What style of dining room chair would look best with this dining room table?

October 29, 2010 3:29 PM

What style of dining room chair would look best with this dining room table? (Pics inside)

My wife and I bought this table at a community garage sale but it didn't come with chairs. Both of us have kind of a shallow knowledge of furniture, etc. so we are kind of stumped as to what sort of chairs to buy for it.

Here are two pictures:

Picture 1
Picture 2

Links to specific chairs at Ikea and the like would be awesome, but any help is appreciated.

posted by imabanana to home & garden (15 answers total)

I don't have specific chair suggestions (style-wise, you could pick just about anything for this one that goes with your decor - modern, traditional, etc), but more important than appearance is to measure before you lug home chairs that may not be the right size:

- Measure from the floor to the underside of the apron of the table to figure out the maximum height of any chair arms.

- Find a chair in your house that sits you at the right height for the table then measure the height of the seat of that chair.

Take your measurements to IKEA and find a chair that you like the look of that fits your measurements.
posted by cecic at 3:37 PM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Rats, forgot to mention if it's a table for 6, measure between the table legs on the long side so you know if you can fit two of your chosen chairs side by side.
posted by cecic at 3:39 PM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Not exactly Ikea, but the keyword I used was 'rustic'. Maybe your style, maybe not?

http://www.tresamigosworldimports.com/Products/JALI-BACK-CHAIR-WIRON__BAC-378.aspx
http://www.tresamigosworldimports.com/Products/LAS-VEGAS-CHAIR__SFR-SIL28.aspx
http://www.tresamigosworldimports.com/Products/Curved-Back-Dining-Chair__BAC-SC1102.aspx
http://www.tresamigosworldimports.com/Products/PRIMO-CHAIR__BAC-SC067.aspx
posted by Lizc at 3:41 PM on October 29, 2010

I would skip the measuring and get chairs without arms. This is a dining table, right?

It could be something traditional. Something more modern. Or something a little more funky.

The key is to look around your place, and think about what you guys like. Do you want it to be very matchy matchy? Or is it important that it be less traditional? Ikea will have a million choices.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:47 PM on October 29, 2010

you really could do almost any style with this table. i like to contrast styles tho, so i would go pretty modern.

i like the idea of doing the http://www.dwr.com/product/dining/chairs/side-chairs/eames-molded-plastic-4-leg-side-chair-dsx.do?sortby=ourPicksemeco navy chair on the other sides.
posted by violetk at 3:52 PM on October 29, 2010

Why not go mis-matchy?

Mismatched Dining Rooms

How To: Choose Mismatched Chairs
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:29 PM on October 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

Great table.

Nthing getting measurements for chairs, then finding mismatched ones but all in a dark wood to pick up the dark-wood decorative elements in the table.
posted by Elsie at 4:35 PM on October 29, 2010

If you stain the table a darker color, you'll have many more style options for chairs because the table will look more sophisticated than it does right now. Once stained, the table will then function the same way that a very nice pair of shoes matches any outfit, from casual to fancy.

Staining the table a nice rich dark brown will ABSOLUTELY enhance the hardware and inlays (please don't paint - you'll lose all the detail!.)

It's a beautiful table! After changing the color, I would match the chairs to style of the rest of the room -or- change the style of the rest of the room to match my new table and chairs, including upgrading the light fixture(s.)

Enjoy your new purchase!
posted by jbenben at 4:39 PM on October 29, 2010

oops, that didn't work.

eames molded plastic

or bench on one side with emeco navy chair on others
posted by violetk at 4:57 PM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

maybe maple windsor chairs or ladderbacks?
posted by Max Power at 5:18 PM on October 29, 2010

Beautiful as it is.
Don't change the color.
Try something contrasting; the first thing that came to my mind was bentwood chairs, the classic ones with a sort of looped rattan back. Can't find a sample, you know the kind I mean. Their light look would balance the table's heavy look. But that's just me.
Great find.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 6:04 PM on October 29, 2010

I think BlahLaLa's Ikea suggestions are great, especially if you want to work the table in with a more contemporary aesthetic. But if you want something to complement the table, I think Mission or Arts & Crafts would do it. Examples:

Arts and Crafts
Mission

(Ikea didn't have anything that was quite right, so I figured Target would be roughly analogue price-wise, but these are such iconic styles that you could find them at any price/quality level.)
posted by ella wren at 9:18 PM on October 29, 2010

What a beautiful table! It feels very mission-y to me.

I think a fairly simple X-back style would harmonize with the X motif on the tabletop.

Otherwise, I'd go for a fairly plain farm-table style, like these Bertils from IKEA
posted by drlith at 5:12 AM on October 30, 2010

Nice table, don't change it.

I would suggest one of these chairs: Henriksdal, Henriksdal with cover, Ingolf or Norrnäs. All are simple, classic designs, that were popular 50 or 100 years ago. If you want something more modern (and stackable), consider Gilbert, the IKEA version of the Mid-Century Arne Jacobsen design Series 7.
posted by iviken at 1:29 PM on October 30, 2010

bench.

chairs.
posted by violetk at 3:54 PM on October 30, 2010