Buying Guide: Dining Chairs
The humble dining chair is so much more than something to sit on when you’ve got guests. It might be your designated WFH desk, where you sit to enjoy the all-out Christmas feast you spent eight hours preparing, or where you relax and recline over a glass of wine with your favourite people - for some, it is all of the above. It can make or break your interior aesthetic, and, when chosen carefully, it can remain relevant for years to come, a cornerstone of your iconic abode.
At Where Saints Go we have a huge variety of dining chairs on offer which are carefully handcrafted by experienced artisans. You’ll find Scandinavian Mid-Century dining chairs, dining chairs hand-upholstered in velvet, industrial metal dining chairs and luxurious leather options with solid teak structures. With so many different styles and materials on offer, it’s helpful for you to have a place to start when it comes to choosing your dining chair, which is why we’ve compiled this dining chair buying guide.
Location & Style
Start with your location. If you have a casual, open-concept kitchen and dining space, you can opt for something quite relaxed and informal such as the handwoven wicker Solo Dining Chair or the French Bistro Chair. If it’s optimum versatility you’re after, and you want a chair that can also double up beside your desk or dressing table, the Cesca is a beautiful blend of professional and personal. However, if you have quite a formal dining arrangement and are keen to make a luxurious statement, you might prefer the timeless elegance of the Katrina Dining Chair, or the plush Granada, which is available both with and without arms, making it ideal for lining either side of a dining table and positioning two with arms at both ends.
It’s also important to think about the location of your chairs in relation to the space in your chosen environment. There needs to be enough space between the backs of your chairs and any walls and other furniture such as sideboards and consoles. This will allow you and your guests to sit comfortably and get up from the table with ease. You should also factor in walking space behind the chairs, and ease of access to other rooms or spaces nearby. The exact figures come down to personal preference and space available, but a good general rule is to leave 110cm between the table and the wall, which will in turn leave around 50cm behind you when seated, thus providing enough space to sit back away from the table after eating, and to get up.
The practical points of your chair
Formal vs relaxed
Once you’ve chosen a few models, you can narrow down your selection by considering practical things such as the materials, and how easy the chair will be to clean. If you’re choosing a kitchen chair, you might be better off opting for a material such as metal, leather or wood that can be cleaned relatively easily. Good examples include our very popular Brooklyn range , the iconic RH Dining Chair and the Fjord rattan model. If you’re tight on space, or shopping for spare chairs for hosting, you could opt for folding chairs such as the Phoebe or Scout.
In a formal dining area, you can go for something more luxurious or statement, such as the very popular and very iconic Olson, which is an ode to statement Scandinavian design, or the sumptuous Thaddeus Dining Chair, with its cream boucle upholstery and radiant brass-finish legs.
Chair Frame & Finish
The chair frame itself provides the structure of the chair and often has a statement shape. Not only does this have an impact on the look of the chair, but it will also play into how it feels to sit in. For example, a cantilevered frame has a springiness to it, while wood and metal are likely to feel slightly different due to their weight and density.
Then, each frame will also have a unique finish to it. Metal will often have a metallic finish such as chrome or brass, but a lot of our models are finished in black for a contemporary industrial look. Wood has countless finishes due to both the different stains used and the natural variations in different types of wood. If you want a rich, antique feel, you might like teak and mahogany models, while rustic, stripped-back spaces are better accessorised with lime-washed pieces and lighter natural finishes.
We understand that when you’re making such an investment into your aesthetic, it’s nice to be able to try things for size, colour and comfort. While we don’t always hold stock of every single item, we do offer warehouse visits strictly by appointment only. You can call to book on 0161 368 9638, and if you have a specific piece in mind, we will be able to tell you if it’s here for you to see.
Seat Height
We’ve previously published a guide on seat height, but here’s a little refresher. Most dressing tables, desks, kitchen and dining tables generally stand at around 70-75cm. You can see for yourself what the seat height is on each of our helpful ‘dimensions’ tabs on the product pages, but they generally sit somewhere around the 45cm mark, which gives you a generous 20-30cm space for sitting, moving your legs around and generally feeling comfortable. If you’ve got a strangely sized table or a custom-built workstation, you might want to consider getting an adjustable seat, or even opting for a low stool.
To work out how much space you’ll have for your legs, simply subtract the seat height from the table height. For example:
75cm TABLE HEIGHT − 45cm SEAT HEIGHT = 30cm gap for legs
Backrest Height
The style and height of the backrest is the biggest ergonomic decision you’ll make. Chairs with large backrests generally provide more support, but they will also take up more space and eat into the visual aesthetic. For example, our Grand Dining Chair has an immersive seat complete with armrests and a wraparound, tall backrest. The Kenny strips this back slightly with its cut-out structure and wraparound back and the Manchester takes it back further, with just a seating pad and backrest. Ultimately, the height of your backrest will come down to two things - ergonomic comfort and how visible the backrest is over the top of your dining table.
Backrest height is important not only for your seating position and back support but also for how you want the chairs to look. You might opt for a grand, high-back dining chair for the visual appeal over the table.
Chair Width
Creating a functional, comfortable and stylish dining space will require a small amount of maths to ensure that everyone around the table has enough room to eat and relax in comfort. After all, there’s nothing worse than constantly bumping elbows with your partner or accidentally touching knees with your in-laws. To make sure that you have enough space around your table, the general guide is to ensure that there is at least 15cm between each chair. To figure out if this will work, simply look at the overall width of your chosen chair on the ‘dimensions’ tab, and use that as your guide to work around the table, putting 15cm between each one.
Commercial Dining Chairs
Other factors to take into account when choosing dining chairs is whether or not you want to use them for commercial purposes, which require all sorts of extra considerations in terms of fire resistance and hospitality standards. We’ve covered most of this in our Commercial Furniture article, but it’s good to take into account things like stackability, weight and whether or not the upholstery is vegan.
