There is no mention of scale, that is what is the size of the room and specifically the space and size of the chair. Finally, comfort and color. The room has to welcome and be usable.
How about the Storesele rattan chair from Ikea for $150. So weirdly comfortable and widely featured in style magazines. I love mine. Spending thousands on furniture is insane.
8
I am surprised this article did not include more information about the construction of various chairs and the respective considerations for the purchaser. One example: height of arms, legs, seat, and back have huge visual implications for how an armchair relates to other furnishing as well as the visual space it consumes. The author and the designers quoted focused primarily on the chair as an aesthetic object as opposed to exploring all of the functional considerations at play, particularly for those of us in smaller spaces for whom one chair may have to perform a variety of roles.
14
It seems you can't purchase a worthwhile chair for less than $1000. Too bad! Guess I'll have to sit on the floor.
10
Ah, when I was younger I had no problem prioritizing chair style over comfort.
Decades later, if it's not comfortable, it's a non-starter. Life is hard enough.
24
I have never had a truly comfortable chair until I tried ( and eventually bought) an Ekorne recliner. Most chairs are made for big, tall or large people and we petite folks have to make do with pillows etc. When I discovered these chairs it was a revelation and I couldn’t get one fast enough. Yes, the $3000. price is shocking but I think that I deserve a comfortable chair. I am thankful I finally found a chair that fits me. Isn’t it really all about comfort rather than a political statement?
3
With one exceptionn, these chairs look remarkably uncomfortable and not terribly attractive either -- and certainly not worth the exorbitant price. You can find airy, flexible and mobile (and comfortable) chairs at Ikea for 10%-15% of the prices of this lot. (And no, I don't have any financial interest in Ikea) And I really like the comment from Vishmael below - look for handcrafted chair from local or Appalachian (or similar) craftsmen and women--support the living artist and crafter!.
11
Another thing to consider is the price.
Paying thousands of dollars for a chair doesn't make you a better person than someone who doesn't pay thousands of dollars for a chair.
Wisdom and compassion will never sit comfy on greed.
8
For $2,590, I want my chair to be a time portal. Paying that much for a chair is ridiculous.
21
"Airiness, flexibility and mobility” may please the eye, and suffice for a brief respite. I want enveloping substance when I curl up to read.
11
Really?! Shouldn't a chair have both form and function? Why spend the money on a chair that is purely decorative? Most of us don't have the luxury or space for a chair that is only one or the other. And not a single one of these looks like they meet both criteria.
16
Remember George Nakashima, Sam Maloof, Art Carpenter..?
Surely, Mr. McKeough, you could slum around the outer boroughs or nearby New England or down into Appalachia to find contemporary shops or solo artists yet working hand-to-craft to produce armchairs of irreplaceable and timeless quality and comfort. Perhaps after such interviews you might offer a more enlightened perspective than this pedestrian commercial commercial.
25
Lots of 'style' and little comfort is the opposite of what is needed in an armchair.
The armchairs shown in the article all seem to be trying too hard as far as design and missing out on the essential element of comfort.
Wooden armrests, for example, do not make for a comfortable armchair.
19
@justamoment - Yeah, but the wide flat rift-cut oaken armrests of my 1910 Craftsman chair rise up in vehement protest, then settle back into position as the most comfortable armrests ever, with ample space there for coffeecup on the right, cat curled asleep on the left.
17
@vishmael
Although I like 2 or 3 of the examples shown for style (especially the safari chair), I have a Morris chair similar to yours and agree with you on the comfort factor.
3
I do not like club-armchairs with tall straight back.
The most comfortable are lower, padded, but not too soft, chairs with wide armrests. In those one can read feeling relaxed. Makes no difference whether they are covered in leather or cloth. As an inveterate cigar smoker I have to watch out, not to burn holes in the covers, as I often do in cotton trousers.
2
I had 2 safari chairs and ottomans just like the ones shown here except without seat cushion, and armrests were canvas not leather. Bought them in my 20's and kept them until my 60's and they were still in good shape with just one change of canvas from orange to navy. Pretty comfortable because the backrest tilts. Mine were not $1200, probably more like $40.
7
@Horace Exactly! The two I bought for my first apartment circa 1974 were about $40.00 each and as well designed as the higher priced spread.
4
Armchairs are meant to be "curled-up-in" - not sat on like office chairs. Therefore, all 3 sides should be plump and body friendly. Oh, and footstools are implicit. These are fashion statements - I won't talk price....!
19
very nice chairs but where are the big opulent kind that the article refers to only fleetingly. Guess they are not favored by the high end readers who can afford those shown here.
8
@james
I agree and no reference here to the wonderful classic Eames with ottoman (670-671) from Herman Miller and several classics from Knoll. As a seasoned interior designer and a chair-lover I say bah humbug NYT!
6