Most dining room tables will already come with their own set of dining chairs, but you may want to alter the look and feel of your dining area by going for chairs that are of a different style or design. Perhaps you have a newly-inherited dining room table, or you are trying to outfit a new breakfast nook which you fell in love with and just had to have. Perhaps you just don’t like the overall look of your current dining chair set. Whatever your reason for looking for new dining chairs for your dining area, you should always make it a point to choose your dining chairs carefully. Take some important factors into account before you choose a dining chair (or four), and you should end up with a dining area that’s not just about function, but also about form. Here, then, is your all-important guide to selecting the proper dining chairs.
The mix and match aspect
One thing it pays to bear in mind is that you don’t always have to follow the complementary theme. You can actually mix and match your dining chairs and dining table as long as the chairs you choose can fit the table, and everyone can sit as comfortably as possible. Here’s one thing you should remember, though: if you do choose to mix and match, it’s best to make sure that the dining chairs you choose are of the same height, so there is still an element of uniformity – and your diners won’t end up looking down (or up) at each other while they eat.
Take the proper measurements.
Preparation is also important when you are selecting your dining chairs. Take the proper measurements. Measure your dining table so you can get a good idea of the size of the chairs you should choose. If you don’t take the right measurements, you could order a set of chairs and then find out at the last minute that they won’t even fit under your table, which is a big hassle indeed.
As a general rule, most dining tables will be about 30 inches (76 centimetres) high, while most of the dining chairs available today will have about 17 inches to 19 inches (43 centimetres to 48 centimetres) of space between the seat and the floor. So, you want about a foot or so of space between the tabletop and the seat of the chair. You also want your diners to have around 24 inches (60 centimetres) of space between each other, especially in regard to elbow room.
The number of chairs
The next consideration when it comes to choosing your dining chairs, whether you go for iconic chairs or more contemporary styles is the number of chairs you need. How many chairs do you think you need in order for everyone to sit comfortably around the table? There should be enough space between each chair so every diner can stand up and sit down without too much effort, of course, and if your dining table can be extended, take this into consideration as well. As a guide, remember this: if you have an oval or rectangular table, it will most likely fit about six to eight people (if it’s a big one, it can fit up to ten). But if you have a round dining table or a square one, it may only be able to fit four to eight people.
Image attributed to Pixabay.com
