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Designed to stay seated: Dining room chairs

Designer dining room chairs are ideal for anyone who doesn't just want to sit to eat, but wants to transform their dining room into a stylish room with an individual expression; anyone who has a particular penchant for good food in company and values ​​beautiful, high-quality furnishings has already thought about purchasing designer chairs for the dining room.

► Dining room chair vs. kitchen chair - what's the difference?
► Multifunctional dining chairs - Vitra Eames Plastic Chairs for dining room, kitchen or home office
► Which base? Designer dining chairs considered from the floor up
► Dining room chairs - materials and their respective properties
► Our top 5 dining room chairs

Graceful and elegant: The Ant by Fritz Hansen lives up to its name and is an established design icon

Dining room chair vs. kitchen chair - what's the difference?

Many people use a table in the kitchen or living room for their daily meals. In this case, the right chairs should be suitable for everyday use, i.e. easy to clean, space-saving and lightweight.

Dining room chairs that are used at a separate dining table for festive dinner evenings, large family meals or Sunday brunch with friends require extra considerations that are more important.

We have identified three features that differentiate kitchen chairs from dining room chairs to make it clear what really matters in a dining room chair.

Ergonomics:

Kitchen chairs should of course be ergonomically shaped and comfortable; however, flexibility and freedom of movement are usually the main focus here. Dining room chairs, on the other hand, are designed for longer periods of sitting, so an ergonomic shape that gives the back optimal support is an absolute plus and an important basis for ensuring that guests feel comfortable.

Comfort:

For a long dinner and good conversations it is important to sit comfortably; you should feel relaxed when eating and socialising. Thus we recommend not compromising on comfort when it comes to dining room chairs. Padded seats and backrests, armrests or even rotating bases ensure maximum comfort and a feel-good atmosphere.

Design:

In contrast to functional, simple kitchen chairs, dining room chairs express the respective furnishing style and contribute to a special atmosphere. From extravagant to minimalist, there is therefore much more scope for designing dining room chairs. When choosing the right dining room chairs, not only functional aspects should be taken into account, but also personal taste, the interior design and, in restaurants, the type of cuisine.

Multifunctional dining chairs - Vitra Eames Plastic Chairs for dining room, kitchen or home office

Eames Plastic Chairs DAW RE from Vitra

Not everyone wants to buy chairs for a specific occasion. In this case it is advisable to choose designer chairs that meet all the requirements of a dining room chair and are also characterized by flexibility and adaptability.

With the Eames Plastic Chairs by the American designers Ray and Charles Eames Vitra offers a family of high-quality chairs that are versatile thanks to their adaptability. The one-piece plastic shells are available with and without armrests in combination with various bases. The name of the Vitra Eames Chair DAR, for example, stands for Dining Height Armchair Rod Base, which refers to a dining room chair with armrests and a four-legged base made of wire struts. The DAR proves to be an elegant dining room chair, especially in the upholstered version. Thanks to its low weight and ergonomically shaped seat shell, it can also be used at a desk in the home office. Another ideal companion for the dining or desk is the Vitra swivel chair PACC, which is available in range of upholstery and colours with a rotating base on castors.

The Eames Shell Chairs: Wire Chair DKR, Side Chair DSR-RE, and Fiberglass Chair DSR

The Eames Plastic Chairs without armrests, such as the Vitra DSR or the Vitra DSW, are also ideal dining room chairs while looking good in the kitchen.

A big advantage of the Vitra Eames Plastic Chairs is that they are not only available with different frames, but also in many colours. At smow there are a variety of characteristic colours to choose from. Combine Eames Plastic Chairs in different colours and with different bases and seat shells to make your dining or living area varied and lively without sacrificing clarity.

Which base? Designer dining chairs considered from the floor up.

The type of base for your dining room chair depends on a variety of factors, of which design of the chair, comfort and personal taste are particularly important. In addition, the base of a dining room chair should be stable and durable and match the style of the dining room. In addition to the classic, stable four-legged frame, other bases are recommend themselves as options:

Thonet S 32 / S 32 N cantilever chair by Marcel Breuer

Cantilever:

This type of chair frame has no rear supports. The cantilevered construction of the S-shaped curved frame is therefore particularly flexible. as cantilever chairs therefore tilt slightly backwards, they offer extra comfort. Cantilever chairs such as the classic Thonet cantilever chair also look particularly elegant and are perfect dining room chairs with or without armrests.

Saarinen Tulip Chair from Knoll International

Cross frame or plate base:

A cross frame or plate base is often used for swivel chairs. Swivel chairs are ideal dining room chairs as they offer a lot of freedom of movement: on a swivel chair, you can comfortably turn to the person you are talking to, make room when serving food and get up without moving the chair. Dining room chairs with a swivel base can also be used as practical office chairs.

Montana Panton One Chair by Verner Panton

Sled base:

This version of a chair base resembles a sled and offers a particularly stable construction. Sled bases are usually made of narrow metal rods, therefore, chairs with this base often look particularly minimalist and modern, fit well with contemporary furniture and have a delicate appearance.

Dining room chairs - materials and their respective properties

Dining room chairs are no longer made only of wood. Starting with the tubular steel cantilever chairs from Thonet dining room chairs have been made from innovative materials such as metal or plastic over the course of the 20th century. Each material has its advantages and its own charisma. A brief overview:

Wooden dining room chairs:

You can never go wrong with wooden dining room chairs. As most dining tables are made of wood wooden dining room chairs fit particularly well in any dining room. In addition to practical properties such as robustness and durability wood has a particularly inviting and warm appearance and is a timeless material. Whether dining room chairs in the classic Windsor style such as the J110 Chair by Hay or slim, minimalist models such as the HAL Plywood Chair by Vitra wooden dining room chairs withstand fast-moving trends and ensure an inviting and homely atmosphere at the dining table.

Scandinavian Hygge: Der J110 chair from Hay

Plastic dining room chairs:

Lightweight, easy to clean and available in a variety of colours, plastic dining room chairs are a particularly practical choice and at the same time offer many design options. Plastic dining room chairs can also be used to set exciting colour accents, while models with upholstery ensure maximum comfort. The Eames Fiberglass Chairs, which Vitra has been producing again since 2018 using a renewed process, have a very special, warm retro charm.

The Eames Fibreglass Chairs through Vitra popular members of the plastic chairs community

Metal dining room chairs:

Metal dining room chairs have a cool and casual look and are the right choice for anyone who likes a mix of minimalism and industrial aesthetics. They are particularly durable and easy to clean. One of the undisputed classics among metal dining room chairs is the Bertoia chair by Knoll International. The transparent construction made of bent steel wire looks light and elegant and is refined with matching vinyl seat cushions.

With the Bertoia metal chair from Knoll International, dining can take place indoors and outdoors

Our top 5 dining room chairs:

Whether for lovers of timeless classics, minimalists or anyone who likes luxury and extravagance - we present 5 dining room chairs that leave nothing to be desired in terms of design, quality and comfort and are guaranteed to strike a chord with design lovers.

Classic with the added comfort: Thonet S 64 / S 64 N

S 64 - The Bauhaus classic

The S 32 cantilever by Marcel Breuer is one of the iconic chair designs of the 20th century and, as the S 64 with armrests, scores points for its extra comfort. Since its design in the early 1930s the S 64 has been produced in first-class Thonet quality and has proven itself to be not only extremely comfortable but eternally stylish. The S 64 is an expression of classic-modern elegance, especially in the original version with canework. With the Thonet S 64 all the seating is set for a sophisticated dinner in a charming atmosphere.

A special brilliance: The Masters Metallic by Kartell

Masters Metallic - The futuristic eye-catcher

The Kartell Masters dining chair by Philippe Starck impresses with its futuristic curved shape, which is based on a sophisticated concept by the star designer. Philippe Starck has combined the silhouettes of three design classics in one chair: The backrest of the Series 7 chair by Arne Jacobsen, the Tulip Armchair by Eero Saarinen and the Side Chair by Charles & Ray Eames can be seen. With the Kartell Masters Metallic, Kartell is going one step further and launching the dining chair in three impressive metallic versions. So if you choose a Kartell Masters Metallic when choosing at dining chair, you can rely on a sophisticated chair design with a breathtaking shine effect and be certain of the effect it will have on guests.

Classic in Scandi look: CH24 Wishbone Chair by Carl Hansen

CH24 Wishbone Chair - Danish design classic and guarantee of harmony

The Danish design classic goes back to a series of chairs that Hans J. Wegner developed based on Chinese imperial chairs. It is no coincidence that the clarity of the construction combined with the accentuated curves of the rear legs and the backrest are reminiscent of the aesthetics of Far Eastern everyday objects. In combination with the natural materials wood and paper yarn, the CH24 exudes harmony and concentration that makes the dining room chair from Carl Hansen & Søn the perfect companion for good food and good company.

Iconic cantilever crafted from plastic: Panton Chair Classic by Vitra

Vitra Panton Chair - The revolutionary

As the first cantilever chair cast from a single piece of plastic the Panton Chair by Verner Panton revolutionized furniture design in the late 1950s. Today the Panton Chair, a reissued design classic, gives every room that certain something with its distinctively curved shape and proves itself a comfortable dining room chair.

Like a work of art: Louis Ghost by Kartell

Louis Ghost - conceptual artwork and perhaps the first chair design classic of the 21st century

The Louis Ghost dining chair, inspired by French Rococo, brings a touch of courtly decadence to the dining table. A transparent baroque monoblock the Louis Ghost by Kartell is injection-molded from high-quality, transparent polycarbonate made from renewable raw materials. Philippe Starck has not only radically anchored the Louis Quinze design in the present, but has also created a chair that is easy to clean and can also be used outdoors.