What Is A Parsons Chair? All You Wanted To Know About These Beautiful Chairs

What is a Parsons Chair? is a question we often encounter in our comment boards. We decided to write an in-depth article to answer this question.

The dining space is an essential part of your home, and choosing the proper furniture is very important. If you are renovating your dining space or building a new home, dining chairs must be one of the things that you need to finalize for your dining space. 

Several different types of chairs for dining are available in the market. One of the styles is Parson chairs. Now you might affiliate the name Parson with a church or a clergyman, but it has nothing to do with religion. Then what is a Parsons chair? Let’s take a look.

What is a Parsons chair?

A Parsons chair is a dining chair with an armless design, cushioned seats, and a tall backrest. The upholstered design makes it easier to customize, and the look of this chair makes it ideal for placing in just about any corner of your home.

You can usually find them in a set of two or four chairs, and you can buy them with a dining table too. Parsons chairs add elegance and a modern look to your dining space.

 

What Is A Parsons Chair

Origin Of The Term “Parsons Chair.” 

The Parsons chair got its name from the Parsons School of design, situated in Paris, France. The students of this design school created this chair in the 1930s and then sold the chair to furniture shops. 

When sales of the Parsons chairs started soaring, many other manufacturers began to copy this design in their chairs. 

What Is A Parsons Chair

The Parsons chair had a cushioned seat, and that was a first in case of a dining chair. Soon the Parsons dining table came into existence and was sold as a set of dining tables and chairs.

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What Is A Parsons Chair Style 

The style of a Parson chair has not changed much from its original design. After seeing a dining chair Parsons style, one thing that comes to mind is a straight clean design different from the elaborate and carved design of the traditional wooden dining chairs. 

A Parsons chair features a tall backrest that is padded and upholstered. The chair’s legs are slightly curved, plain, and sleek, but some have added detailing. 

Initially, these chairs used many different types of hardwood. The seat was upholstered and padded. The original design of the Parsons chair is armless. 

Some of the design features slightly curved sides in the backrest. The padding on the seat and backrest has a dual purpose: comfort and elegance. You can choose the pattern and design of the upholstery to match your existing decor.

Comfortable Chairs

Comfort was the key factor in the design of the Parsons chair. It features a simple design that is ideal for any setting.

Traditionally dining room chairs were made of hardwood and had intricate detailing and ornamentation. Almost none of them featured any padding or cushioning, making them very uncomfortable if you wanted to sit for a long dinner. There were padded chairs, but those were very heavy and thus inappropriate for a dinner setting.

What Is A Parsons Chair

The dining chair Parsons students made focused on the person’s comfort rather than making the chair a fashion statement. The cushioned seats were a novel idea in the dining chair market. The tall padded backrest added to the comfort while keeping the elegance of the chair.

Versatile 

Have you got guests at home and don’t have sufficient seating space in your living room? You don’t have to worry. While initially made to be used as a dining room chair, Parsons chairs’ sleek look makes them ideal for just about any room in your home. They are light dining chairs, which makes it convenient to move them.

What Is A Parsons Chair

Parsons chairs have a simple and modern look which blends easily in any decor. The upholstered design of this chair comes in many patterns and designs that complement your existing furniture very well. You can also custom order the upholstery matching your theme of the house.

You would find a single Parsons chair in a living room in many homes to add a pop of color or to add some contrast to a monotonous space. It also adds a touch of elegance if placed in the corner of a bedroom or at the bedside.

Easy To Restyle

Parsons chairs are easy to restyle because of their simple design. All you need to do is put a slipcover over them, and you are good to go. You can change the upholstery with a fabric of your choice and something that compliments your decor quite easily. 

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Answers To Common Questions About Parsons’ Chairs

Why is it called a Parson chair? 

This chair got its name from the Parsons School of design, founded by Frank Alvah Parsons in 1921. The students of this school made the first design of the Parson chair in 1930.

What is the difference between a side chair and a Parsons chair? 

A chair that sits along the sides of a dining table is known as a side chair. It is a small chair that generally features an armless design. You can use wood, leather, metal, or upholstery to make a side chair. 

In a casual dining room set, you can use side chairs for the whole table, but in a formal setting, you would need to add armchairs to the head and foot of the dining table. 

A Parsons chair is a fully upholstered chair for dining. It has a tall back and slightly curved legs and has an armless design. The upholstery material can be leather, linen, or any other fabric.

What Is A Parsons Chair

You can use a Parsons chair along the side of the dining table. If you wish to have a casual look for your dining space, you can switch the armchairs at the foot and head of the table with the Parsons chair.

Are Calligaris chairs comfortable? 

Yes, Calligaris chairs are highly comfortable. Calligaris is an Italian furniture manufacturer established in 1923. 

Initially, they made wooden chairs featuring a seat made of straw. Over the years, they switched to a variety of materials like metal and leather. They are known to create furniture with a unique design that adds elegance to your home and offers maximum comfort.

What do you call a dining chair without arms?

There are several designs of dining chairs that come without arms. One of the most common dining chairs without arms is called a side chair. These are placed along both sides of a dining table.

Another dining chair that doesn’t have arms is called Parsons chair. These offer an elegant and modern look to your dining space with their upholstered design.

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Parsons Chair: A Simple, Comfortable, and Elegant Addition To Your Dining Room.

Are your dining room chairs boring and lack color? A Parsons chair can be your ideal solution for a dining room chair. It has a modern and elegant design that works well in both formal and casual settings. With a variety of upholstery materials to choose from, it will complement your existing decor perfectly.

What Is A Parsons Chair

Parsons chairs are versatile and very easy to restyle. It can act as a dining room chair, and you can shift them to other places in your home when there is a requirement for additional seating.