Living Room Armchairs

Nearly 1,000 living room armchairs in fabric, wood, leather or velvet, 60 to 105 cm wide, from Normann Copenhagen, Hem, &tradition, Muuto and HAY.

Choosing a living room armchair starts with the space available and how it will be used: reading, watching television or conversation. Allow for a width of 70 to 90 cm, a seat 40 to 45 cm from the floor and 60 cm of clear space around it. Fabric suits everyday use, leather develops a patina, and a swivel armchair is useful in an open-plan room.

Read our buying advice.

How to choose a living room armchair

The essentials

Choosing a living room armchair starts with getting the size right: 70 to 90 cm wide for most rooms, with 60 cm of clear space around it. The seat sits between 40 and 45 cm from the floor, at the same height as the sofa seat to within 5 cm. Fabric remains the easiest upholstery to live with every day.

Size: under 75 cm wide in a living room of less than 15 m², 75 to 90 cm between 15 and 25 m², up to 105 cm in a large room.
Comfort: a seat 40 to 45 cm high and 50 to 55 cm deep, a high back for reading or watching television.
Material: fabric for everyday use, leather for its patina, velvet for colour, wood or rattan for a light silhouette.
Position: no more than 2.50 m from the sofa, turned slightly towards it, 40 to 45 cm from the coffee table.

What size armchair for a living room?

An armchair that is too wide blocks the way through, and one that is too small looks lost beside the sofa. In the selection, most armchairs are between 60 and 105 cm wide. Three measurements matter: the width, the depth, and the clear space you keep around it.

Living room size	Armchair width	Depth	How many armchairs
Under 15 m²	60 to 75 cm	65 to 75 cm	Just one, with a slim base
15 to 25 m²	75 to 90 cm	75 to 90 cm	One or two, facing the sofa
Over 25 m²	90 to 105 cm	85 to 100 cm	Two, or an armchair and its footstool

Guidelines for a living room furnished with a two to three-seater sofa and a coffee table.

How to measureUse masking tape to mark out the width and depth of the armchair on the floor. Keep 60 cm of clear space on the sides where people walk past, and 40 to 45 cm between the seat and the coffee table. For a swivel armchair or a rocking chair, add 20 to 30 cm behind the back.

Which armchair for a small living room?

Under 15 m², go for an armchair less than 75 cm wide, with tall, slim legs that leave the floor visible: the room looks bigger. Wooden, metal or rattan frames, without solid armrests, look lighter than a fully upholstered armchair. A low back, under 80 cm, does not block the view towards the window.

Light silhouettes

Which living room armchair is the most comfortable?

Comfort depends on four measurements more than on softness. A seat height of 40 to 45 cm lets you rest your feet flat on the floor and get up without effort. A seat depth of 50 to 55 cm supports the thighs without pressing behind the knees. The back should reach the shoulder blades for conversation, and the nape of the neck for resting. The armrests sit 20 to 25 cm above the seat.

Use	Seat height	Back	Type of armchair
Reading	42 to 45 cm	High, with neck support	High-back armchair, firm armrests
Watching television	38 to 42 cm	Reclined, 95 cm high or more	Low, deep armchair, with a footstool
Entertaining, conversation	42 to 45 cm	Upright, at shoulder blade height	Compact or swivel armchair
Occasional seating	43 to 46 cm	Low	Lightweight armchair in wood, metal or rattan

Heights measured from the floor to the top of the seat.

Swivel armchair, rocking chair or chair bed?

Swivel armchair: it turns towards the sofa, the television or the window without being moved. This is the choice for a room that opens onto the kitchen or dining room. The selection includes around 25.
Rocking chair: the rocking motion is relaxing, but it needs 30 cm of clear space in front and behind. Around fifteen designs.
Chair bed: it unfolds into a single bed, useful in a studio flat or a living room that doubles as a guest room. Nearly 30 designs, mainly from Karup Design.

By function

Fabric, leather, velvet or wood: which material should you choose?

Nearly three in ten living room armchairs in the selection have an exposed wooden frame, most often in oak, sometimes in beech, ash or walnut. For upholstery, fabrics come first, ahead of cotton and linen, wool, leather and velvet, each found on around fifty designs.

Upholstery	To the touch	Durability	Care	Best for
Tightly woven fabric	Soft, neither warm nor cool	Good, few creases	Vacuum with a brush attachment, blot stains with soapy water	A living room used every day
Bouclé and wool	Warm, textured	Good, the loops can be pulled	Vacuum on low power, without rubbing	Reading corner, living room without a cat
Velvet	Soft, dense	Good, the pile marks with use	Soft brush in the direction of the pile	A living room where you want a deep colour
Leather	Cool, then warm	Very good, develops a patina	Dry cloth every week, leather conditioner once or twice a year	A living room with character, club style
Cotton and linen	Dry, natural	Fair, creases	Washable cover on some designs	A light living room, natural style
Rattan and fibres	Firm, airy	Good in dry conditions	Dust, and keep away from radiators	Conservatory, boho living room

Leather develops a patina, and that is normalA leather armchair darkens on the armrests and softens on the seat over the years. Place it at least 50 cm from a radiator and out of direct sunlight, which dries it out and fades it.

By material

Styles and brands: from Scandinavian armchairs to club chairs

The armchair is the seat that sets the tone of the living room. Scandinavian style dominates the selection with around a hundred designs, followed by contemporary and retro lines.

Scandinavian: oak or walnut frame, low seat, fabric or wool in light tones. You will find it at Normann Copenhagen, &tradition, Muuto, Carl Hansen & Søn and HAY.
Contemporary: rounded, enveloping shapes, bouclé or plain fabric, a discreet base. Hem, NORR11 and Ferm Living work with these forms.
Retro: wooden armrests, splayed legs, colourful fabric, from 366 Concept or RED Edition.
Club and tub chairs: deep seat, rounded back, leather or velvet. Dutchbone offers many designs in velvet.
Boho: rattan, cane and woven fibres, for a bright living room.

On budget, half of the living room armchairs are priced above €1,600, and nearly seven in ten exceed €1,000. Nearly 90 designs are still available for under €500, mainly compact armchairs or chair beds.

Four armchairs from the selection

Low armchair with walnut legs and black leather seat Era - Normann Copenhagen - The Cool Republic

Normann Copenhagen Low armchair with walnut legs and black leather seat Era - Normann Copenhagen €1.290,00

Light grey armchair with dark grey legs Oslo - Muuto - The Cool Republic

Muuto Light grey armchair with dark grey legs Oslo - Muuto €1.479,20

Beige wool armchair with natural Little Petra oak legs VB1 - &tradition - The Cool Republic

&tradition Little Petra VB1 beige wool armchair with natural oak legs - &tradition €3.406,80

Dutchbone Orange velvet armchair with armrests Flower - Dutchbone €764,15

By style

What colour armchair goes with your sofa?

The armchair does not have to match the sofa. It can extend it or contradict it. One in five living room armchairs in the selection is beige, ahead of brown, grey and black. Blue and green each account for around sixty designs.

Tone on tone: a beige or grey armchair, two shades lighter or darker than the sofa. The living room feels calmer and looks bigger.
Colour contrast: a green, blue or terracotta armchair next to a neutral sofa. Pick up the shade once or twice, on a cushion or a rug.
Material contrast: the same colour in a different texture, for example a brown leather armchair next to a beige linen sofa.
Pair of armchairs: two identical armchairs facing the sofa, for a symmetrical living room of 20 m² or more.

The three-colour ruleLimit the living room to three colours: a dominant one for the walls and floor, a second for the sofa, a third for the armchair and a few accessories. Beyond that, the armchair no longer stands out.

By colour

Which armchair for which living room, and how do you care for it?

With children or pets

Choose a tightly woven fabric, in a mid-tone or flecked shade, which hides marks. Avoid bouclé and cane if your cat sharpens its claws. Around ten designs in the selection have removable covers: the cover comes off to be cleaned.

Facing the sofa or in a reading corner

For conversation, place the armchair no more than 2.50 m from the sofa, turned 30 to 45 degrees towards it. For a reading corner, set it near a window, with a floor lamp behind your shoulder and a side table at armrest height, that is 55 to 60 cm.

One armchair or two?

A single armchair is enough under 20 m². Beyond that, two armchairs facing a three-seater sofa provide five seats and close off the seating area in an open-plan room. Leave 20 to 30 cm between the two, or slip a side table in between.

Caring for a living room armchair

Every week: vacuum the fabric with the brush attachment, on low power, paying particular attention to the folds of the seat.
If there is a stain: blot straight away with a white cloth, from the edge towards the centre, without rubbing.
Every month: turn and plump the loose cushions to restore their bounce.
Twice a year: dust the wood with a barely damp cloth and check that the legs are tight.

Frequently asked questions

Which armchair should you choose for a small living room?

In a living room of less than 15 m², choose an armchair 60 to 75 cm wide, with tall, slim legs and a low back. Wooden, metal or rattan frames are less visually bulky than a fully upholstered armchair. Keep 60 cm of clear space around it.

What are the most comfortable living room armchairs?

The most comfortable have a seat 40 to 45 cm high and 50 to 55 cm deep, a back that supports the nape of the neck and armrests set 20 to 25 cm above the seat. For long sessions of reading or television, add a footstool at the same height as the seat.

Which material should you choose for a living room armchair?

A tightly woven fabric suits everyday use and cleans with soapy water. Leather lasts a long time and develops a patina. Velvet brings a deep colour but marks with use, and bouclé is not recommended with a cat.

Swivel armchair or fixed armchair for the living room?

A swivel armchair is useful in an open-plan room: it turns towards the sofa, the television or the table without being moved. A fixed armchair is more stable, often lighter on the eye, and offers more choice. Allow 20 to 30 cm of clear space behind a swivel armchair.

What colour armchair goes with a grey or beige sofa?

With a neutral sofa, two solutions work. An armchair in the same colour family, two shades lighter or darker, makes the room look bigger. A green, blue or terracotta armchair creates a splash of colour, to be picked up on a cushion or a rug.

Which living room armchair with children and pets?

Choose a tightly woven fabric, in a mid-tone or flecked shade, and if possible an armchair with a removable cover. Avoid bouclé, cane and light-coloured velvet. A stable frame and rounded corners are safer for young children.

How do you care for a velvet or bouclé armchair?

Vacuum every week on low power, with the brush attachment. On velvet, then brush in the direction of the pile with a soft brush. If there is a stain, blot with a barely damp white cloth, without rubbing, and leave to air dry.

What budget should you allow for a designer living room armchair?

Half of the living room armchairs in the selection are priced above €1,600, and most between €500 and €3,400. Nearly 90 designs are available for under €500. The difference comes mainly from the upholstery, leather or wool, and the wood used for the frame.