The Top 10 Office Chair Styling Mistakes to Avoid

Your home office deserves more than just a basic swivel chair. Styling your workspace with intention can boost productivity and make your day-to-day more enjoyable. But even the more design-savvy office chairs can fall into traps.

Here are the top 10 office chair styling mistakes to avoid, plus tips on how to fix them.

1. Choosing the wrong size chair for your space

An oversized chair in a small room can overwhelm the space, whilst something too small can feel underwhelming. Aim for balance.

Office Chair 01 is a compact, mid-century inspired design that’s perfect for tight workspaces without compromising on comfort or aesthetics.

2. Mismatching styles and materials

Maximalism and contrasting in a stylish way is an art. Pairing a sleek modern desk with a traditional armchair or occasional chair can create a jarring visual clash (not to mention extremely uncomfortable if you’re sitting at a desk), so keep materials and styles cohesive.

3. Prioritising style over comfort

Looks matter, but if your chair isn’t comfortable for long periods, it’s not doing its job.

Look for soft lumbar cushions and curved arms to keep you supported through long stints of deep focus and back-to-back calls. Find something that looks great, but works harder.

4. Skipping ergonomic details

Posture matters, and not just at your desk height. A chair that doesn’t support your back properly or forces your shoulders to hunch forward can quickly turn your productive day into a painful one.

5. Overdoing colour or print

A statement piece can elevate your space, but go too bold and it can start to look chaotic, especially in smaller rooms.

If you’re looking for personality without overpowering the room, bring a little life to your space with the Swyft x Morris & Co. collection. Iconic patterns like Blackthorn and Pure Willow Boughs meet clean, contemporary silhouettes for a balanced, lived-in look.

6. Cluttering the area around the chair

Your office chair deserves a space to shine. Cramming it between filing cabinets, shelves, and side tables can make it feel lost.

Pair your office chair with a modular sofa of a similar design, whether that’s colour, fabric, or silhouette, simple, intentional styling makes a bigger impact.

7. Overlooking multipurpose designs

If your home office doubles as a guest room or quiet reading nook, your furniture needs to multitask. Look for sofa beds and chair beds that transform in one easy move. No tools, no effort, just simple design that ends in comfort, always.

8. Choosing high-maintenance fabrics

Your office chair will be part of your everyday life. It’s the first place you sit in the morning, the place you swivel and ponder on emails, and sometimes the last place you sit at night. Your office chair should be built to handle it all.

Fabrics like leather and faux leather are easy to clean as they have wipeable surfaces, whilst durable fabrics like velvet, linen, and cotton are built to last.

9. Not considering delivery and assembly

There’s nothing worse than waiting for your desk chair, only to realise it’s going to take half an hour to build with fiddly screws and complicated instructions. Look for easy-to-build or tool free office chairs with speedy delivery and you’ll be set up and ready to go in no time.

10. Using a chair that fades into the background

Your office chair shouldn’t be an afterthought. It’s where work gets done, ideas come to life, and you spend most of your day, so it deserves to be front and centre. Find a piece that reflects your style.

Need help choosing the right fit? Browse our full chair collection.