Contrary to popular belief there is nothing clerical about a Parsons Chair. It derives its name from the Parsons School of Design, located in Paris, France where the design originated from. It is a design from the 1930’s – reaction against the over ornate and heavy dark furniture of the early 20th century.
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Essentially a sleek no fuss chair with comfortable cushioning it started life as part of a dining room suite but grew in popularity such that many people bought Parsons Chairs as occasional chairs to add interest to their living rooms. Unlike many contemporary chairs these are comfortable to lean back in as they have padded backs. Most were originally made with arms, though nowadays a set of dining chairs is more likely to have two with arms at the end of the table and the other two or four chairs without arms.
Their simplicity is another reason why Parsons chairs are so popular. Their design means that you can add detail and style with coverings, plain fabrics or more elaborate skirted coverings. This enables you to match your chairs with your room decor and the design of the chair sits comfortably with most current trends in living and dining room furniture. With the choices of woods for your Parsons chair you have a flexible addition to your home.
Types of Parsons Chair
The basic Parsons Chair will be without arms and made from wood, foam cushions and covered in microfiber or fabric. It can be covered by furnishings to give it a skirt, or the fabric you choose could coordinate with other soft furnishings in your room. If you want arms on your Parsons chair expect to pay more.
Usually the chairs are sold in sets of two, four or six as dining room chairs and you will save money buying them this way. However, should you want a Parsons Chair as an occasional chair, single ones are available and it may be worth buying additional sets of removable covers to ring the changes and/or allow for washing. Prices will vary according to the wood of the chair and the material used to cover it. Leather is a popular choice but more expensive than the alternative leatherette which comes in a greater range of colors.
A variation on the Parsons Chair is the roll back option where the top of the seat curves under elegantly or an arch shape to the top of the back. These more elaborate designs may well suit the occasional chair use – with the right fabrics they can become a design statement in your living room. A variety of woods, hardwood, cherry etc are used to construct Parsons Chairs and as a rule of thumb, the more expensive the wood, the more durable the chair.
Considerations when buying a Parsons Chair
- Location- is this a chair for living room, dining room, bedroom? This will influence the style and fabric you are looking at. Chintz looks great in your teenage daughter’s bedroom Parsons Chairs are good reading chairs; the same look may clash terribly with your chrome and glass dining table.
- Fabric- if you are buying dining chairs, remember that however careful you are, they will get food on them. So, consider the washability of the fabric you are choosing and whether removable/additional covers may be needed. Leather looks great but if you have pets, or small children, it may get scratched or chewed! If you want your chairs to match your decor, it is a good idea to take along some swatches when choosing your Parsons Chairs.
- Durability – if your chairs are going to get a lot of use be careful to choose as solid a wood as you can afford- they will last longer.
- Cost – if these are chairs that will be used regularly then it is worth investing in them. You can save money by making your own additional covers but you need a basic design of good quality so that you have got value for money.
To help you choose, please find below the top three recommendations for the different styles of Parsons Chair.
Top 3 recommendations
Contemporary Bycast Leather Parson Dining Chairs
The Contemporary Bycast Leather Parson Dining Chair has Bycast leather, a thin layer of real leather covered with a layer of polyurethane. One advantage of bycast over ‘real’ leather is that food spills can be easily wiped off of the polyurethane surface without staining the leather. It looks like real leather and even smells like it and is a fraction of the price real leather would be (a single chair from $340) so this is a good value purchase. These chairs are the simplest design but look classy and are extremely comfortable. Expect to pay anything between $90 and $150 for the pair depending on where you buy them. They are available in dark brown or black Bycast leather with brown finish wood.
Romantic Parson Chair
The Romantic Parson Chair is the roll back design Parsons Chair. Made from wood and microfiber fabric and beautifully upholstered it has a timeless elegance and simplicity that will go with most home decor. There are a number of other microfiber chairs available and you can expect to pay around the $140 – $190 mark for a pair. The rollback design adds a certain something to the chair making it suitable for all locations in the house and not just the dining room.
Set of 2 Victorian Parson Chairs
The Victorian Parson Chair is a great option if you looking for a skirted elegant Parsons chairs. They have a range of classy designs for the upholstery which saves you the cost of custom ordering the fabric. They are solid in construction and the nail head border adds a nice decorative touch. They are made from wood and microfiber with chenille in the slipover. These are especially good if you order extra covers as you can easily change your look and also wash the covers.
The Last Word
Parson’s Chairs are an excellent piece of furniture that you can use in your living room. Doing your research is important to find a chair that will suit your unique home. If you do you will end up with a beautiful piece of furniture that will last you a lifetime.
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