How to style your living room around a single recliner chair

The superior comfort and postural benefits of a single recliner chair are undisputed. It is the oversized profile that causes homeowners to scratch their heads for a decor solution that will seamlessly accommodate these furniture pieces into a curated living room space.

Let’s face it, a single recliner may tick the function box, but as a lone ranger, it is not the best team player when mixing and matching with the rest of your carefully chosen living room design aesthetic. (This, of course, is never an issue if you have a man cave; leather recliners were born to be the focal point in these 21st-century spaces).

But space constraints should not be the reason to forego a recliner. All it takes are a few creative interior design tips to make these investment pieces make sense, feel at home, and look stunning in your living room.

So sit back, put your feet up and start planning how to design a cohesive lounge or family room space that includes a single recliner chair:

How to position a single recliner chair in your living room

#1 Get the right angle

The best setup for a successful layout is to choose a focal point – a fireplace, a garden view, a conversation cluster or a TV – and then place your recliner at an angle to face that focal point instead of parallel to the walls.

This arrangement helps a single recliner make absolute sense in a living room and create a visual story that is practical and balanced.

Ensuring that the recliner is positioned away from the wall so it has space to recline and that there is also sufficient clearance space for walking when the footrest is up, will make these pieces work beautifully in your home.

#2 Get the right look

Recliners are investment pieces, so you want to get it right when designing your living room space. The whole room needs to function with the recliner in it.

Even an overscaled single recliner chair can become ‘part of the furniture’ and create a cohesive decor narrative. It needs to belong to the room and the easiest way to get this right comes down to the colour and fabric choices – upholstered, genuine leather, faux leather or suede. As far as colours go, select one that will complement and blend in with the rest of your lounge furniture.

As a single recliner, the best tip is for it to take ‘a backseat’ to the other pieces so it doesn’t dominate the space and overshadow the rest of the furniture in the room.

#3 Get the right accessories

Unless all your living room furniture is oversized, the size of a single recliner chair will need to be disguised so that the proportions of the room stay balanced.

If the angled recliner is facing a conversation cluster with a couch opposite it, create height by hanging a large painting, mirror or gallery wall above the couch.
To disguise its size, never leave a single recliner floating in the room on its own. That will just draw more attention to it. A side table with a lamp, a floor lamp or a potted plant placed next to the chair are the ideal additions to distract from the oversized proportions.
A featured hanging pendant or statement chandelier hanging from the centre of the room is a beautiful way to draw your eye up and keep it moving around the room and not only landing on the recliner.
The repetition of soft furnishings on a single recliner – such as cushions or throws – will immediately create a harmonious aesthetic.

#4 Get the right recliner at Reclineronline

At Reclineronline, you are likely to find the perfect single recliner for your living room, man cave or home theatre.

The evolution of the recliner means that there is no longer a ‘one-size-fits-all.’ This makes shopping for one a real decor adventure.

Choose from brands proudly manufactured in South Africa showcasing quality craftsmanship and superior comfort including Calgan, Grafton Everest, Gommagomma and Alpine.

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