Wingbacks: Character for Every Space and Style
Want to Feel Comfy, Cared for, and a Wee Bit Regal? Get a Wingback
Wingbacks are hard to beat for comfort, flexibility, and a shape that works with just about every style and space. "They're like chameleons," says Mandi Smith of Interior Staging Services in Birmingham, AL. "Depending on where you place them, they will play many different roles."
My mom and sister know all about the wingback's knack for shapeshifting. For a few years they couldn't drive by a garage sale without stopping for a neglected wingback waiting to be refurbished with red velvet or zebra print upholstery. Every project brought out what we already know about wingbacks: Each has a character of its own. Take a look at the wingbacks in these interiors and tell me if they don't seem to be inviting you to join them for coffee and conversation:
My mom and sister know all about the wingback's knack for shapeshifting. For a few years they couldn't drive by a garage sale without stopping for a neglected wingback waiting to be refurbished with red velvet or zebra print upholstery. Every project brought out what we already know about wingbacks: Each has a character of its own. Take a look at the wingbacks in these interiors and tell me if they don't seem to be inviting you to join them for coffee and conversation:
"Because of their size, wingbacks can be used to anchor a corner in a room and create a quiet getaway space for reading or relaxing," Smith says. "Our company's goal is to use as many pieces a homeowner currently has to create a new and fresh space. In this particular case, the homeowner already had the chair in a different room. We recommended a neutral fabric to allow her to use it in other rooms of her home."
"I love the look of wingbacks as host and hostess chairs in a formal dining room," Smith says.
Virginia designer Paula Grace wanted to balance this room's soft corners and hot palette with a more traditional piece. "This wingback was the perfect answer," she says. "It has traditional roots but also rounded, soft corners...Look at the artwork in the vignette. It shows a man holding a woman. This chair almost looks like it is going to give you an embrace such as that."
The wingback's design offers "a place to support your head, back, and side while reading and big comfortable arms to place your arms on," Grace says. "They give its inhabitant a warm, safe feeling."
Side-by-side wingbacks have the presence of an elegant couple in this symmetrical, jewel-toned sitting room.
Two facing wingbacks share an ottoman and prime spot by the fire, creating a perfect place for coffee with a friend. The chairs' wings create a mini sitting room within a room.
The ultimate wingback sleeps two. You can convert a regular bed to something similar with a wingback-inspired headboard.
Do you have a wingback you love?
Do you have a wingback you love?