Seating for One?
It's easy enough to find a hip-looking sofa for a song. Cheapie furniture retailers, including IKEA and CB2, offer plenty of stylized options for couches. But those same stores — and most others, we've discovered — neglect to offer as varied a selection of cool occasional chairs. You know, the seat-for-one that sits neatly beside your comfy, oversized sofa.
With this in mind, we set out to unearth a few good living room chairs. The rules? Each chair must be both fashion-savvy and budget-friendly (under $500.) What we discovered was that while pickings in the price range were slim (you will be shopping some dowdy retailers if you want something new), there were enough steals to ensure our dream decor is still within reach. Even if we're forced to curb our fashion habit to make them a reality.
SWINGIN' SIXTIES: Urban Outfitters' Lulu chair, $425
Until a few months ago, it was Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters' more expensive big sister, that carried the great furniture. UO, meanwhile, offered bean bags and other hash-den faves. But the tables have turned, and Anthropologie's seating selection has dwindled to just a few fold-out chairs. Urban, meanwhile, has pumped up its decor offerings, which now feature a handful of uber-cool occasional chairs for (just) under $500.
There are Modernist armchairs in printed floral and toile-inspired fabrics, a Sixties upholstered rocker that would be beatiful in one of those old, musty Echo Park hills houses and a pair of armless sway-back chairs covered in gorgeous Ikat-print slipcovers. The bulk of the company's furniture selection is available online-only, so no need to pop into any of the local stores. Scared to buy big-ticket items on the web? Request a swatch of fabric from the company before pulling the trigger.
FLORAL FUN: Target's Gerber upholstered chair, $245.18
When I think of Target armchairs, I think of those budget-looking "club" chairs swathed in second-class leather. And yes, the mass retailer still carries those eyesores. But it also stocks a few fabric-upholstered chairs that would nicely accent some very stylish spaces.
And the prices are unbeatable. There are both armless and arm-intact Modern-style fabric-covered chairs for under $200, and even a few Classical upholstered seats swathed in retro-feeling printed fabrics. My favorite: a tawny-hued tall-backed chair that resembles my grandpa's favorite old chair from the 1950s, priced at a mere $329.
PRETTY PERCH: JCPenney's Garrett wing chair, $299.