The dining chair you select for your home can fundamentally change how a space feels, particularly considering there will be, more often than not, a matching set of four to six of them together. Interior designers understand this, often choosing strong colours or iconographic silhouettes to make the most of this repeated shape within a room. Getting it right is crucial though tricky, and not helped by the myriad options available: from those found in an antique market to the many options on the high street. Which is why we've rooted through our rich archive to determine the particular styles that designers and creatives love to employ within a scheme. There are streamlined, no-frills designs in traditional interiors, as well as quaint antiques which bring character to airy, modern spaces. These are the dining chairs to have on your radar.
Windsor chairs
With their arched spindle backs and humble wooden design, Windsor style chairs are an all-time classic. Windsor varieties can also be found with squared-off backs, arms and more ornate turned legs, everywhere from flea markets, to the high street. Ercol is a British brand synonymous with their mid-century take on a Windsor. This is a style of chair that achieves timelessness by toeing the line between history and modernity.
Razorblade chairs
The Razorblade was designed by Danish designer Henning Kjaernulf in the 1960s, and named after the striking shape of the back of the chair. They strike a lovely balance between understated and ornate, making them equally as suited to pared back schemes as busier ones, shown in the two images below.
An icon of utilitarian design, the Navy Chair 1006 was designed in 1944 for use by the US Navy during World War II, but has since been adopted by design lovers. A perfect blank canvas of a chair, it is simple yet perfectly proportioned. The original is made of brushed aluminium, but in recent years it has been reimagined in different colours out of recycled plastic bottles, like the one in King Charles's Cornwall house below.
Ladderback chairs
While not a specific model of chair like the Emeco, ladderback chairs come in a variety of styles from a number of makers, and tend to have tall, elegant backs and either a woven rush or upholstered seat. Their classic silhouettes lend themselves to a more traditional interior, and it is often in these spaces that we see them most. Brandon Schubert opted for a handsome one from Howe, but for a charming antique one, head to 1stDibs, or a local shop or market.
Bentwood chairs
Most closely associated with it's original designer, Thonet, and its presence in French cafés and bistros the world over, the steam-bent wooden chair is a perennially popular design in houses too. For those looking for affordable options, there are countless lovely high street takes on the design. Its sinuous form is incredibly light and elegant, so it never weighs down a space.
Tulip chairs
While the word ‘iconic’ tends to be overused, in the case of Eero Saarinen's Tulip chair, it is applicable. The saturated paprika seat cushion, the fluidity of the base, pooling like split milk, and the simplicity of its space-age form all combine to form a piece of instantly recognisable furniture that is emblematic of the 1960s. Despite its uncompromising modernity, it is surprisingly versatile, providing a breath of fresh air in traditional or historic spaces, as can be seen below.
Wishbone chairs
Another famous chair silhouette, Hans J. Wegner's Danish mid-century classic is likely the style of chair we see the most in the houses of our archive. Striking the perfect balance between humble and elevated, its form is at once modern and classic, and it provides support in the right places without being cumbersome and overbearing. The harmony of the design has meant it has endured for over 70 years, showing no signs of going out of fashion.
