Furniture can be sleek, stylish without giving up comfort

Comfort is paramount to most people choosing furniture — especially when that furniture is being purchased for the family room or other informal areas of the house. But just because furniture is comfortable does not mean it cannot be stylish, too.

Both are possible in the same room and even in the same piece of furniture, said Anne Hildreth, a designer in the Vernon Hills Steinhafels furniture store.

“Reclining furniture is very popular today but current recliners don't look like the overstuffed, bucket seated ‘Bubba' furniture of the past,” she explained. “Today's recliners are often high-end pieces with tailored arms and backs that also happen to be designed to recline and are very comfortable.”

“Many are custom-made so the homeowner can choose exactly the arm, seat depth, back height and footrest they want, as well as the fabric or leather they prefer. And the cushioned backs are generally filled with extra firm down so they can look very tailored, but feel very comfortable,” Hildreth said.

The person in the home who is most concerned about a stylish look is able to buy furniture today without clashing with the person who is most interested in comfort, in other words.

“We ask buyers exactly how they plan to use the item and then help them choose from there,” she said. “You also have to consider the size of the people sitting on the furniture, too. You don't want to put a 6-foot-tall man on a small sofa. The poor guy would have his knees up to his chin!”

Big chairs, known as “chair-and-a-halfs,” are also popular with matching ottomans, as are pushback reclining chairs that can look either traditional or sleek, complete with rolled arms and a very stylish look.

As for furniture materials, Hildreth said many people are getting away from leather sofas and sectionals and gravitating toward mixed-color tweeds for a nice variation in color. But if the homeowners have pets or small children, leather is still best because it is much more durable, doesn't attract pet hair and is practical for cleaning up spills.

“I am seeing much more interest in eclectic looks in all rooms. People are mixing fabric and leathers on chairs and sofas within the same room to keep in interesting. That sleek, matching, all leather look from the 1990s is gone,” she said. And when it comes to colors, the most popular choices are grays and taupes (often in a two-color herringbone pattern fabric) or the worn looking, unprotected brown leather.

Color is being brought into furniture settings through the use of colorful pillows in geometric and floral designs.

“I liken pillows on a couch to the relationship between a man's suit and his tie. They are the pop of color next to a neutral base.” The hot colors today, she said, are teal blue and orange.

In addition, Hildreth said cocktail tables are being largely replaced by cocktail ottomans. She said she usually suggests that such ottomans not match the sectional or sofa they accompany. So a leather couch or sectional would have a fabric ottoman and vice versa.

“They are great for kicking back and relaxing after a long day and if you need to serve food or drinks on the ottoman, I recommend the use of a large wooden tray that can be hidden under the ottoman when not in use,” Hildreth said.

Remember, she added, to consider your long-term plan, budget and stage in life when choosing furniture.

“If you are furnishing an apartment that you plan to keep for a few years and then move into a house, you probably won't want to spend a lot on your furniture. But if you are moving into your dream house, more high-end furniture is probably in order,” Hildreth said.

When furnishing the more formal areas of a home, like the living and dining rooms, she continued, it is wise to keep your base items like couches and chairs neutral. That way, you can change the rooms with pillows and other accents to coincide with the seasons and you can make more substantive updates every seven to 10 years without replacing big ticket items that are still perfectly fine.

Steinhafels Furniture is located at 569 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Vernon Hills. For more information, call (847) 281-0050 or visit www.steinhafels.com.