In my last blog, 10 Affordable Online Sofas To Elevate Your Living Room, I shared some affordable online sofas to instantly add style to your living space (if that wasn’t obvious from the title). In this blog, I will be discussing some things to think about when paring accent chairs and sofas + I will be playing matchmaker and selecting an ideal affordable accent chair to match with each sofa from my last blog.

Making the right sofa armchair match is an art form. You can purchase the passé three-piece living room set, but that’s so boring and not a hot style choice! So before I reveal the happy pairs, let’s outline a few additional things to think about when you are paring accent chairs and sofas.

Accent Chair + Sofa Pairing Things to Think About

• Scale - This is pretty straightforward. If you are designing a small room, don’t buy huge furniture that doesn’t fit or feels oversized. This applies when pairing too, make sure you are selecting an accent chair that is proportional to your sofa.

• Shape - If you have a sofa with a curved frame in your living space, then you will want to carry that motif over to the accent chair. Don’t think that the overall shape needs to be an exact match, but perhaps there is a curve in the arms, back, or cushion of the chair that compliments the sofa nicely. It is still an accent chair, after all, so you want to be sure you are accent-ing!

• Seat Height - To avoid a cluttered feeling space, you will want to take seat height into account. Your accent chair and sofa do not need to have the exact same seat height, but it’s important to keep them relatively close. If you have a multi-use space, consistent seat heights will help to identify zones - the dining zone will have a higher seat height than the living zone.

• Color - The color of your sofa and accent chair should differ, but still complement one another. Color pairing is a whole skillset and perhaps a separate blog post in itself, but I generally prefer to introduce a pop of color against a neutral tone, i.e. a cream sofa with a rust accent chair, or a vibrant green sofa paired with a tan accent chair. A monochromatic color scheme is an easy way to add color without having a chaotic color story; like pairing a deep violet and pastel lilac. Of course, if you are brave and like a really bold color combo, like a fuchsia sofa and orange accent chair, then think about how the colors relate to each other and make sure that they are a suitable match. Color is difficult so a safe bet is opting for a neutral, minimal color pallet - it will never fail you!

• Texture - Similar to color, texture is an important factor when selecting your sofa/chair combo. So, if you have a leather sofa opt for a textile, like linen or velvet, to accent the leather. This can be taken a step further with the frame; for example, pairing a wood cane accent chair with a chenille sofa. Utilizing texture is a design hack that will help you to create a more layered and visually interesting room.

• Pattern - Using patterns is a great way to add color AND texture. If selecting a patterned piece of furniture, you will want to be sure there are other elements, like shape or color, that connect the patterned piece to its counterpart. Remember, that all patterns do not have to be bold or even conventional. Think of a channel-tufted velvet couch, the striped pattern is created from the texture of the tufting. Visually, it’s the same effect as a striped textile, but it’s a little more subtle to the eye.

Overall I think the trick to mastering the art of furniture matchmaking is finding the right balance of similar and contrasting elements in your furniture pieces. It’s a lot of information, but remember that design is 19307% subjective and if you are selecting pieces of furniture you love, you really can’t go wrong. To visualize some of the tips, swipe through my accent chair + sofa pairings below. Also, if this is overwhelming, consider working with an interior designer or consultant - that’s what we’re here for! If you want to work with me, send me a message!

10 Affordable Online Accent Chairs + Sofa Pairings

All of the accent chairs in the gallery are available in Switzerland and under CHF 600.