There are many good reasons to buy a swivel chair — in particular, the ease of movement.

But Ghislaine Viñas, an interior designer in New York who frequently uses them in her projects, thinks one of the best is the sense of play they create. “They’re fun,” she said. “I’ve put them in family lofts where the kids just use them as entertainment.”

And in a difficult space, she added, a swivel chair can be the most pragmatic choice. Ms. Viñas said she often installs them in living rooms with multiple seating areas, so the chairs can rotate between various conversation groups.

She also uses them in bedrooms with a view. “You want that great sculptural corner chair, facing into the room,” she said. And if the chair has a swivel base, she noted, it can easily pivot to face windows beside or behind it.