Bean bags took the world by storm in the 1970s when an Italian designer created the first chair that molded to and moved with your body. Today, bean bags can be found everywhere. The bad news is you’ll likely find them in synthetic vinyl or tacky colors. And we all remember that cheap bean bag we had as kids that leaked filling from a busted seam (duct tape came in handy).
But there is a beacon of hope for bean bags in the world of interior design.
An innovative company in Fairfax, Virginia has made it their mission to offer bean bags that are not only practical and fun, but also beautiful.
The potential of bean bags for interior design was so obvious,” says Jade Nguyen, owner of AHH! Products. “There’s really no limit to how you can use them to create instant ‘pop’ and ambience, so they appeal to everyone’s tastes.”
AHH’s bean bag chairs, called “Ahh Spots” (as in ahhh…that spot’s comfy), take quality, function, and style to heart. They come with slip covers that can be removed and washed in tons of fabric, color, and size options. You’ll find the fabric choices impressive - Waverly, Covington, Chris Stone, Robert Allen, and Microfibres to name a few. Each bean bag chair also comes with an inner water-repellant, stain-resistant liner that holds the filling. These bean bags are so strong that they’re backed by a 10 year warranty (they will actually last much longer than that), so no more worries about springing leaks.
When AHH! started nearly 10 years ago, they wanted to make decorating with bean bags easy for everybody. On their bean bag chairs website, styles are pre-sorted by design theme: City Panache, Country Charm, Exotic Flair, Kid at Heart, and Practical Style. So, decorating is as easy as 1-2-3!
1. Decide what decor theme you’re trying to achieve
2. Have a general idea of your color scheme (warm, cool, neutral, monochromatic, bright, dark)
3. Browse through AHH’s online bean bags catalog; first in the category that best fits your decor theme, and then expand into one or more categories that may spark additional style or color ideas
Say you have a bland living room that needs some pizzazz. To create some urban chic, drop a City Panache bean bag or two next to that boring sofa. AHH’s “Kinetic” has a bold pattern of exaggerated swirls that’s energetic, but not too busy. Choose among 3 color schemes - cool black & silver, warm plum & chocolate brown, and hot red & orange, all with a slight sheen which gives them a high-end feel. Designers like Donna Karan and 2 Jakes of New York have preferred the minimalist look of the off-white natural cotton twill bean bags. These are also great for creating a Martha-Stewart-like white monochrome decor. Clean and contemporary.
And what about your white-wicker-filled sunroom? Give it a color and texture boost from a Country Charm bean bag. “Autumn Leaves” is a soft chenille bean bag with a falling leaves print in rich colors like burgundy and golden mustard. It will warm up the room and bring in a nature theme. Or, inject joy and playfulness into the decor with “Sunny Flowers”, a big print of stylized flowers in bright yellow, orange, and blue.
Transform a sterile dorm room from institutional to interesting with a bean bag from the Exotic Flair line. Try AHH’s Asian-inspired “Zen” bean bag in deep red with black Japanese calligraphy (actress Jessica Alba has this one). Combine with red and black throw pillows (also offered by AHH), matching bed linens, and paper lanterns to complete the Far East look. Or go totally wild with one of the realistic animal faux furs like leopard or tiger. Go nuts with safari-themed desk accessories, lamp shades, throw blankets, even window dressing! Students don’t need a degree in design to pull this off.
Decorating children’s rooms is a snap. Kids light up when they see bean bag chairs regardless, but match them to the décor and watch out! For a girly-girl bedroom, the “Fairytale” fleece bean bag has castles and princesses, which is always a very popular design theme. If you want an equestrian feel, combine Ralph Lauren bed linens and drapery with “Horse Stalls”. This soft fleece bean bag features realistic horses. “Happy Penguins” and “Puppies” are easy accent pieces that create pop in an animal-lover’s room. Decorate a boy’s room with primary colors (walls, rug, bedding) and add a sports or outer space bean bag as focal points. Be daring with AHH’s “Hot Rod”, it’s got raging flames on black for a Rock ‘n Roll edge. Mix and match multiple bean bag chairs for visiting friends (this furniture is portable, so throw them in the closet when not in use).
For a classic room where you don’t need a themed bean bag, solid colors are best. Here, you can play with color and texture. Create a casual atmosphere with denim, either in traditional blue which goes with everything, or mix and match with faded yellow, khaki, and barn red. Faux suede in cocoa brown and dark olive offer a rustic, mountain-lodge air. It’s masculine for the guys, but the soft texture and upscale look of suede appeals to gals, too. Tom Flynn, a design firm in New York, used several cocoa faux suede bean bags for an important residential project.
And then there’s the amazing “Microfibres Velvet” bean bags, as durable as microsuede, but so much silkier on the skin. 19 color choices from shades of neutral to reds, blues, greens, black, even purple and orange. Mix slate, olive, and silver for a muted, cool splash of color. Rich wine, dark red, and eggplant bean bags paired with luxurious velvet drapery and upholstered furniture on dark hardwood is nothing short of romantic decadence. Just don’t go overboard or you’ll end up with a brothel for a living room.
As if the hundreds of styles weren’t enough, you can also hire AHH! Products to custom make a bean bag with your own fabric at a surprisingly reasonable price. AHH is a favorite among professional interior designers (too many to name) who take advantage of the unheard of 3-day or less turnaround and extraordinary quality.
Simply put, bean bags can inspire the interior designer in anyone when they are made with style. “Bean bags invite people to come into a room and enjoy themselves. They can be as simple or complex in texture and color as you need them to be, while always retaining their sense of fun and function,” says Jade Nguyen. The bonus is you can change your interior design on a whim because AHH sells every bean bag cover separately. No need to buy a whole new bean bag, just change the cover! So, find the decor that tickles your fancy and use bean bags to get you there!