Certain chairs just never go out of style. Adored by legendary decorators such as Billy Baldwin and modern-day design luminaries like Suzanne Kasler, these four stylish seats have been popping up in designer interiors for decades (even centuries!).
Image courtesy of Mary McDonald: Interiors (Rizzoli)
Louis XVI Chair
These go-anywhere chairs have been popular since the reign of France’s king Louis XVI. Below, American design icon Mark Hampton plays up the chairs' feminine features with chintz walls and velvet upholstery. Today, designer Suzanne Kasler marries the rustic and the refined with this Louis dining set, upholstered in raffia with nail-head trim.
Interiors: Courtesy of Mark Hampton (Rizzoli) & Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors (Rizzoli)
Club Chair
With their deep seats, these armchairs provide an open invitation to get comfy. This “settle in” quality makes them ideal for a reading nook, as shown in design legend Billy Baldwin’s 1970s Nantucket bedroom. In Chris Barrett’s contemporary design, a club chair creates an unexpectedly cozy corner off the kitchen.
Interiors: Courtesy of Billy Baldwin (Rizzoli) & Chris Barrett Design
Slipper Chair
Designer Billy Baldwin led the charge on bringing the slipper chair out of the boudoir and into the rest of the house. His streamlined design has become iconic, but this low, armless style comes in tons of shapes. In this contemporary living room, designer Mary McDonald takes advantage of their petite size to create an extra seating area.
Interiors: Courtesy of Billy Baldwin (Rizzoli) & Mary McDonald: Interiors (Rizzoli)
Wingback Chair
It’s no coincidence that both NYC designer Timothy Whealon and iconic tastemaker of the 1940s and ’50s Nancy Lancaster felt the perfect place for a wing chair was by a fireplace. After all, the curvaceous sides of these chairs were originally intended to keep the heat of the hearth in and pesky drafts out.
Interiors: Courtesy of The Great Lady Decorators (Rizzoli) & Timothy Whealon
