Interior Design Spotlight: The Case of the Slipper Chair

From 18th-Century Boudoirs to Modern Living Rooms

The Perfect Solution for Tight Spaces

For small or oddly configured guest rooms (and living rooms for that matter), I’ve long been a fan of the slipper chair. It’s really the perfect solution for a tightly configured space which prevents the scale of a full-sized armchair from fitting into the spatial plan but still means a person can comfortably take off or put on their shoes or sit somewhere other than on the bed. Which is how, of course, the slipper chair came to be. Originating in Europe in the 18th century, the slipper chair was designed for the dressing rooms of ladies to remove or put on their shoes. Low to the ground and armless, the chair was designed to make this easier for the lady herself or her maid who would kneel on the floor to complete the task.

A Brief History of the Slipper Chair

In the 1950s, American interior designer Billy Baldwin re-imagined the slipper chair and incorporated it into his living room designs. The low silhouette of the chair was a perfect partner to the low-slung, clean-lined sofas of the period. Often he would replace the traditional small legs with a box base and enlarge the width of the chair, making a more comfortable seating solution for a living room space.

The Evolution of the Slipper Chair

Although always a high-end design staple in its many low-level armless forms, a new take on the traditional style of the slipper chair began to emerge around 8 years ago when models for the popular market began to appear in chain furniture stores. Closer in scale to the original models than Mr. Baldwin’s adaptation, these chairs featured all manner of design details including roll tops to the back, tufted upholstery, and 1960s peg legs among many others.

The Importance of Scale in Interior Design

Always on the hunt for interesting, authentic, and fit-for-purpose pieces for my client projects, I’ve been looking for a vintage country-style slipper chair for a very petit bedroom in a farmhouse renovation I’m currently working on, that will just fit into a narrow dormer window recess.

Last weekend, I walked into an Emmaüs store and there it was in all its glory – a simple oak frame and a rush seat, all in perfect order for the sum of €12.

Understanding scale is one of the most important aspects to executing a successful interior design. So one thing is for sure, if a guest room can accommodate a generous fully upholstered armchair or sofa or both, then that’s what should be used. Traditional-sized slipper chairs which were designed for small spaces don’t work in larger rooms as standalone where invariably, they look quite lost in the scale of the rest of the space.

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