THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - These Compact Lounge Chairs Are Comfy Enough for a Marathon TV Session

Six small armchairs for tight spaces, so there’s somewhere you can kick back when the sofa’s already taken

Curling up on a couch will always be the most coveted spot for a marathon TV session. But if you’ve got company and the room doesn’t fit an additional lounge chair—many of which are more than 3 feet wide—are you doomed to perching three-in-a-row on the sofa? Do you draw straws to determine who gets the straight-backed dining chair you pull in for additional seating?

Glenn Ban has seen many people try to remedy such a situation by cramming rooms with too-large chairs. But the interior designer in East Hampton, N.Y., offers hope: “A single accent-style chair can be comfortable and functional but not imposing.”

So we asked designers for their favorite chairs within two parameters: less than 30 inches wide and comfortable enough for a couple of hours of television. Here, their choices, at three different price points, from economical to spendy.

Under $500

Noelie Rattan Lounge Chair, $399, CB2.com

This mindi-wood and rattan lounger offers cosseting curves and a tufted cushion without crowding a room. “Wooden legs feel less heavy in a small space, especially opposite an upholstered sofa, whose silhouette often goes to the floor,” said Alana Marie, an interior designer in Malibu, Calif.

Floria Chair, $499, UrbanOutfitters.com

Interior designer Amanda Leigh, co-owner of Los Angeles firm House of Rolison, owns two of these well-priced seats from Urban Outfitters. “I bought them for a project and kept them because they are so good,” she said. While more upright in design, the allover padded upholstery brings the comfort. “If a chair doesn’t have a high back to recline, you want a softer armrest to lean into,” said Marie.

$500 to $2,000

Chance Leather Armchair by Four Hands, $1,649, Perigold.com

Channeled leather not only makes for cushy upholstery, it stands up well. “Leather is always low-maintenance and won’t show wear-and-tear as quickly,” said Fiona Sigg, owner of CD Interiors in New Canaan, Conn. She would lighten the dark pelt with a patterned bolster. “I like an additional cushion on a lounge chair. People can use it for back support or slip it to the side.”

Haverhill Chair, $798, Anthropologie.com

Low to the ground and tilted back much like an Adirondack chair, that icon of ease, this 25-inch perch, the smallest on this list, is big on presence. Brass accents and white linen upholstery add polish, and the oval hollow in the frame lends midcentury grooviness. Ban suggests a small accompanying stool as a footrest or side table. “Often the coffee table isn’t accessible to the lounger, and you want something to put a drink on,” he said.

Over $2,000

Maker’s Armchair, from $3,485, LawsonFenning.com

“This chair has a perfect pitch to the back, and the details really push it over the edge,” said Marie. The mix of wood, powder-coated metal and leather back straps, coupled with upholstered cushions, make it work in almost all living rooms. “For smaller spaces I avoid legs that splay out,” she said. “Look for legs that keep the footprint small.”

Ekstrem Chair by Varier, from $2,999, VarierChairs.com

This Norwegian classic, which wraps foam and knit upholstery over a steel frame, lets you sit front-, side- or even backward(legs slip through the middle gap and arms rest on the back). “People are skeptical until they sit in it and realize it’s actually really comfortable,” said Leigh, who always suggests a standout lounger to clients. “I like simple couches and then go a little crazy with the chair or a rug with some texture, especially in smaller spaces with limited furniture pieces,” she said.

The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.

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