{le dome chair}


Is it just me or have you noticed the dome chair popping up more frequently these days? As I was flipping through the latest issue of Elle Decor, I came across this ad from Restoration Hardware:


What an interesting shape! This chair really adds the look of vintage glamour to any space, and I find it rather intriguing! It’s a reproduction of a French regency period chair that retains the dramatic dome and deep wings of the original which were intended to fend off drafts in the grand chateaux of 18th-century France. According to exoticexcess.com, in the grand chateaux of 18th-century France, the porter who would be stationed by the entrance to admit visitors would have sat in a chair much like this. The dome chair is said to block out some of the noise when you sit in it and therefore make an excellent book-reading chair!


via Parker Sims Interiors and High Fashion Home

Kelly Wearstler is known for using these chairs in several of her private and commercial projects {images via Kelly Wearstler Interior Design}:



Doheny Estate

Lounge of the cafe at Bergdorf Goodman

BG at Bergdorf Goodman

Depending on the fabrics and finishes used, I think the canopied wing back chair can go from extremely funky and hip to chic and sophisticated. I do love the height the dome chair adds, and it certainly injects drama into Kelly’s designs.

The Tides South Beach

The Tides South Beach

Domicilium Decoratus by Kelly Wearstler

So after doing my research, I had to sit in one of these chairs on my last trip to Restoration Hardware … you know, for investigative purposes of course! My first thought was, boy, if these chairs were side by side, you couldn’t see the person sitting next to you!! Well, Kelly fixed that problem with this interesting creation, check out the cut-out holes in the side of these chairs!



And it’s not just Ms. Wearstler who is infatuated with these chairs, here is an example from Thom Filicia’s book, Thom Filicia STYLE. Filicia describes canopied wing backs as “personal cocoons of coziness.”


San Francisco designer Gabriella Sarlo also carries these fine chairs in her showroom:


The dome chair even popped up in a Crocodile embossed leather on the set of the television show Ugly Betty!


So what do you think? Love ‘em or could live without ‘em? I think it could easily go either way for most people, but I find the history of this handsome chair so interesting that it makes it seem regal and glamorous!

PS. Victoria-based designer Ivan Meade has posted a lovely interview with Kelly Wearstler herself, be sure to pop over to Meade Design Group blog for the inside scoop!

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