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There are a handful of products interior designers use again and again because they’re just that good. In this new series, we ask a pro to share a current holy grail item.
It’s been two years since Jake Arnold dropped his first furniture collection at Crate & Barrel, and we still find ourselves ogling over his chic box-pleat sofa, rattan dome pendant, and curvy oak coffee table. We aren’t alone. Albina Hunt, the interior designer behind Santa Monica–based firm Albina & Co., has a soft spot for one of Arnold’s Crate & Barrel pieces. The olive-hued, velvet-covered, chunky Rumford chair has become a go-to for a handful of upcoming projects, particularly for her clients’ bedrooms.
“Nothing makes a space more special than an elegant and comfortable accent chair,” says Hunt. This one’s draw? “It adds a chic and luxurious vibe and looks great with a pile of clothes or a soft blanket draped over it,” she adds. That’s right, even under a mountain of jeans, this sculpted wingback chair and its inset wood details sing.
When she knows she’s going to use this chair in a project (or any piece upholstered in velvet for that matter), Hunt will pair it with a bed frame that’s a different material, like Serena & Lily’s four poster oak Whitaker bed or Soho Home’s cane and rattan Hasker bed to balance out the sumptuous fabric.
The designer is such a big fan of this tailored chair that she doesn’t want you to keep it to yourself. “Guest bedrooms are probably my favorite use case because it adds a warm inviting feel as well as a cozy spot for them to enjoy some quiet time,” she says. At $1,399, the Rumford chair is an investment, so it’s nice to make the most of it by letting other people see (and sit on) it, too.