Wingback Chairs

A wingback chair is the traditional high-back armchair with shaped sides, the "wings", that originally protected sitters from drafts in pre-central-heating homes. The format remains popular because the wings frame the sitter, suit reading, and add architectural shape to an otherwise flat-fronted sofa. Aosom UK, Cheap Furniture Warehouse and Cherry Lane Garden Centres between them cover £74-£5,839 across the range. Frame: hardwood (oak, beech) lasts decades; the wingback shape needs proper joinery at the wing-to-back junction to avoid sagging. Fabric: traditional chesterfield-style leather wingbacks suit traditional rooms; velvet wingbacks are the contemporary trend pick; linen and cotton blends are the household middle ground. The full-wingback (wings extend down to the seat cushion) reads more formal; the half-wingback (wings to the upper-back only) is more contemporary. Look for chair height appropriate for the room, wingbacks above 110cm dominate small rooms.