Information About Occasional Chairs

This modern occasional chair accents a bedroom.

An occasional chair is an investment piece for your home. Choose your occasional chair based on how you will use the chair and also on the overall style of your home and the style of the room in which the chair will sit. Consider whether the chair will simply be a decor piece and extra seating for guests or a favorite reading chair before making your final decision.

Usage

Occasional chairs are used in living rooms, family rooms and bedrooms for the practical reason of creating additional seating space and also as decor. An occasional chair can add to the overall style, tone or theme of a room. Use them sparingly; an occasional chair complements the tone of the space and does not overwhelm it. Think form meets function when using an occasional chair.

Style

Occasional chairs come in a very wide variety of colors, fabrics and styles. A traditional, also known as classic, occasional chair typically comes in a soft fabric or darker leather. It has a firm, almost rigid shape. A modern occasional chair has a square shape and may have a very deep seat or a very narrow seat. Modern occasional chairs come in patterned fabric, like funky stripes and dots, as well as bright pops of white, charcoal and assorted bright colors.

Care and Maintenance

How you care for your occasional chair depends on the fabric on the chair and what kind of materials the chair legs are made of; read the guide that comes with your chair and follow the care instructions accordingly. However, perhaps you do not have the care guide because you purchased your occasional chair secondhand or inherited it from a friend. Clean leather and upholstery chairs with a cloth dampened in warm, soapy water then buff it dry. Protect leather chairs by using leather softener. Scrub plastic chair legs like you would any plastic surface. Stainless steel can be cleaned with soft cloth and water but give it a proper shine with window cleaner. Window cleaner also keeps finger prints at bay on stainless-steel furniture parts.

Accessories

Add throw pillows or even a throw blanket to dress up your occasional chair. If your chair is a solid fabric, incorporate patterned pillows. Of course, you can always add solid color pillows for classic look. Work with an assortment of materials by adding rich fabrics to a plain chair or simple cottons to a velvet, leather or tartan chair.

References

• Elle Decor; Modern Occasional Chairs; Helen Yun