Paint It What I Tell You

This Otis Chair from Room & Board is, by far, my favorite do-anything, fit-anywhere, fit-anybody-comfortably chair.

Three things I love about this little guy are:

1.) Otis is small.

The chair is circular and 32” in diameter. That may mean nothing to you, so let me explain: an average living room chair is about 36” or more in length and width and is square/rectangular. That means unless you have a lot of room in your floor plan, you’re squishing chairs into awkward corners, turning them diagonally, and running into issues when you want to switch up your furniture arrangement. The Otis chair, being small and round, is the perfect size to fit elegantly into most living rooms. And a huge added bonus is that you can almost always fit a pair into a bay window, like I did for this client (space is not finished…forgive the “naked” windows and floor):

2.) Otis is comfortable. Really.

My clients range in height from child-size, to about 6’4”. Their shapes vary similarly. So do the heights and shapes of their family members and guests. One thing we have to remember when buying furniture is that we want it to fit the people who live in the house AND we want it to comfortably fit family, guests, and any future mates/children/pets we may have. This chair fits the bill universally, in my experience. I have recommended it to more than a few wives who have very tall husbands, and each has been surprised to report back that they tested out the chair and it suits them very well, despite its small size. This is due in part to its round shape, which comfortably holds more “person” than a typical rectangular seat. As an added bonus, the chair swivels, so it doesn’t make you crane your neck to watch television or reposition if you need to reorient yourself…you just swivel to get where you need to be!

3.) Otis is (relatively) cheap.

Otis starts at just $699, which is a bargain in my world of custom furniture. If you choose higher-grade fabrics or leather options, you may pay as much as $1,249 per chair, but there is always the option to get one of the many beautiful fabrics at the base price. This means you can get two Otis chairs for the price of one chair at many other comparable retailers (and I mean “comparable” in terms of quality and level or customization).

Here are just a few of the fabrics you can use to upholster the chair, and none of these exceed $899 for a custom job:

One thing I didn’t mention is that its simple and sleek lines blend with most furniture styles you may already have. Mid-century modern? – Sure. Traditional? – We can make that work. Contemporary? – Not a problem.

So I think that settles it: this is my favorite chair right now. …and I don’t even own one!

Disclaimer: I rarely go on and on about my favorite products, but when I do, please know I’m doing so out of my own affinity for them and not because I’m compensated or asked to by the company. In fact, if we’re being honest here, Room & Board doesn’t even offer a trade discount…so you know I must really love them!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.