Beatrice Armchair

Description

Beatrice Armchair

A statement chair rather than a comfortable-but-anonymous one. The arms and back are panelled in textured linen with piping along every seam, and the whole thing is framed in washed wood that is left visible rather than upholstered over — which is what stops it reading as a lump of fabric and gives it the outline people buy it for.

The seat is pocket sprung, which on an accent chair is unusual and worth paying for. Most chairs at this price are foam over webbing: comfortable at first, dipped within two or three years where the sitter lands. Springs under the foam hold their shape for considerably longer, so this is a chair that can be the one people actually sit in rather than the one that looks good in the corner.

Where it works

At 69 centimetres wide it is a genuinely compact armchair — it fits a bay window, the corner beside a fireplace, or the gap at the end of a sofa where a full-size chair would crowd. Angle it rather than squaring it to the wall, and give it a lamp and a side table so it looks used.

Cream against a dark floor or a deep-coloured wall is where this design does its best work.

Textured linen mix, and how to keep it

A linen mix has a visible slub — a slight irregularity in the yarn — which is what gives it texture rather than the flat face of a synthetic weave. It also means it creases where it is sat on, and in cream it shows marks that a patterned fabric would hide.

Vacuum weekly with a soft upholstery head. Blot spills immediately, working from the outside of the mark inwards, and never rub. A fabric protector is worth applying to a cream chair before it goes into use rather than after the first accident.

Specification

Delivery

Delivered free to mainland England and Wales. We do not currently deliver to the Scottish Highlands, Northern Ireland or the offshore islands.

Questions people ask

Will cream stay cream? With prompt spill treatment and regular vacuuming, yes. A fabric protector applied before use is the sensible precaution.

Is it comfortable enough for a whole evening? The pocket sprung seat makes it better than most accent chairs. A deep sofa will still win over several hours.

Is it wide enough to curl up in? At 69cm it is a single seat, not a cuddle chair. For curling up, look at the Bianca 2 seater.

Does it need assembly? The legs attach. A few minutes.

Is there a swivel version? Yes — the Beatrice Swivel Chair, on a turning base.