When designing a dining chair, we take inspiration from what already exists and add our own unique touches to make our dining chairs suitable for every day modern living. Our focus is to craft furniture that lasts and is cherished for a lifetime. That ambitious ethos leads us to take inspiration from antique furniture, which successfully stands the test of time. The secret is in the craftsmanship and in the quality of the materials used. That's why we vow to only use the highest quality wood materials available and use traditional techniques wherever possible in our designs.
We like to keep our designs as simple as we can while adding a charming touch of British elegance on top. In this guide, we'll talk you through our different dining chair designs that have been meticulously crafted.
Above: House and Garden star Meg Robson styles her kitchen with our Montacute carver chair
Styling our Farmhouse Dining Chairs
The Farmhouse Collection was our first ever here at The Wainhouse Co. It's no doubt that the Farmhouse chairs are an iconic piece of furniture here in England. If you're an observer - you'll regularly see them in old pubs, restaurants, country homes, in small corner shop cafes and some of you may even well have some of your own. The central focus of the Farmhouse style is to create a comfortable and inviting ambiance, it's no wonder that after a few centuries of being around, they're still abouts to this day.
Traditionally, these Farmhouse chairs are crafted from beech wood, so we do the same. Beech is a smooth, light grey coloured hardwood that comes from a deciduous tree native to Eurasia and North America. It's known for its strength (and subsequently high wear resistance), bending capabilities and uniform texture. Each of our Farmhouse chairs features a concave seat and splayed legs held together with a few stretchers for added strength and support.
Our most popular farmhouse chair is undoubtedly the Slat back chair and matching carver. Their traditional design, concave seat and slats for a backrest have earned the slat back style a spot in our list of best sellers.
Inspired by the functionality of Scandinavian design
Scandinavian design is a design movement characterised by simplicity, minimalism and functionality but with enough elements in its design to add interest and integrity. In Nordic design, it's common to find organic and natural elements being used as it symbolises the Scandinavian and Nordics close relationship to nature.
Clean lines, functional furnishings and neutral colour palettes are a staple of Nordic design, but the movement is also influenced by Scandinavia's short winter days where a desire to create cosy interiors emerged.
Carver chairs and dining chairs
The carver chair is easily distinguished by its addition of arm rests and wider dimensions. Traditionally, a carver chairs place is at the ends of the table where there is extra room to accommodate the wider dimensions. A carver chair can equally be styled on its own in the hallway, as a cosy reading space by the fireplace or in a living room. The carver chair has changed very much over the last few years as it adapts to modern day needs, but we think the traditional designs are beautiful and perfect as they are and have subsequently kept them as close to original designs as much as possible, with a few tweaks to increase longevity.
The timeless, Windsor design
Other than our farmhouse chairs, another popular choice is our Windsor dining chair. Traditionally, the Windsor (or wheelback) would feature a violin shaped detailed backrest, but we have adapted the style to look a bit more contemporary by using plain spindles for the legs and backrest.
If you enjoy long, post dinner conversations, we would strongly recommend investing in the comfort that our Montacute chairs and Montacute carver chairs (both can be found in our Windsor collection) have to offer. These beautiful, intricate chairs feature a taller backrest which the averaged sized person can lean back into quite comfortably. These two chairs also offer additional neck support.
How to judge the quality of a wooden dining chair
Before purchasing a dining chair, consider the following questions:
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Does the dining chair have a flat or concave seat? A concave seat means the seat is contoured to provide comfort to the person who sits on the chair, a thoughtfully designed chair will always feature a contoured seat.
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Are the legs held together by stretchers? This is especially important for chairs with splayed legs. A dining chair with stretchers will hold more weight and increase sturdiness and subsequently last much longer.
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What is the dining chair made from? Chairs are an every day item and must endure years of use. It is thus important to consider the materials used to make that chair. A good quality chair is made from a hardwood, such as beech or oak which is strong and durable.