One of the first things you have to ask during the interior design process is how to shop seating styles. Regardless of your interior design style–be it French Country, Farmhouse, Rustic, Modern Classic, Coastal, or Industrial–every home needs a health amount of seating. But seating styles and options go so far beyond just chairs, and there are many factors to consider.
You’ll need to consider the size of the room, the style of your home decor, the height of tables and end tables, and whether your top priority is comfort, style, or functionality (and that’s not to say that you can’t have all three at once). For example: Most table heights are 30”, so anytime you are looking at dining chairs you want to make sure you have about 10-12” from table to seat height (an average seat height is 18-20”). We have all the expert interior design secrets you need to know for how to shop seating styles like a true design professional…starting with narrowing down the style you’re looking for.
Seating Style #1: Hostess Chair
Host and Hostess chairs can often be part of a set, and tend to act either as the counterpart to your dining chairs or as a standalone armchair. You can also mix and match and use the armchairs as accent chairs by playing with finish and fabric. Essentially, adding hostess chairs in the mix with your seating selection at home means an added opportunity to reinforce your color palette and aesthetic themes. Upholstered hostess chairs or a wingback hostess chair are also visually interesting options you can consider on this front.
Photo via Kathy Kuo Home
Photography Credit: Left: Kathy Kuo Home; Right: Kathy Kuo Home
Design by Kathy Kuo Home
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Seating Style #2: Bench
When looking for something fresh and different, but that can still sit a high number of people at your dining table, consider a bench. As you think about how to shop seating styles, benches are often a dark horse that can transform your space in wonderful ways. If you are pairing a bench at a dining room table instead of (or in addition to) dining room chairs, make sure the seat height hits a similar height to the chairs so your guest all feel they are at eye level with one another. When it comes to how to shop seating, a bench is often a great answer!
Additionally, you can add this style of seating to your home in the form of an entryway bench, storage bench, or as a stylish addition to your living room, breakfast nook or even in a bedroom (as a bed end bench)if you have the space. A truly versatile bench that pairs well with all of your other home furnishings can also be moved around the house as needed when you’re hosting a larger gathering. Many homes look great with an outdoor bench as well.
Photo via Kathy Kuo Home
Photography Credit: Left: Kathy Kuo Home; Right: Kathy Kuo Home
Photo via Kathy Kuo Home
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Seating Style #3: Sofa or Sectional
For many living room design motifs, a sofa or sectional is the focal point of the room. When shopping for seating, it’s important to remember that sofas range in seat height and depth. Typically the taller a person is the more height and depth you’ll want. Especially when working with a sectional, which will take up more space, having a firm grasp on the dimensions of the room is very important to achieving an end result that you’re happy with.
When choosing a sofa or sectional, you’ll want to keep in mind not just the shape and size of the piece of furniture, but also the color and texture of the fabric, the slipcover, and any decorative pillows or throw blankets you may want to adorn your sofa with.
Photo via: Kathy Kuo Home
Photography Credit: Left: Via Kathy Kuo Home; Right: Kathy Kuo Home
Photo via Kathy Kuo Home
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Seating Style #4: Settee or Loveseat
If you’re designing for a small space, consider a loveseat (a smaller sofa that only seats two people) or settee (smaller than a sofa, but usually fits more than two people) instead of a traditional sofa or sectional when you’re shopping for seating options. One nice aspect of designing a room with a settee or loveseat is that their smaller size allows you to mix and match them more easily.
For example, you could have two loveseats in a room–one patterned and one in a solid color–without having to incur too much angst about the couch color or fabric print overwhelming the room. It’s also much easier to move a loveseat or settee if you ever feel like switching up the arrangement of your living room furniture.
Photo via Kathy Kuo Home
Photography Credit: Left: Kathy Kuo Home; Right: Kathy Kuo Home
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One thought on “How to Shop Seating Styles Like an Interior Design Pro”
I got a lot of inspiration by reading these lines. I am looking for a sectional sofa set, and you solved my problem. I was currently using a single armchair set with a love seat in my sunroom and going to update with sectional sofa set. I found the tufted love seat adorable.