Sit: Seven Chairs You’ll Love

We gathered a collection of chairs that combine beauty and function seamlessly, bring that much-needed pop of color to our dining, sitting or living rooms and just, generally, make us happy. From antique and vintage, to reissues and brand new, we guarantee at least one of these chairs will speak to you. And when you find the one, you’ll know.

Hubbub Buyer’s Guide
Clement, 2911 Kavanaugh Blvd., 539-1473
Fabulous Finds, 2905 Cantrell Road, 614-8181
I.O. Metro, 12911 Cantrell Road, 217-0300
Mertinsdyke Home Store, 1500 Rebsamen Park Road, Ste. 100, 280-3200
Park Hill Home, 3131 JFK Blvd., North Little Rock, 771-4090
Soho Modern Furnishings, 2200 Cantrell Road, Ste. 1, 372-4884

Name That Chair?
Is that chair you’ve been eyeing an Empire, a van der Rohe Barcelona or an Eames? Brush up your chair identification skills with Design Icon: Chairs, a new app which works by turning identifying chair styles into a game. Silhouettes of the world’s most iconic chair styles—mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries—are shown, then you have to give the name, designer or date. Keep playing until you’ve achieved chair expertise.

More than 100 chairs are included, so this could take awhile. You should sit. (99¢/iTunes App store)

Nice Stems
There are many components of a chair — back, arms, seat, feet — but the legs are some of the most beautiful and defining features. If you know what style the legs are, chances are you can determine the chair’s era. We’ve put together a guide of popular leg styles to help you determine what type of chairs sit in your own home or beckon you to buy them at estate sales and auctions.

Go ahead, get to know your legs.
 
Cabriole
Cabriole legs are composed of two curves, the upper being convex and the lower concave. The knee on these types of legs may be carved with an ornament, such as a scallop, and the feet most commonly culminate in a ball, a claw or a club. These are often seen on Queen Anne chairs.
era/ late 18th century

Marlborough
Derived from the Duke of Marlborough for furniture that was designed for him, Marlborough legs are straight, sometimes fluted and fitted with a block foot. They are often seen on Chippendale chairs.
era/ mid-18th century

Saber
Saber legs resemble exactly that. They are tapered and curved so that the front legs protrude forward and the back legs behind. First used in Greece, they can be found on chairs designed by Thomas Sheraton in the early 19th century.
era/ early 19th century

Spiral
Spiral legs are straight and carved to look like spiral or twisted rope. Originally of Portuguese and Indian origin, spiral legs became popular during the Restoration period.
era/ late 17th century

Tapered
Wide at the top and narrowing toward the bottom, tapered legs most commonly appear on English furniture designed by George Hepplewhite in the 18th century, including his shield-back chairs.
era/  18th century

(sources: Chairs, a Guide to Choosing, Buying and Collecting by Peter Darty, EHow.com)

Reupholstery to the Rescue
Sharon Hoops, who owns Morgan Mercantile at Fabulous Finds, recommends the following reupholster to give old chairs new life.

Burl Elkins Upholstery,
3925 MacArthur Drive, North Little Rock, (501) 753-4026