HomeThe Wing Chair: A Study in Versatility
31. May, 2010 
12 Comments
For added emotional resonance, try reading this post about wing chairs while listening to Survivor’s hit single I Can’t Hold Back.
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Designer / decorator extraordinaire Stephanie Wohlner recently took me to see one of her projects, a newly constructed Lincoln Park home featuring three floors, a grand hall entryway with vaulted ceilings and even a lounge-y reception room. My favorite part was the formal living room, probably because I fell head over heals for a pair of contemporary wing chairs that Stephanie paired with two matching plush sofas to create the main conversation area (top photo). The chairs’ glint-y nailhead trim adds sex appeal, and the slight, funky shape shows just how versatile the style can be, both in terms of form and function. I learned that lesson firsthand recently when Thomasville sent me their Carthage wing chair, which looks equally amazing as the host chair at the end of my dining room table as it does paired with the rustic, wood farm table, which I use as a desk in the downstairs office.
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Right now I’ve got it parked next to a window in the corner of my dining room (above), where it makes a nice place to read on a sunny day. Thomasville’s collections tend toward the traditional, but many, notably the Marqui and the Dinesen, are atypical and interesting enough to work in more contemporary settings and with a variety of different styles.
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Thomasville’s Marqui, Dinesen and Bocelli wing chairs.
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Interior designer Nicholas Moriarty and his partner Luka don’t have any wing chairs in their gorgeous Hyde Park loft, but when I asked Nicholas for his opinion about them recently, his praise was so effusive that I asked him to send me a list of his favorites, and I like them all: (captions by Nicholas)
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Bright Group Van Chair – probably my favorite – love this chair in everything.
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Tom Dixon Wingchair – in my mind the most progressive piece of modern/traditional furniture produced in recent history – it’s really a piece of sculpture.
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Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair - best “mid-century” interpretation of a wing chair ever.
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Donghia Heron Wing Chair – best contemporary interpretation of this classic form.
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Thanks Nicholas. As with anything, context is everything, so it’s difficult to say for certain which of these wing chairs I like the best. For example, I recently attended a house walk in the West Rogers Park / West Ridge neighborhood, and one of my favorite apartments was owned by a fascinating professor who had art and objets d’art covering the walls, hundreds of books and a very traditional wing chair next to the fireplace. While I might not choose that particular chair for my own space, nothing could have been more perfect in the professor’s charming and beautiful home, and I took away a new appreciation for a more traditional aesthetic.
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Which of these wing chairs your favorite? Do you have a wing chair in your own home? Why or why not? After leaving your comment, get back to work, but remember, it only feels like Monday, and Friday will be here before you know it.
I do have a 90′s version of a wing chair. Huge rolled arms, deep seat, very comfortable. It is quite outdated when you look at the newer, sleeker versions but I still love it! I had a hard time getting past the hair styles and tight jeans in the Survivor video…that was fun!
that first image is stunning.
where was that shot, or did i miss that somewhere in the story?
debra
Hey Debra, that was the Stephanie Wohlner project I described in the first paragraph.
Sorry about the outdated video Melly!
The Bright Group Van chair is stunning. I love how masculine it is.
I have two Crate and Barrel Suffolk wing chairs that are currently “naked” — in their muslins and in need of covers because I like them so much in simple white.
Loves me a good wing chair. Its all about options-they give you a variety of ways to sit/lean/slouch/snooze. Wish airline seats had wings. I prefer a 90 degree wing rather than a curved one because I like the solid support. Add in a small pillow between me & the wing and I’m dozin’ & droolin’ before the 2nd set of commercials.
I think about wing chairs in a whole new way now. I see them every where, but never noticed them before.
I even looked up the history of the wing chair after reading this post.
I love Nicholas’ picks and captions.
What’s not to love about wing chairs? Comfort and versatility meshed with just a bit of secrecy – these chairs are just a must-have in any home.
Among your pics, I love, love, love the leather beauties in the the top photo. But, my personal, all-time favorites were a pair my mother owned. They were deceptively (almost sadly) Laura Ashley-esque, until you sat in them and leaned back ever so slightly. Et voila – instant recliner, thank you very much La-Z-Boy.
I’m not as into wing chairs as I used to be, but I like the updated takes on them that you have shown. It’s interesting though that I just ordered a few thomasville pieces and mentioned ur blog to them a few weeks ago. Let’s hope the sight unseen sofa we ordered doesn’t come in looking odd!
The Marqui is very nice but if I had the dough (and the room) I’d splurge on the Tom Dixon chair – what a statement piece!
Very interesting! It appears that wing chairs are rather beloved among Strange Closets readers. Apparently wing chairs have wings to protect their occupants from the cold.
p.s.
Thanks for mentioning Strange Closets Chicagogirl!
The two most gorgeous wing chairs I ever sat in were upholstered in velvet and reposed on either side of an immense fireplace (six feet tall and about seven feet wide) at the Provost’s residence at my university campus. I volunteered to work at all the university events there so I could slip into one or the other during the event. Very simple shape, more like the Bright leather one than any other. No ottomans, though, alas. But still the comfiest chairs in the place.