Choose your dining chairs easy

Quite often our customers are shopping around for dining chairs - and they look to get some chairs without getting a matching table. This is quite common practice.

Dining chairs are quite heavily used and in most cases are replaced faster than tables itself. Besides, a good table, if properly taken care of (if you don't jump on that celebrating every birthday - just kidding) - will last a long time. Why to replace something that you love and that works?

So, lets gather a few key tips which might help you to pick up a right dining chairs to go with your existing table.

Pick up appropriate chairs size-wise

While we have separate dining chair section you might want to take a look into our dining sections. We have those divided in 3 large categories: counter, casual and family size. Almost all of the chairs in these can be obtained separately without getting a table. In fact, we only list chairs in separate category if we have a picture for those.

So, again, about sizes. Measure your existing table. If your table is smaller than 60 inches in total length (width) (we touch on width-length debacle in this article) - it's quite unwise to get any chairs from formal category. Formal dining chairs will be larger, wider and bulkier than your regular chair. Always keep that in mind.

Measuring up is main 'must' task for every furniture purchase. For chairs it's also very important: if you have 60 inches of table size and chairs you want are 20 inches each, don't buy 3 of them to go on a side. You'll need space.

You'll need space to get in and get out, to move chairs around, to freely move your arms while eating and 'pass the salt'. Don't get something simply because you can 'fit' it.

Pick up a correct style

If your budget is somewhat limited and you just want something to seat on, you can of course get your chairs from Ikea. Nothing bad over it, perfect value for the money, but those chairs tend to be quite simple and purely functional. However, if you're a little more serious about it, you can try to match your style.

Traditional, formal, most 'heavy'-looking and grand styles would look the best with same chairs.

Casual style would look best with casual style chairs. If you're table is round or oval, strict square form chairs would look strange with that.

Most tables are 29-30 inches in height (36 for bar style tables), so chairs would work with all of them. However, try to match styles as close as possible.

If your table have chrome or gold parts in it, try to get chairs that have gold or chrome parts in that too.

Chrome would only go well w/ chrome and glass

Try to match colors, but not be obsessed about it

It would be impossible to perfectly match brown shade for your existing table. Besides, you have to remember that wood finish would differ too. You can and should try to match them up, but don't get upset because they won't be in perfect sync.

Brown color is most popular color for all dining room furniture. The darker it is, the less important it is to 'match'. It will be quite harder to match the redder your brown shade is (merlot, wine) or lighter it is. In these cases, we suggest you try to pick your chairs from completely different color scheme.

Another approach is to avoid color matching as much as possible. For example, if you have a dark brown table, you could get some colorful velvet chairs along with it. Perfect approach in most cases. Aim for the contrast - it will look funkier, fresher and will work better in most cases.

Color of leather will not be 100% in perfect sync with color of the wood, and it will be fine

Chair / table finishes - what to avoid

Wood tables look perfect with wood chairs. Wood tables look perfect with wood/leather chairs.

Glass is perfectly matched with metal / leather.

If you'll try to get some metal chairs for some pure wood formal table it will look strange. Same applies for the opposite - glass top dining table and wooden chairs would be a bad choice.