Torn Between Chair Choices: Avoid Blame-Storming, Don’t Sacrifice Adorning

For our 10th wedding anniversary this summer, I decided to surprise my husband with his very own “dad chair”. His father had one and his grandfather before him too, so I thought it will be nice to continue with that tradition. I imagined him lounging in the chair, drinking scotch and saying profound things, or perhaps reading thick philosophical books. But the reality is that my hubby is just a simple man who enjoys spending his afternoon watching football and who never grew out of his love for comic books.

Most dad chairs have a few things in common: thick leather material in a black or brown colour and ample seating area, but my man is not like most dads. And to be honest, I didn’t want anything obtrusive becoming an eyesore in my perfectly decorated living room. Actually, a more simplistic design ticks all the right boxes – it suits my husband’s personality and it is a tasteful addition to my living room design. And mine, like most modern living rooms, benefits more from a modern and space-efficient chair more than any other type, so I focused my undivided attention on the wide selection of modern chairs. However, I ended up completely torn between two chairs. Take a look.

Modern Rocking Chair

There’s a certain elegance in rocking chairs. Being our grandparents’ favourites, we tend to associate them with great wisdom. As I browsed the modern chairs Australia furniture stores had on display, I came across a replica of the Eams Rar Rociking chair.

Designed by Charles Eames of America, the Eams Rar chairs were all the craze in the fifties. Today, this replica gives them just the right amount of modern touch to bring them back to life. The cute, compact look of this chair is a wonderful advantage over the other types. It can readily go wherever you want it, allowing you to take it from the living room to the front porch on a sunny day.

To be honest, I fell in love immediately! The sleek curved backrest of the Eams Rar chair, together with the wooden rocking legs are the ultimate blend of futuristic and classic. Moreover, it came in white and pastel colours, perfect for my living room! However, I wasn’t sure my husband would enjoy the rocking while sitting on the edge rooting for Manchester United to score.

Timeless Upholstered Armchair

You can never go wrong with an armchair. Wherever you might put it, it will make the space instantly classier. With its thick upholstering and armrests for support, this type of chair oozes comfort. I wanted to go beyond the typical beige or brown armchairs that are so popular, when a light blue one caught my attention. Blue is my husband’s favourite colour, plus it adds the right amount of visual interest to our white couch and white timber coffee table.
Moreover, its sturdy design and thick upholstering assured me that there won’t be an unsightly indention from sitting too much. Unlike the rocking chair, this armchair expressed power and status. Our marriage is far from patriarchal, however, I thought it would be nice to make my husband feel more confident in this bossy-looking chair.

In the end, I decided to go with both of them, because when I like something nothing will stop me from having it. As you’ve probably guessed, I got the armchair for my husband and the rocking one for me. Now we both get to sit in our personal thrones while the children are playing on the couch. A living room designed to fit the whole family.