What is a slipper chair?
A slipper chair is an armless upholstered chair featuring short legs and a high back. Emerging in the 18th century, slipper chairs were originally designed to adorn a woman’s boudoir and provide a functional seat for putting on shoes (or slippers). In the era of elaborate petticoats and corsets, the slipper chair’s armless form made it easy for a maid to kneel in front of a woman to help maneuver on finicky footwear. Today, slipper chairs have graduated from merely functional to a way to procure fabulous flair in a living room, bedroom, or foyer. Slipper chairs’ minimalist silhouette makes them ideal for narrow spaces where an archetypal chair with arms, such as a wingback or a bergere, may feel too overpowering. For this reason, you’ll often see slipper chairs employed in scenarios where a pair of chairs are needed, such as at the foot of a bed or in front of a fireplace. Slipper chairs’ compact footprint means they can be arranged fairly close together, or even layered in front of other furniture.
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Lead photo by Zach DeSart