How to Buy an Armchair

What could be more pleasurable than sitting in a comfortable armchair and reading or chatting with a friend? There are many choices on the market today; use these tips to help you pick out the perfect armchair for your home.

Tips on buying an armchair

1. Start with a budget. Know before you begin shopping how much you want to spend. This will save you time and effort by eliminating the armchairs that are either below or above your budget parameters.

2. Know where the armchair is going to sit in your home. Once you situate a new armchair in a room, the likelihood of it being moved is slim. Armchairs are big, often bulky and usually heavy, so there is not much call for moving them around every few days. Decide where your armchair will go and how much space you have for it. This is especially important if you plan on buying an armchair with a matching ottoman for your feet.

3. Keep a mental picture in your head of the current design and décor of the room where you plan to place the armchair. Better yet, take a photograph or two of the room along with you. This will help you pick out an armchair that will go with the style of furniture you already own. It will also be helpful in choosing fabric that matches your current style.

4. When picking an armchair, you will be faced with two basic choices—either you can go with a more formal style, which means there will likely be less padding and more exposed wood. An overstuffed armchair, on the other hand, is likely to have big upholstered arms and thick cushions. You will need to decide which kind of armchair fits your personality. Think about which you will enjoy more. Do you want a more formal chair, one that commands attention? Or would you prefer an armchair in which you can sink at the end of the day, one that is soft and comforting?

5. You will also need to decide whether you want an armchair with an ottoman, or footrest. Many armchairs come with ottomans, which are great for putting you feet up and relaxing. The question is whether you have enough room for an ottoman and whether your style of decoration is casual enough to allow people to put their feet up. If you are putting the armchair in a formal sitting room, you may opt not to have a footrest.

6. Finally, pick a fabric for your armchair. Again, your choice will depend on your overall aesthetic and the current style of the room in which the armchair will be situated. You may pick a floral pattern, a plaid, a solid or any other kind of color scheme. You may also pick a fine cotton fabric or something that can take a lot of wear-and-tear, such as brushed corduroy. You may even want leather upholstery or a wicker frame. The choices are almost endless.

Caution

Try to be at home when your armchair is delivered. Not only do you need to make sure that the chair arrives in good condition and with the upholstery you ordered, but you also want the delivery men to place the chair in its new spot for you.

Where to buy an armchair

Browse the selection of armchairs at these fine online retailers—

Home Decorators offers many styles of unique and stylish armchairs.

Find traditional and unusual styles of armchairs at Ikea.

Home Visions serves up page after page of deluxe and comfy armchairs.