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For Carrie Bradshaw loyalists, fantasy has always been part of the package (those Manolos on a freelance writer’s income?) and the sets have been just as buzzy as the storylines. In the latest season of And Just Like That (wrapping this Thursday), Carrie’s newly furnished townhouse became the scene for a small but telling design moment.
While watching Episode 11, Lauren Caron, principal designer and founder of Studio Laloc, zeroed in on a pair of striped chairs in Carrie’s newly furnished living room. The chairs looked the same, but had different shapes and accents.
“One detail that caught my eye was the upholstery: the cushions had Turkish corners with a large button—a feature you rarely see. I also loved how the subtle stripe in the fabric worked with the upholstery,” she says. “When Charlotte was first walking around the room, we only saw one chair, which had a bullion fringe that matched the upholstery almost perfectly. In the next shot, when Carrie was sitting in the other chair, the bullion fringe was a contrasting color—an unexpected, perfect pop against the fabric.”
Caron posted her observations to her Instagram Stories, which started a conversation among her designer friends around chairs that coordinate without exactly matching. “I’ve actually had a pair of chairs in storage for years that I’ve been meaning to upholster, and seeing these gave me the ‘aha’ moment I needed,” she says. “It also opened up new possibilities when sourcing for clients: If we can’t find a perfectly matching set, we can look for two with similar silhouettes and make them work together beautifully.”
The Concept Isn’t Exactly New
Two chairs that are more like siblings than twins isn’t a groundbreaking idea, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing. “In Sweden and other parts of Europe, you’ll find his-and-hers or mama-and-papa chairs, which are designed to be similar but slightly different in proportion to suit each head of the household,” Caron says. She recommends following in these footsteps by reupholstering two coordinating yet contrasting chairs in the same fabric, à la Carrie Bradshaw.
“A modern twist on this idea is pairing chairs that weren’t originally meant to be together and making them a set—siblings—through reupholstery,” she says. “It brings more interest to a space, invites a second look, and adds that imperfect and unexpected quality that can take a room from good to great.” While these chairs fit well in a living area, they could also be used in a dining room or bedroom for a casual lounge space.
You’ll Want It to Feel Fun and Intentional
Much like Carrie, these chairs fit best in a room that feels playful. “While this design won’t work in very formal interiors that demand strict symmetry, it’s perfect for designs that embrace informal balance,” Caron says. While she would totally love to have a duo of striped chairs in mustard like Carrie, Caron would also consider a busy floral or plaid pattern to help trick the eye.
“The key is for the difference between the chairs to be somewhat unobvious at first glance, which happens when the pattern draws the attention. If the fabric is too simple, the mismatch will feel more obvious, as if you tried too hard,” she says. Once you pick the fabric, vary the details to create an intriguing opposition.
“To make it work, keep most upholstery details consistent—both chairs should have cording, fringe, or similar cushion styles—and the overall silhouette should be close. In Carrie’s case, both chairs were barrel-back, rolled-arm designs with back and seat cushions. Too many differences in shape or details, even with matching fabric, would make the pairing less successful.”
Sibling Pairs to Shop
