Chairs & Seating

A chair is the piece people touch most in a home, so I judge it by the frame, the seat and the proportion before the fabric. Every chair in this collection is chosen to be sat in every day, not only admired. What separates a well-made chair. Look for kiln-dried hardwood frames joined with corner blocks, dowels or mortise and tenon, not staples alone. In upholstered seating, eight-way hand-tied springs or quality sinuous springs paired with high-resilience foam wrapped in down or fiber keep their shape for years. Performance fabrics and tightly woven natural linens wear best in family rooms. Dining chair dimensions. Standard dining tables are about 30 inches high, so seat heights of 18 to 19 inches leave a comfortable 10 to 12 inches between seat and tabletop. Allow roughly 24 inches of table width per chair, and 36 to 42 inches behind each chair so guests can stand and pass. Armchairs at the table ends need about 28 to 30 inches. Placing an accent chair. Pairs of accent chairs across from a sofa create conversation; a single sculptural chair can anchor a corner or a bedroom window. Keep 14 to 18 inches between a chair and the coffee table, and give every seat a nearby surface and a source of light. Scale matters more than style: a low-backed chair keeps sightlines open in an open-plan room. Choosing upholstery. In rooms with children, pets or strong sun, performance fabrics, wool blends and solution-dyed textiles hold up best. Leather softens with use and suits libraries and studies. For formal living rooms, linen, velvet and mohair bring texture that photographs and lives beautifully.