Irish interior designers share their picks of not-hideous office chairs

Don’t want a polyester netted swivel office chair in your home? Understandable.

If you’re at home during the pandemic, trying to work and letting work into your home virtually via video calls, the last thing you want is an ugly physical reminder of office life in the corner too. We all have limits.

After spending time searching and settling on an only-alright work from home (WFH) chair for myself, I got in touch with Irish interior designers, who have the experience designing both commercial and home offices, for their superior selections.

Ahmad Fakhry

Eames EA108, around €2,670

“It’s hard to look past the classic Eames EA108 by Charles and Ray Eames, produced by Vitra, for a perfect WFH chair. It’s elegant and light, really comfortable to work in and looks good in almost every setting. The version with the swivel base, but no wheels, will feel better in a house too.”

Tip Ton chair, €290

“I love the Tip Ton chairs by Barber Osgerby for Vitra. Movement should be encouraged when you are working at a desk and for me I switch from paper to laptop a lot during the day and this chair facilitates that in a really simple way. It’s pretty discreet when pushed under a desk and again has some nice colour options. Price-wise, it’s brilliant too.”

Hiroshima armchair, from around €1,400

“Lastly, if you’re just looking for a beautiful piece of furniture that will be comfortable to work in for the day but not a ‘task chair’ the Hiroshima armchair by Naoto Fukasawa for Maruni is exactly that.”

Sara Cosgrove

Exmoor chair by Jan Lennon, €650

“As living spaces become more multifaceted and multifunctional – morphing from our relaxation, work and workout spaces as the day goes by – we are always challenging ourselves to find pieces that can keep up. Jan Lennon‘s Exmoor chair is a perfect example of what we look for in a furniture piece; it’s sculptural, comfortable and sustainably-made. It ticks all the boxes”

€500, The Store Yard

“My own work from home desk is a repurposed one I bought at The Store Yard. It cost around €500, upholstered and is part of a set of four. It is super comfortable and acts perfectly as a non desk ‘desk’ chair.”

Jacqueline Hall

Soft pad chair by Eames for Herman Miller, around €1,420

“I love the Eames soft pad management chair.  It is hands-down the most comfortable and a great design classic. I reckon sometimes I spend more time in this than in my bed.  I found mine on 1stdibs., and Minima, on Hanover Quay, sell the new design original, and it’s guaranteed for 30 years by Vitra.”

Leather executive desk chair by Charles Pollock for Knoll, €595

“The Vintage Hub [in Oberstown] always have a good selection of design classic office chairs. I love the colour of the leather on this Knoll piece. Time produces a patina on coloured leather that you cannot replicate. ”

Gubi Beetle, €900

“Another favourite we order a lot of is the Gubi Beetle fully-upholstered, from Lost Weekend. It is a chair that works really well as a dining chair and can do double duty pulled over to a desk in the same living space. We have just ordered a white leather version with matt brass swivel base for a bathroom vanity.”

Emily Cunnane

Paro chair by Marte, from €360

“I’m selecting the Paro chair from the Italian design house of Marte, stocked in Ireland by Irish company Workspace Interiors Ltd. It’s an elegant chair with a simple form with lots of options for customisation. The chair size is important in a home office as often we don’t have the same open plan space found in a commercial building, but still need a seat that’s comfortable.”

Paro chair, available from Workspace Interiors Ltd.

“The Paro has a slim footprint but all the comfort of a commercial style office chair.  In terms of customisation, it can come with a wooden shell, or a choice front in fabric or leather, or totally covered in leather. For the base you can choose between a 4-star swivel base or a powder-coated frame work. The price range is between €440 – €585 depending on finish, leather v fabric. The four leg option works out a little less coming in at €360.”

Read more: Thinking about working from home in the future? These pods make a perfect WFH space

Read more: ‘The work has to get done and to the same standard – period. This has been my hardest time as a working mother, ever’

Read more: These are our favourite outdoor furniture brands for every budget