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Contemporary furniture stores are packed with boxy sofas and a mass of midcentury modern lookalikes. But as Curbed’s Diana Budds explains in a recent story, a growing number of designs are opting for a different silhouette.
Instead of sharp-angled glass tables or spindled legs, more designers are turning to rounder shapes, softer lines, and squat proportions. Stuff, Budds writes, that is “cute.”
The design world hasn’t always embraced cuteness, preferring to value the seriousness of sophisticated, high-brow art over whimsical forms that embrace humor and comfort. Budd believes that cute furniture may be a response to increasing anxiety over politics, economics, and culture—her deep dive is a must-read for design lovers.
But huggable, chunky decor is also just plain fun. We’ve rounded up a few products below that can help you capture the look in your own home.
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Moustache Big Game Chair
- $482
Available in an array of cheerful colors, these playful chairs feature tubular parts of metal embedded into each other and coated with a polyurethane foam.
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Large Llama Planter
- $18
This quirky, squat llama features four legs and an opening for greenery, a cute way to add some whimsy to your decor.
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Ophelia Amped Fleece Stool
- $39
Available in three different sizes, this super soft stools can work as a bench or ottoman and adds playful texture to any living room.
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Tom Dixon FAT Dining Chair
- $1
With tubular steel legs and oversized, rounded backs, this Tom Dixon chair collection is designed to “hug the body and allow for multiple sitting positions.”
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Kirby Deep Cushion Sofa
- $1
Boasting a comfy, squishable seat and rounded curves, the Kirby sofa manages to marry a sculpted silhouette with a come-jump-on-me playfulness.
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Areaware Stacking Planter
Designed by Chen Chen and Kai Williams, these now iconic stoneware planters feature a clever hidden saucer in their base, and the wide, puffy rings manage to feel both cute and sleek.
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Bellhop Table Lamp
- $295
Designed by London studio Barber & Osgerby, this squat, portable light is meant to function as a modern-day candle.
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