The IKEA Chair Designers Love To Bring A Pop Of Color In A Home Office

The collective shift to remote work has made a supportive office chair an absolute must-have. Yet for all of the ergonomic necessities office chairs give, they are a type of furniture that's dominated by bland or monochromatic color tones. And worse yet, they're often just plain ugly. While those chairs might be practical for commercial office spaces, their dull aesthetics don't exactly strike joy into the hearts of remote workers. They're like the physical version of a power cable or spreadsheet: sure, you need them, but you'll never be excited to use them. This is where IKEA's SMÖRKULL office chair steps in, and particularly, the Gräsnäs red version.

At first glance, the chair offers up the expected, practical silhouette of an office chair, with features like adjustable height and smooth casters for more comfortable all-day use. But what really makes the SMÖRKULL an exciting and eye-catching chair is its simple, yet honestly super compelling color: red. We're not talking a safe muted maroon, but rather a sophisticated and contemporary hue that makes it a statement piece for your unique home office setup. That's why designers like Anna Wakeham are championing the SMÖRKULL as the perfect, non-boring office chair. The SMÖRKULL's streamlined, clean look makes it feel like a calculated and deliberate choice for a remote worker who cares about their home office and how they feel when they're in it. Plus, its many ergonomic options (from adjustable armrests and three-position tilt lock, to lumbar support and synchronized tilt tension) and 10-year warranty just feel like the cherry on top of the sundae.

Properly styling the SMÖRKULL in your home office will be just as much fun as seeing it there every morning as you clock in. What makes it so much fun is an interior design principle known as color anchoring. Many home offices lean into neutral palettes (think soft greys, creams, or warm beiges), since they help you feel peaceful and focused throughout your day. This also helps them blend in better with the rest of your home. Now against this muted backdrop, a single object with a burst of rich color like the red SMÖRKULL, becomes a high-contrast visual anchor in the room.

The chair shines against any neutral items surrounding it. Consider its rich hue paired with the warm texture of a natural wooden desk; the smooth wood grain is a fantastic contrast. And that elevates the desk from being just a functional surface that holds your laptop and other necessary desk accessories to being part of a coordinated, intentional design. Similarly, as noted by designer Anna Wakeham, when placed against a neutral room (with a beige or soft grey wall) the chair adds a pop of color, and stops the area from feeling washed out or even monotone. Knowing how to use an anchoring point makes design fun. A singular saturated bit of color is a point of visual interest, and making it something useful like an office chair is just plain smart. The IKEA SMÖRKULL office chair in Gräsnäs red is a simple high-impact option that'll brighten up any home office. It's a lovely, purposeful choice for anyone who views their workspace as an extension of the rest of their curated home.