How to Match Your Office Chair to Your Desk

By Irina Talty

Mondays are the worst, waking up early, commuting to work, sitting at a desk for eight hours, and staring at a computer screen. At the end of the day, you’re exhausted, your eyes are strained, and you just want to crawl back into bed and sleep for the rest of the week.

Trust us, we relate.

But what’s even worse is when you need to bring some of your work home and work in your home office. You’ve got to be careful when working from home; your home is your space, and work can easily sneak in and destroy it. Next thing you know, every time you look at your home office, you shudder with the remembrance of work.

But no worries! We can help. At the very least, matching your office chair to your desk will be a vital step in turning your home office into an area you actually enjoy (no easy feat, but a very rewarding one!)

Color

When matching office chairs to your desk, the colors should be complimentary. Clashing colors can make your office space an eyesore, and if the color of the office chair doesn’t match the color of the desk, the two are going to look incredibly mismatched and unorganized.

Take this lovely bright red Admire Office Chair by Zuo Mod. Because of its bright color, unless you have a matching red desk, it’s probably best to pair it with a neutral color- for instance, the silver of its base! The Admire Office Chair would go great with Ipswich Stainless Steel Office Desk by Evans & Londeen. However, you probably wouldn’t want to match the office chair with this vibrant green Thomas Desk. The jarring colors would make your office space look like a tacky Christmas set up; in contrast to the sleek modern setup we’d get with that first pair.

This doesn’t mean you need to stray away from bright colors– it just helps to be cognizant of how you’re matching your desk and chair. After all, color schemes are important in your living room and bedroom… why wouldn’t they be just as important in your office space?

Style

Just like you wouldn’t decorate your living room half in rustic farmhouse and half in sleek modernism, your office chair design style should be harmonious with your desk. Clashing styles are just as obvious as clashing colors, and you’re going to want coherence in your office space.

Let’s use this regal Chambers Desk Chair by Safavieh. It offers a very classic look, that would go well in design schemes that echo a more traditional, colonial style. It’s a very sophisticated and kingly look… and would completely clash with, say, this Ellis Home Office Desk with Four Shelves by Manhattan Comfort. The chair has a much sturdier style, and it would completely imbalance the thin, sleek, modern look of the home office desk. While the chair and desk match in color, their style is completely different, and they would clash.

This Gunnison Desk by Sterling would go better with the Chambers Desk Chair. Both give off a very imperial, almost presidential vibe that would make your home office fit for a king.

Material

A big mistake that is easily made when matching furniture is the failure to match material types of separate pieces. For instance, you might purchase a couch with metal feet and match it with a wooden coffee table. In some cases, this may work, but you need to be careful. Too much mismatch can turn your living room to disarray.

The same mistake can be made with office chairs and desks! For instance, take this Omega Office Chair Low Back by Moe’s Home Collection. Its legs and arms are steel… meaning maybe we shouldn’t match it with the Nolan Secretary Drop Leaf Desk by Chelsea Home Furniture. Matching a primarily steel piece with a completely wooden desk will make the duo look incompatible like you grabbed a random chair on a whim and matched it with your desk… a look nobody wants. On the other hand, the Omega Office Chair would go beautifully with this Marrero Desk by Go Home- they complement each other wonderfully and will create harmony within your room.

Size

Lastly, size is important when matching desks and chairs– similarly to when you match your dining chairs to tables. You don’t want your desk chair to be too tall or too short– it’s got to be just right, just like Goldilocks’ porridge.

This isn’t just for aesthetic purposes; chair height will allow you to work most efficiently. It’s hard to type at your computer when you’re either banging your knees against the top of your desk or straining to reach the top.

To measuring the height of your desk chair: stand in front of the chair and adjust it so that the top of the seat (or cushion) hits the spot right below your kneecap. That’s it! Most desk chairs are adjustable, so they should be pretty flexible.

That’s about it! Just make sure that your desk chair matches both your height and the desk- figure out the measurements of your desk and chair before buying (you’ll thank yourself later!)

Office Chairs for Every Style

This Cleo Office Chair by New Pacific Direct comes in black & walnut with chrome-colored legs. It brings a contemporary twist to a traditional mid-century modern style. The clever mix of materials– plywood and synthetic leather- makes this chair stand out as a unique addition to any home office.

If you want to give your home office an old-fashioned twist, check out this Jonika Desk Chair by Safavieh. With a fun, baby blue coloring, it’s guaranteed to add a pop of life to your office. With such a chic, stylish vibe, it’s perfect for any retro styled room.

The Akron Office Chair by Nuevo Living (made of leather and metal) is absolutely perfect for your industrial decor. The desk chair has a minimalistic design and comes in two colors: Jin Green and Umber Tan.

The Whitney Swivel Office Chair by Safavieh is a perfectly fuzzy addition to any office space! White gold legs and a white faux sheepskin set, it’ll glam up any room. Make yourself feel like a queen with this gorgeous desk chair chrome legs & a swivel mechanism… a dream come true!

Sometimes it can be tough to assign importance to choosing specific pieces of your room décor. A desk chair, in some people’s minds, may not hold as much weight as buying an area rug or a sofa. But when it comes to interior decorating, every little thing matters! Don’t treat the little pieces as an oversight, because they’ll all be coming together to make YOUR perfect space.

Happy shopping!