Interior Design
How Do I… Choose the Right Dining Chairs to Fit my Table?
Once you’ve found your perfect dining table, you need to choose the right dining chairs to go with it
Long gone are the days of the ‘dining suite’ – a dining table with matching chairs in the same materials and colour.
Now, the idea is to find dining chairs that add more to the overall interior design scheme and to offer a variety of seating options from benches to upholstered chairs to stools.
Tips for choosing dining chairs
One of the positives about buying a dining suite is that the chairs will ‘fit’ the table: the seat height is designed for that specific table height and fitting in all the chairs in not a squeeze at all. When buying table and chairs separately, you will need shop armed with measurements.
One of the positives about buying a dining suite is that the chairs will ‘fit’ the table: the seat height is designed for that specific table height and fitting in all the chairs in not a squeeze at all. When buying table and chairs separately, you will need shop armed with measurements.
Get the measurements right
You will want a dining chair to be at least 43 centimetres wide; if you have the room to go up to 55 centimetres wide then you’ll find your dinner guests staying much longer.
You will want a dining chair to be at least 43 centimetres wide; if you have the room to go up to 55 centimetres wide then you’ll find your dinner guests staying much longer.
The seat of the dining chair needs to be 40-45 centimetres from the floor, and with a gap of around 30 centimetres from the underside of the table top to the seat in order for diners to fit themselves in comfortably.
Get the look: Dining chairs with armrests will take up more room than those without. It’s quite common use these at the head of a rectangle table. It’s a considerate choice if you have an elderly family member who requires more space and the arms can provide support when getting in and out of the chair.
Iconic dining chairs
Good design is timeless and if you opt for design classics like Wegner’s Wishbone chair, Jacobsen’s Model 3107 chair, the Eames’ Shell chair, Panton’s S-shaped chair (pictured here) or any of the many in the market, pairing them to a table is not a problem.
Designer dining chairs you need to know about
Good design is timeless and if you opt for design classics like Wegner’s Wishbone chair, Jacobsen’s Model 3107 chair, the Eames’ Shell chair, Panton’s S-shaped chair (pictured here) or any of the many in the market, pairing them to a table is not a problem.
Designer dining chairs you need to know about
Get the look: The originals are very hard to come by but official reproductions made by the same factories and versions ‘inspired by’ the originals are generally much more affordable.
Multi-function chairs
Remember that you can always use your dining chairs in other parts of the home. Upholstered dining chairs can also be used as a reading chair or a dressing table chair.
Remember that you can always use your dining chairs in other parts of the home. Upholstered dining chairs can also be used as a reading chair or a dressing table chair.
Get the look: You can also use dining chairs as desk chairs; slip one under a deep console table to create a makeshift home office.
Get the look: Those with young children might be more at ease with a wipe-clean surface like leather or PVC.
Get the look: There are a wide variety of wooden dining chairs to choose from, everything from all-timber styles to those that have upholstered seats and back, or metal legs.
Get the look: Benches are good for smaller dining rooms as they can be tucked completely under the table; they allow people to sit closer together allowing for more interaction and they make a space feel more casual. Having too many individual chairs can make a small space look cluttered and that’s where a bench makes perfect sense.
Get the look: The Navy chair was designed for use on American submarines and carry a lifetime warranty. It’s a popular chair in commercial spaces where diners don’t sit for long periods of time.
Get the look: If you are looking for a metal chair with a bit more comfort, try something like this Eames Wire chair which has a padded seat.
Get the look: The famous Eames Shell chair was one of the very first chairs to feature a moulded plastic seat, and it remains one of the most comfortable.
TELL US
What type of dining chairs do you prefer? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
What type of dining chairs do you prefer? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
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