromising on your mid-century modern design aesthetic. Scoop it while it’s 23% off.
Alexiane Recliner (opens in a new window)
It’s corn!
A big lump with knobs. It has the juice. We’ve never seen such a beautiful thing as this novelty statement stool, which has only further entrenched the TikTok-viral corn song even deeper into our hearts, and made our mid-western aunties proud.
Peep vintage and used furniture sites
Where else do you think we found this eagle-shaped fainting couch? We’ve written a guide to navigating the best vintage and used furniture sites, which includes Etsy, Kaiyo, 1stDibs, Chairish, and other marketplaces giving the people what they want and deserve: painstaking curation, quality furniture, and the thrill of the hunt. Where else are you going to find a museum quality Le Corbusier chair for under a grand?
Next up? Statement chairs for our sex dungeon spare room.
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.
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