Chairs are one of those decor items where we mix high and low finds. On the budget side we have our $30 thrift store egg chair…
…our $32 stools from a school-supply site…
…and our $35 secondhand office chairs, just to name a few.
On the higher end (though still reasonable to many) we’ve invested in a few pieces as well: a $230 leather chair from Target that now lives in our office…
…a $199 armchair from Joss & Main tucked into a bedroom corner…
…two $118 Dolce lounge slipper chairs from Target that moved from our first house into the guest room…
…and most recently, a new kitchen chair.
We couldn’t resist free shipping and a sale price of $298 (originally $498) from Joss & Main. It replaced a too-short white Ikea chair that had been shoved into that corner “just for now” after we moved and then stayed there for about a year and a half. The little white chair is fine, just not right for that spot.
From a distance the new chair reads as having clean lines, a tailored silhouette, and subtle tufting on the back cushion.
Here are the practical reasons we chose this chair:
#1. The dark color hides spills and sticky kid fingers much better than the old white chair.
#2. The taller back makes the chair visible from across the room — the short Ikea chair was essentially invisible in the kitchen reveal.
#3. Its rounded, curvy shape looks good not only from the front but also from the sides, which matters since this corner is flanked by two doorways.
#4. The neutral color and clean lines mean it could be moved to another room easily if it didn’t work in the kitchen — playroom, office, or bedroom were all options.
The chair arrived and fit the space perfectly. The dark tone grounds that corner and complements the darker flooring, preventing the kitchen from feeling too washed out among white counters and cabinets. The fabric also closely matches the dark gray on our living room sectional, which creates a nice visual tie between rooms. That fabric has held up well with a kid and a dog, so we’re hopeful it will do the same here. Now we don’t worry when Clara carries Jammy Sammies into the chair — a big relief compared to the old white seat.
The taller back also means the chair is visible above the peninsula, so the corner no longer reads as an empty void from across the room.
This small upgrade improved both form and function in our cozy fireplace zone. The ottoman in front of the chair came from Marshall’s some time ago and has moved with us between houses.
We first tried a white pouf that seems to travel around the house…
…but it was too low. The taller ottoman is much more comfortable — it lifts your feet up high like a recliner, which makes kicking back and reading way more enjoyable. The chair’s back even comes up over my shoulders, so it reads nicely from across the kitchen.
My new favorite ritual is trying to read magazines in the chair and getting interrupted by Clara about a minute in, which usually leads to reading her board books instead. Even so, a cozy chair and a big ottoman make those interruptions a lot more pleasant. I’m convinced a great chair can make many everyday moments better.
This is just the first small update to our fireplace corner. We have a few more tweaks planned for that often-neglected spot and will share them soon. Meanwhile, what’s your chair approach at home — do you mix high and low pieces too? Any recent chair upgrades or makeovers? As for the old white chair, we think it will be perfect in the sunroom with the white daybed once we finally tackle that space.
Psst — check out our river adventures over on Young House Life where Burger’s stick-chewing skills are unmatched.