New Living Room Chair Options (Most Under $500!!)
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Since this year is almost halfway over, and I’ve had to adjust my home project “to do” list for the year, I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that there’s no way I’ll be able to reupholster the two chairs I’ve been saving for my living room. And since I don’t want to wait until next year to get that room finished (it’s so close — just needs two chairs, and ceiling light, and some accessories), I decided to purchase two new chairs for the room. I’ll save those other two chairs for another room.
As a reminder, this is the room I’m talking about…
Those two chairs will be moved back into the music room, and I’ll still be reupholstering those at some point. That ceiling light has been moved to the music room, so I’ll be getting a new one for this room. And I also made a coffee table for this room, which isn’t pictured above.
The main color in the rug is purple, but it has lots of different colors in it, including teal, fuchsia, and orange.
Also, through the doorway behind those chairs is the kitchen, which looks like this…
A part of that peninsula can be seen from the front door of our home, and it’s definitely visible from the living room, so any choices I make for the living room need to coordinate (or at least not clash) with the kitchen. It’s tricky, though, because throughout the day, the color of the kitchen cabinets changes. At times, the color will look more blue, and at other times, the color will look more green.
After searching and searching, I’ve narrowed my search to eighteen. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many great chairs are available at pretty reasonable prices! Only one of the eighteen is over $500, and many of them come in multiple colors. Of course, I’ve shown the colors that I think would work best in my living room.
- Purple Chair from Overstock (also comes in black, gray, navy, and white)
- Teal Chair from Wayfair (also comes in beige, gray, and dusty blue)
- Tidepool Blue Wingback Chair from Lamps Plus
- Beige Wingback Chair from Target
- Gray Wingback Chair from Birch Lane (also comes in beige and blue)
- Gray and White Wingback Chair from Wayfair (also comes in linen, taupe, cream/gray, and gray)
- Teal Accent Chair from Target (also comes in charcoal, berry, blue, chocolate, and natural)
- Gray Wingback Chair from Wayfair (also comes in beige, charcoal, dark gray, and blue)
- Teal Casual Accent Chair from Lowe’s (also comes in taupe and white)
- Purple Armchair from Wayfair (also comes in charcoal, deep red, and navy blue)
- Purple Velvet Accent Chair from Home Depot (also comes in ash rose, garnet rose, dark blue, and ultramarine green)
- Gray and White Accent Chair from Wayfair (also comes in blue and white)
- Blue accent chair from Home Depot (also comes in evergreen and garnet rose)
- Dove Accent Chair from Home Depot (also comes in aqua, marine, and red)
- Gray Button Wingback Chair from Home Depot (also comes in brown, ivory, and teal)
- Turquoise English Arm Chair from Pier 1 (also comes in linen, ivory, and gray)
- Gray and White Wing Chair From Target
- Gray Accent Chair from Home Depot
So those are the chairs I’m looking at right now. Of course, all of the teal and turquoise chairs are my favorite, although I think the Tidepool Blue Wingback from Lamps Plus is too blue and might clash with my teal kitchen. The one from Home Depot with the gold legs is my favorite as far as the fabric goes, but I’m not sold on the style of the chair. The purple ones are fun, but I’m very particular about purples. If they’re too red, I don’t like them. Plus, I think in order for purple to work with my pink curtains, the purple has to be very dark and rich in color. If a purple is too light or washed out, it’ll look meh with the pink curtains. And the all of the gray chairs seem like safe choices, but a gray and white pattern might spice things up a bit. And of course, I can always all lots of color with throws, pillows, etc.
Anyway, I’d love to get some ordered this weekend! Which one catches your eye? The teal and gold one from Home Depot is definitely the standout for me.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Hi Kristi, all these chairs are really great and your decision is going to be tough. My question is, do you feel comfortable ordering a chair that you have not sat in and really felt it out before buying? I am not real short, 5’4″, but I find too many times that chairs and sofas are so deep that they are not comfortable to sit in because I can’t sit back without a pillow to fill the gap. Very few chairs and even fewer sofas are “short” enough in the seat for me. I have to sit in everything to test it out. Hopefully if you are not satisfied, the return policy is easy enough.
Agreed, I wouldn’t buy any furniture without being able to test it out first, and it’s nothing to do with my height, but the comfort factor is so important!
I also don’t ever think a room is “done” I’m constantly editing, moving furniture, changing things up.
I’m okay with buying online simply because I’m 5’ tall, and literally no chair in the world is comfortable to me. I’ve just learned to deal with uncomfortable chairs. At the very least, every chair I sit in requires a lumbar pillow to push me forward so the bend of my knees fits the edge of the seat at the right spot and I still have something to lean on. But even then, 99% of the time, my feet don’t touch the floor. So I just make sure I have lots of throw pillows available so I can make any chair pretty comfy.
I can SO relate! But I’m 5’2″! We have two couches that are definitely too big for me – I usually curl my feet up under me, although if I”m wearing a dress that doesn’t really work – lol! I have NO IDEA which one to pick. Sorry!
My favorite chair for your room is the turquoise English arm from Pier One. And it’s on sale! An interesting color in a traditional style.
I’m with you, Kathie. I think that looks comfy.
I love this chair! It’s begs for a book and a throw!
Love the teal chair from wayfair. I like the shorter back and angle of the back. It looks more comfortable than the high straightbacked chairs. But I am short so I think it woul d fit me better. I am all about comfort. I also like the arm curve & the tufting.
Purples! From Overstock or Wayfair. I like the dark purple with gold legs but the legs seem to tall & skinny for the chair, as they do with your favorite teal with gold legs!
I love the gold legs, too. My concern, though, would be if those legs will mark the wooden floors. The contact points are not very large, and it doesn’t appear they would lend themselves to floor protectors. But they are pretty!
I love purple and teal together. But I’m picky about the shades of each. I love the dark purples in your choices
I love the Home Depot teal with gold legs!
Kris, forget the Pier 1 chair, it’s out of stock. It’s a shame, I liked the shape and color on that one. I wonder about the legs on the home depot chairs. I like a chair with a sturdy leg, but like the gold on leg. I would have loved the color or similar shade of your drapes. Good luck.
Ditto!
Me too!
I think the purple or teal with the gold legs would look great, because they would look good with the gold hardware on your kitchen cabinets. Have a blessed day!
I like the pier 1 turquoise slub chair and the wayfair purple Megan chair. They look the coziest to me, A place you actually want to sit and relax.
You will not be sitting in these chairs for long periods of time. They are side chairs and not necessarily made for comfort.
I love the https://www.pier1.com/pierformance-turquoise-slub-weave-english-arm-chair/4195694.html?cgid=living-room-furniture#
one. I love the shape and scale, and the color is nice too. I was thinking more pear, but that color would work.
I like the white ones.
I think the gray or teal will be trickier because your couch is gray and it will look strange if one is cool and the other warm, which happens. Maybe a dark teal? I think the safest is a deep purple. I clicked through a few of these and they are already sold out in the colors you want, so that will certainly limit your choices if you pull the trigger this weekend. That may not be a bad thing since it would make it easier on you with fewer options.
The legs on the teal Home Depot chair look awfully flimsy to me.
The purple with gold legs from home depot really caught my eye. I just love the shape and curves on it. The color stands out and reads a more neutral purple than a bright look at me color
Hi Kristi! Coming at it as if this were my room, when I look at the furniture layout of this room, I immediately rule out the high back chairs for this space. I think they cause an imbalance in the room with everything high on one side and lower (couch) on the other. Also, they create more of a visual block to the view into and from the kitchen. In my mind, this interrupts the flow.
That leaves the shorter back chairs. I do love the teal and gold one, but as I recall, you have a teal wall in your entry, a teal fireplace, and teal kitchen cabinets. It seems like a teal chair isn’t enough contrast for me. And there’s the issue of all those different teals working with my new chair.
That’s why I would choose one of the purple chairs. I love the one from Home Depot with the gold legs and the one from Overstock. I would probably lean toward the Overstock one, only because it looks more timeless.
I like the lower chairs too, it seems as if they don’t block the line of sight like the taller ones would. I keep going to the two deep purple ones– the first one and the one with gold legs. Those gold legs make me swoon!
Also, have you thought of maybe trying painting the chairs you have? I’ve seen velvet successfully painted with acrylic mixed with lots of water and fabric medium. It would be only take a few hours over a couple of days and if you don’t like it you buy chairs and then rip recover the ones you paint. I’d really love to get your take and tips on painting something like this because I have a green velvet chair that I need to paint teal!
Blue accent chair from Home Depot (also comes in evergreen and garnet rose) or Teal Casual Accent Chair from Lowe’s (also comes in taupe and white)
To me, the low back of the gold-leg chair is an asset, since they will be floating in the room.
I wanted you to see the purple chairs I have in my living room. Click below. Disregard the bamboo blinds and nightstands sitting in LR to be painted. Still working on LR. I have a project list with timeline like you but I never finish so don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. I love all of your rooms #Color https://pin.it/vim3d8n
Tough choice. With that many choices I’m not sure you’ll get much help from us. I Would stick with the lower backed chairs for that room. I’m not sure I would buy from pier one since they are closing all their stores.😕.
I agree. I have always been hesitant about buying a chair without sitting in it. If you aren’t entertaining now, and don’t need to finish the room, and you’re happy with the comfort of the chairs you have, wait until you can fabric shop. Or wait till you can shop in person for chairs.
So many lovely options! The Blue accent chair from Home Depot is the standout to me 🙂 Love the shape, the color, the gold legs – and it’s velvet! What a dream piece <3
Teal accent chair from Target.
for your information- we purchased two occasional chairs from Target, ivory tufted armless chairs, many years back and they have held up surprisingly well, and still look wonderful today. Not used as often as our den chairs but we have 5 grandchildren ages 2-20 that routinely use that furniture in larger family gatherings. Smarter choice in durability than I had hoped..
I adore that very fist purple one! Reasons include 1. there’s already a lot of teal with the kitchen and fireplace, and there are some teal and green accents on the entry wall. I think it might be hard to get just the right shade to not clash. 2. the gray and beige ones are just boring and not you. You already have a gray couch in there, and even with fun throw pillows, a gray or beige chair just won’t feel as fun. 3. Purple will bring out the purple accents in the artwork and on the upholstered stools along the entry wall. 4. of the purple chairs, the first one is the right balance of substantial and not too much. The gold legs look spindly to me and not in line with any of the other pieces you have in your house. I think the wayfair purple won’t be rich enough in color and you’d be disappointed. Also, some of the other chairs in teals and beiges look too big and clunky.
Can’t wait to see what you pick!
My two favorites are the Teal Accent Chair from Target and Gray Wingback Chair from Wayfair. Love the wingback style – both look comfortable.
OK, Kristi, you know how I love a good neutral, so here goes. My absolute favorite is the Elmer Wingback Chair from Joss & Main (gray/white, number 6 in your pictures) and second is the Keisha Wingback Chair from Wayfair (gray, number 8 in your pictures). As you mentioned, you can always add color! But the gray/white one would add a nice contrast to your living room, IMO. Good luck! I know whatever you pick will look awesome!
The one from Home Depot with the gold legs caught my eye immediately. I thought how great the chair would be in your living room. I think the style is beautiful with your set up.
As a gal a little on the fluffier side, the chairs with the skinny gold legs would make me very uncomfortable to choose to sit in if I were at a friend’s home. I agree with the others that the lower chairs would balance against the sofa, and if I were choosing, it would be a rich deep purple all the way. The purple armchair from Wayfair gets my vote. Plus it has tufting, a little understated drama. I’m anxious to see what you choose!
The first one. Dark purple velvet chair from Overstock. Balances nicely with the weighty look of the couch and also has a visible back cushion as does the couch.
I love the teal accent from Target. I like high back chairs as they look comfortable but still look elegant.
I like a lot of the teal ones, though personally would never go with the one with the gold legs as a) I don’t like gold and b) they look too spindly to my eye. What I really recommend is a high back if you want to use the chair to snuggle in and read which is what I always do there 🙂 we bought a comfy chair and sofa with a low back (so that it doesn’t let the head rest against anything) and I got really bad back ache from it. So ended up buying another chair with a high back and that is super.
I think the advice by Poohly would also be mine, I cannot imagine not having tested a chair if it is really meant for me to be the one where I spend a lot of my time.
My favourites from your choice are the teal one from Wayfair and the turquoise from Pier 1. Hope you find the chair which is perfect for you!!!!
sorry, typo: Poohla
I like the teal one from Wayfair and the one you like from Home Depot. I wouldn’t buy any chair that does not have a separate seat cushion. I did that once, and of course got a spill on it that wouldn’t come out, so I had to recover the whole chair! And it also got uncomfortable as it aged. I realize you won’t be sitting in them as much as we do, since you will eventually have a family room, so it may not matter to you. My only other concern is that the height of the backs may match the sofa, and I do like the higher back chairs to counter that. Also, I’m short, and don’t like high backs! I have them now and they make my neck hurt! I let my husband choose our last living room furniture…..big mistake! All masculine, chair fabric is scratchy and visually looks like mens suiting! Leather sofa. What was I thinking?
kristi, Lamps Plus has an affordable armchair in a pale blush pink velvet that reads almost as a neutral to coordinate well with your great area rug but not compete with all of the wonderful color in your room.
Ok, I’m not sure you are going to like my response….I’m not sure I like any of them as much as your original reupholstery idea. These chairs for me just don’t stand up. With your love of color, I kinda wonder if you would end up feeling the same? I love those chairs and they seem perfect in size and everything. I understand what you mean about wanting to get things done and letting some things go, but honestly I’m not feeling any of your picks as much as your original plan, sorry…but that’s what I think. Don’t be mad at me!
I’m agreeing with several others. Low back, no super skinny legs, and no more teal. Trying to think like you, I’d go with the dark purples. 🙂 Thinking like me, I’d pick a solid greige. 😉
For Michelle’s stated reasons, I concur with her reasoning.
My favorite choice is the Wayfair Megan chair in purple. It brings out the rug color, it is a more interesting color choice than teal, it has interesting legs (the curve fits the softness of the room decor) it is a good scale for the way you are going to place two chairs in that space, and it looks comfortable.
Hey Kristi!
Have you thought about a brown or oxblood leather (or faux) wing back chair? It would add a touch of masculinity, “natural” texture, and color to go with the floors and window shades.
Just a thought!
Your favorite is my favorite, too. Although the deep purples are pretty, I keep thinking of what they would look like after a cat slept there..
Measure a chair that is comfortable for you. The seat depth is most important, You want to be able to sit against the back with feet close to flat on the ground if possible. That might rule out some of these chairs for you. Another thing to watch is the slope of the back. Check your favorite chairs. I bet they don’t throw your head way back, stomach out, or tip your head forward and round your back. Chairs can do that! We bought a number of chairs online by matching measurements and back features of our favorite “old” chairs and are very happy with them.
Personally, I like the taller height with the short couch back. And taller chairs can be more comfy because they support the neck and head. So I wouldn’t rule one of the taller ones out if it makes you happy in all the other features.
I would choose a color that wouln’t clash with your fireplace, the kitchen island and the curtains. And the only one is light teal/aqua/blue. Also it is a narrow room.
With those limitations my choices are between three chairs:
-Tidepool blue wingback tufted accent chairfrom Lamp plus
-Teal accent chair from target
and maybe my third choise is too modern for you but it looks it doesn’t take a lot of room like the other two and it is very cute
-Blue accent chair from home depot
“…narrowed it down to eighteen…” 😂
Balance wise, you need lower backed chairs. Your photo show the imbalance of that layout. If the grays don’t clash, the geometric gray and white chair would look nice with the couch and punch up the color with pillows and throws. That way you can change it out whenever you want.
Hi Kristi,
First off hope you and your family are doing well during this crazy season.
I usually don’t provide my opinion since this is your home. But you let us in this time 🙂 so here goes. Your fireplace is soo beautiful I would go with gray chairs to match the sofa, so as not to pull attention away from the fireplace. I will say, I am a matchy, matchy type of girl designer. Your pillows can be the teal colors, etc. Have fun with your decision. Thanks for letting us enter our opinion for your chair decision.
For me personally, the first purple chair from overstock, second choice, purple chair from Wayfair! Top two blocks of chairs.
I wouldn’t want tall chairs in front of kitchen door, nor across from sofa! Also IMHO, too many teal colors in the rooms for my taste (but that’s just me). Oh, and I need some kind of arms on chairs 😁 I am very uncomfortable in an armless chair (except for kitchen chairs)
I know whatever you end up with, will turn out beautiful as usual!
Love the teal chair from Wayfair. The shape of the arms and the tufted back really elevate it.
I agree 100%. I was going leave basically the same comment, so decided to comment on your comment when I saw it scrolling on my way down. Lol.
Check your local ma and pa furniture store. I work at a furniture store in another state and we sell a brand of chairs that is made in America, comfortable!!!, custom, and many styles are under $500 ( made to order, so 1-2 months out). They have hundreds of fabrics to choose from. I’ve been disappointed whenever I have ordered a $200-$400 target, wayfair, world market chair. They are hardly worth sitting in. The brand I am speaking of is http://www.besthf.com and you can see their stuff find a dealer on their website. They are not high end but the quality would surpass anything you posted.
Blue Accent chair from home depot with gold legs.
Awesome options! I love:
Teal Chair from Wayfair
Grey Wingback from Wayfair
Teal Accent from Target
Blue Accent from Home Depot
We have had good luck buying chairs/couch online. But only after learning to look closly at the dimensions after buying the ‘perfect’ chair that look liked it was child sized once we got it together.
I like the teal from wayfair. The home depot chair seat is very deep and I feel it might be a little too trendy. (jmho) I am 4 feet 11 and I just found the perfect chair at Laz Boy. I think it is called the Marietta chair. Kind of pricy I feel. It started at $699 but with my printed fabric was $980. However, it is literally the only chair I have ever been able to sit in lika an adult. So comfy and my feet sit on the floor and my butt fits in the seat. I HAD to have it! Good luck.
So many good choices! I LOVE the purple from Overstock!! Great style!
In my mind, I eliminated chairs with no arms or very skinny arms because they are not comfortable for longer than a minute. I also eliminated the grey/white patterned ones only because I think that pattern will soon become dated (jmo, based on nothing!). My clear favorite is the blue one from Home Depot w/ gold legs. Just love it!
These are all nice choices. I like Teal Chair from Wayfair (also comes in beige, gray, and dusty blue) best.
I’m drawn to the pier one turquoise chair with your cabinets but I am equally obsessed with the velvet and gold legs from HD
I love the dark purple chairs! They would ground the space and really pull the pink in the curtains together with the rug. Also I think they would look great with the teal accents!
Lots of stylish chairs! I love the teal colors but you risk clashing with the color of the kitchen cabinets in the background. Gray could be a problem if it doesn’t go well with the gray sofa. Perhaps a charcoal gray would work better. Purple would avoid the potential clash problems. Ordering online without fabric samples to see color and fabric quality is scary. I adore the vintage chairs you have and I’m so glad that you are keeping them!
Since comfort, like myself, is not so important, I like the purple chair from wayfair. I like that it has soft, sweeping like curves over the circumference of the chair. It looks so soft in form and I thought it would be a great compliment to the square everything else in the room. Color purple I love, but that is such a personal choice. I know it will look phenomenal when you do chose one.
I feel like the chairs need a pinstripe fabric of some color already in the room, maybe a grey like the couch or a pink, as to not interfere with the kitchen blues and greens, to balance all the solid colors in the room and not add another color but still accent the pattern in the rug. I feel like if you add another solid color you will need to add more accessories to balance out all the solid colors.
Find a chair you love. If you don’t like the legs, change them or make them.
I vote for the teal chair from Pier 1
I actually like them all. I think any of the teal, or the grey/white prints would be great. That little bit of pattern makes things a little more interesting (to me).
I’m with you on the purple, I prefer a greyed down plum, similar to the piece in your breakfast room. Too much red and it just looks like Barney.
They are all absolutely gorgeous, Kristi. I really love the Gray Button Wingback Chair from Home Depot but in the teal blue colour. Not sure if it would clash with your kitchen though. At least being a couple of shades darker it would be less likely to clash. You know whatever you choose we will love though.
Also, at 5 feet 2 inches tall I also have a problem with uncomfortable lounges.
Have you already purchased the upholstery you were going to recover your chairs with? Why not hire it out? I haven’t had any recovering done in a long time and wouldn’t have a clue of the cost but I would consider it if it compared to the price of the 2 chairs and the upholstery had already been purchased. Maybe you don’t trust anyone else to do that for you but I really liked the idea you had for those chairs.
I love to be asked! Although I’m terrible with colors and especially tones that go together, or are better apart even! I was surprised that you didn’t add an entryway photo for colors to be considered as it’s definitely right there. I pulled up your finished entryway column, but just couldn’t get a handle of coordinating the purple shades, although I think it would be beautiful to pick up the blue drawer fronts of the credenza. If you could pull exactly one of the purples from the entryway- I’d like that. This is why I tend toward matchy-matchy – just can’t tell which colorful tones look good together. But would that lovely blue clash with the kitchen color? So, even though you probably already ordered, my vote is for the Gray Wingback chair from Wayfair. I think there are so many classic elements in the room that this style is perfect, and I don’t see the height conflict mentioned by others at all. Sometimes it’s so cozy to be enveloped by a comfy chair.
Tough choice. Like others, I say avoid too high a back. I also lean toward avoiding too bright a color (and I adore bright colors!) because your sofa is so large and neutral. With the rich colors of your fireplace and kitchen cabinets in view, adding rich-colored chairs might overwhelm the sofa side of the room (unless you’re adding really vivid pillows). So I’d vote for the gray wingback from Birch Lane, beige wingback from Target, or gray wingback from Wayfair. Very reserved, I know, but a balanced background. Presumptuous question: Did you consider a yellowy variant of chartreuse to pick up on the art over your mantel and the upholstery on your dining chairs? The acid greens are often love-or-hate, but can do a great job of tying together other bold colors. You’re an AMAZING designer/decorator. And I’m envious of your carpentry skills. I’m sure the room will be beautiful no matter which route you go.
i’m drawn to one of the purples. I think it’s got enough contrast and depth to play well with the bold fireplace color and will showcase the beautiful pink drapes even more. I also love the way it works with the kitchen.