Ok, I know. Enough already with the dining chairs. But your comments and emails on this have been so helpful that I wanted to go just one more round on this before we make a final decision.
To refresh your memories, we settled on these chairs –classic Milo Baughman designs from the 1970s. Their scale, comfort and opportunity to introduce color and texture through upholstery were the deciding factors. And I managed to economically assemble a set of 10 on ebay and through a New York dealer –eight side chairs and two armchairs for the ends of the table. They’re at the upholsterer now awaiting fabric.
This has been dragging on (er, in process) for quite a while now, so I’ll refresh your memories about where we are.
For fabric, we started out with this selection.
And, for context, here’s a photo of the adjacent living area (viewed from the dining area).
And the dining area itself (with the old chairs).
My main take-aways from your thoughtful and candid comments are as follows:
1. The dining area is cold and uninteresting and needs warmth, color and pattern.
I agree completely. Chairs with upholstered seats and backs will introduce much-needed textiles, and we’re working on a bold, patterned custom rug.
2. The whole space runs the risk of being dull and safe (the term “Stepford gay” came up). Shake things up a little.
Agreed. A unique, bold rug will help a lot, I think, and introducing a new accent color in the dining area will also help enliven the space.
3. Ten chairs in one fabric is a lot, and the space is big enough to handle some variety: consider using more than one fabric.
Yup. I’d like to use one fabric for the side chairs and another for the ends.
4. Steer clear of the golds and oranges: the room needs contrast from the brick walls and the amber carpet in the living room.
Agreed, after some deliberation. I was originally leaning this way, but you’ve convinced me. The oranges could seem bland and predictable, and the room could use another shot of contrasting color.
Which brings us to the greens above. We considered blues, but I didn’t like the idea bookending blue dining chairs at the East end of the space with the blue mohair club chairs on the West side. We also considered the maroons and purples, but they seemed a little somber, particularly in evening light. Greens seem fresh, lively and inviting.
Thoughts?
Thanks for your help. I promise the next dining chair post will be of the finished product.
