You can’t open an interiors magazine or browse through Houzz without being bombarded with beautiful images of touchable textures, and I’m not just talking about soft furnishings. Yes, the texture trend has made the leap over to homewares and furniture too. My favourite of all being the textured seating that I’ve been seeing everywhere. Who wants a chair made of string? I do!
I think it’s the lounging nature of these chairs that I find so appealing. These chairs are not for sitting at a desk to get work done, nor are they for pulling out at a dining table for dinner. They’re low, they’re comfortable and they’re sold in single units. Yes, from all this evidence, I can confirm that textured chairs like this are solely for chilling out in. They say ‘grab a book and snuggle up’ to me. And I’m happy to do so.
The thing with textured chairs is that the woven rattan (or cane, or string) is just begging to be made cosy with squishy cushions, knitted blankets and fluffy throws. But, surprisingly enough, these soft furnishings aren’t strictly required to create a cosy corner. The smooth shapes of these chairs are already comfortable enough for lounging. They’re big enough to put your feet up. And the deep low seats enclose you when you sit down so, once you’re there, it’s hard to prise yourself back up again.
There’s one type of textured chair that I’ve had my eye on for ages – the string chair. I’ve seen it time and again, made in rope, metal and plastic – each more comfortable than the next. The mid-century modern ‘egg’ shape wraps around you and is much more comfortable than it looks. Being ‘suspended’ like that gives you a feeling of weightlessness, as every part of your body is supported. You’re sat back at an angle, so there’s no chance of doing any work or watching the TV. You just have to lie back and enjoy having a rest.
The other great thing about textured seats is that they blur the lines between indoor and outdoor furniture. They’re definitely not outdoor seats like the old plastic chairs we used to have in the garden. But the materials they’re made from mean that they can go outside too. So on sunny days why not take your textured seat out to the garden and enjoy lounging in the fresh air? Even so, when they’re in your home, it doesn’t look like you’re camping indoors with garden furniture. No, it just looks like you’ve got a classy design centrepiece in your living room.
I finally decided on a grey string chair that was gifted to me by Cox & Cox as the newest addition to my home. It’s inspired by the 1950s Acapulco chairs and I think that the mid-century style fits in perfectly with my teak-filled home. The strings are actually made from plastic – imagine a washing line and you’ve got it! It’s a big chair (more like an armchair than a chair) but it’s an eye-catching design so I don’t really mind how much space it takes up in my home.
I’ve piled on a blanket and cushion and now the chair is my cats’ favourite spot. They actually fight over who gets to sleep on it. My husband and I haven’t had much of a chance to sit on it ourselves. Essentially, we’ve got the poshest cat bed ever!
What do you think of the interior design trend for textured seating? Would you embrace woven textures in your home? Or do you think these chairs should only be used outdoors? Let me know your ideas in the comments below or tweet me @Cassiefairy to chat more.
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
