How to Shop for … Dining Chairs
Choose the right seating for your dinner guests with these five tips.
My latest home decor mission has been to find some new dining chairs. I still love the look of our CB2 pony chairs we brought over from the states, but they’re starting to show some wear and tear.
To begin my search, I started thinking about restaurant experiences I’ve had, and one—admittedly very over-the-top—meal came to mind. For my 30th birthday, my husband treated me to dinner at Beige, the Alain Ducasse restaurant atop the Chanel boutique in Ginza, Tokyo. The chairs in the dining room were upholstered in lush beige tweed and stuffed just enough to be supportive while still allowing you to melt into them and relax during the meal. Of course, I wanted to recreate that inviting, luxurious feeling, minus the Chanel price tag.
Stay tuned for my final chair selection, but in the meantime, here are some tips to help you narrow down your ideal dining options:
1. Measure your table.
No one wants to end up with a set of chairs that won’t fit around and/or under the table. So get out the tape measure and check the sides and ends of your table and the height. This will help you determine how many seats you can have on each side and if you can accommodate arms or not. Check the dimensions of any possible contenders while shopping.
2. Consider the comfort level.
Once you know how many chairs you can have at your table, you need to choose a style. I prefer chairs that compliment the dining table without directly matching it. What matters to me is comfort, so think about how long your average dinner party lasts. How many hours do you spend around the table? What would make you feel like sticking around for another glass of wine or an after-dinner game? Do you prefer a more rigid back for your posture or do you like to lounge?
3. Pick a fabric that’s fabulous and functional.
If you opt for upholstered chairs, choose your fabric carefully. While I’ll never forget that epic dinner at Beige, I’m far too clumsy to have cream-colored dining chairs. And if one of my guests were to spill something, I don’t want them to feel terrible, either. Our current chairs are tweed, but grey, so they hide stains a bit better. Performance velvet and leather are also very durable. Why not try a pattern if you’re feeling extra bold (and clumsy)?
4. Look into the upkeep requirements.
Upholstered or not, dining chairs need to be cleaned. Different fabrics and woods require different cleaning methods, so be prepared in advance—messes will happen and you want them to last a while. Velvet chairs will get dusty and chrome legs will show smudges. Leather also needs to be treated to prevent cracking.
5. Take a seat.
Last but perhaps most important, test out the chairs before you either buy them or unwrap all of them. Take a seat and stay as long as you can. Does a hard seat make you fidget after a while? Does a padded seat lose its shape or make you feel like you’re propped up on a booster? Are you sticking uncomfortably to the leather or do you feel like you might slide off? A good test run will save you buyer’s remorse later.
Want more tips? Learn how to shop for pajamas here.
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