CHAIRS WITH ARMS VS. WITHOUT: WHO SITS WHERE, AND WHAT IT MEANS
It’s a detail few notice at first: some chairs have arms, others don’t. At a dinner table, in a meeting room, at a conference panel or a family gathering, the mix often seems random — until you look closer. Then, patterns emerge. Who gets the chair with arms? Who takes the one without? And what does that small choice say about power, comfort, and presence? Chairs with arms tend to imply authority, status, or at least comfort. They're wider, more structured, sometimes subtly elevated. Without realizing it, we often reserve them — or instinctively assign them — to the host, the elder, the leader, the man. The person meant to stay longer. The person whose comfort seems to matter most. Chairs without arms, meanwhile, often signal transience. They’re less grounded, less secure, easier to tuck away. Guests and newcomers are gently directed to them. They're easier to leave — and easier to leave behind. In formal spaces, these seating decisions are rarely neutral. In conferen...