Most Curated is a monthly series in which one editor, team member or friend of Livingetc will share the top 12 items on their current wish list.
There's power in an accent chair. Where you may want to play it safe with your sofa - choosing something that's timelessly stylish, comfortable and able to shift, chameleon-like, from decorating scheme to decorating scheme - accent chairs offer an opportunity to direct your space's interior style and introduce a focal piece to your scheme.
However, the real excitement comes when you've got enough space for two (or more!) accent chairs alongside your couch. No, we're not doing matching sets in 2024 — instead, we're seeing designers choose chair pairings that contrast and complement, clash and feel cohesive all at once. The best accent chair combinations feel connected, while each delivering something completely different to your living room.
It's something that's hard to pin down — an intangible talent for combining shape, color and material that delivers on that je ne sais quoi. So how do you approach mismatched accent chairs in a living room? We asked designers for their advice.
How to choose mismatched chairs in a living room
While you may be drawn to designs individually, it's worth considering mismatched accent chairs in a living room as a holistic exercise. That is, each piece you choose should have some relationship to the others in your arrangement. This is how you make these pairings feel intentional, not randomized.
For interior designer Cathie Hong, conceptualizing a seating arrangement starts with the couch. 'First, I think the most important piece is the sofa to meet the functional requirements of the room,' Cathie tells us. 'From there, I try to add in interesting pieces in different silhouettes, textiles, finishes and sizes, to create a collected and balanced look.'
For Cathie, this extends to the likes of accent chairs and stools, but also needs to extend to the wider living room landscape, as she found in the design of her own home.
'For our house, we needed a comfortable and large living room sectional for my kids (and us!) to watch tv, and a coffee table for my girls to draw (they are always drawing!),' Cathie says. 'I wanted to build in vintage mid-century pieces, so we sourced this coffee table from MidcenturyLA in Los Angeles. There are so many unique and boutique furniture makers out there that I wanted to showcase some of my favorites in my living room: the Elaine Chair from local The Long Confidence, the Stitch Stool from NY-based Eny Lee Parker, and case pieces by LA-based Faithful Roots.'
'I also wanted an oversized lamp to balance the size of this room, so we added a Knit-Wit Lamp by Made by Hand CPH, sourced through A+R in LA,' she adds. 'And last but certainly not least, an oversized plush rug to cushion my kids from the concrete slab floors from one of my favorite and ethically made Australia-based Armadillo Rugs.'
These details create an overall backdrop for your accent chairs, but with so many styles available, finding combinations that sit together well, while still capturing that 'mismatched' essence is a whole other story.
For Brit Epperson, founder and chief creative of Studio Plow, it's a case of looking for similarities, as well as differences, that can help ground mismatched accent chairs into a living room scheme. 'Find a common thread (or threads) and pull them through the collection for perfectly organized chaos,' Brit tells us.
For applying this idea practically, let's break it down by characteristic. By finding the similarities in certain aspects of your accent chair choice, you can then experiment with other elements while keeping things cohesive.
- Color — if color is the "thread" that keeps your mismatched accent chairs feeling like natural mates, it doesn't mean your chairs have to be the same color, but think about how your seating color scheme relates to each other. Tonal shades shared between the accent chairs and the couch are an easy way to make your choices hang together. And even if you're choosing color as your way to mismatch chairs, still think about a complementary palette. If you've got a green sofa, for example, look for good examples of colors that go with green to inform your choices.
- Material — A good mix of textiles is the secret to adding depth to your interiors scheme, but when it comes to cohesiveness, make sure your fabrics are telling the same story. If your style feels a little bit more modern and minimalist, a linen and boucle may feel appropriate, whereas if you like things a bit bolder and more maximalist, maybe velvet and leather feels right. That contrast between linen and velvet, however? That can sometimes feel a little forced. Look out for small details like metals and woods that can also help tie pieces together.
- Shape — Shape is one of the most fun places to mix things up when it comes to mismatched accent chairs in living rooms. This is where this seating arrangement can really shine. Our suggestion? Choose one accent chair that feels a little more solid and substantial, and another which has a lighter presence, even a stool in some instances. It's an easy start to shop for chairs that will work well together in a space.
- Style — The era of design your chair brings to mind can also help to ground different-looking pieces together. It's likely, after all, that these pieces are drawing on a shared design language (even if you can't quite identify what that is) if you keep your choices to within a certain period of inspiration. Whether classic mid-century, super modern, or drawing on a contemporary design trend, it's an easy way to ensure chairs suit each other even if they're different colors and shapes.
15 accent chairs to mix and match
Price: $163.99
Material: Polyester
White boucle may feel like it's had its day, but a colorful take on it is still proving popular. This budget-friendly rust chair is perfect for smaller spaces thanks to its no-arm design.
Price: $107.99
Material: Polyester boucle, metal
With its open, metal legs, this boucle accent chair adds a light touch to a seating scheme, meaning you can choose something a little bit more plush for its pair.
Price: $320
Material: Polyester
This comfortable tub chair brings an organic, modern quality to your living room. Designed by interior designer Shea McGee, it's got an effortless style to it.
Price: $349
Material: Velvet
This Urban Outfitters armchair channels the interior design trend for chunky, bulbous furniture, but in a way that won't overpower your space.
Price: $350
Material: Canvas, beech wood
For something a little different, this director's chair can be a great addition to living room seating, especially if you want something you can store away when not in use.
Price: $459.99
Material: Velvet, metal
Bringing some wow factor to your room, this velvet accent chair pairs a controversial color scheme that you may be able to use to inform the rest of your seating choices.
Price: $471
Material: Polyester, wood
Curves, light timber and beige upholstery, this accent chair feels very of the moment. Use in a scheme with a modern organic twist.
Price: $599
Material: Faux shearling, iron
Shearling is a great way to introduce a bold texture to your space, and works as an accent paired with all kinds of other kinds of textiles.
Price: $650
Material: Mango wood
When it comes to making a statement with shape, you can't ask for much more than this Banana Republic Home chair. It may not be the ultimate lounging chair, but it can really build out a seating arrangement.
Price: $796
Material: Velvet
A velvet accent chair with a modern silhouette, this design would be a clever way to bring a bit of luxe to a contemporary space.
