The dining room of a home can be the location of many wonderful memories. Holiday parties, family dinners, special moments that make memories last for a lifetime. When it comes to designing the room, however, you’ll not only want style but also comfort. Here are some tips on how to select the perfect chair for one of the endearing rooms in your home.

1. Before anything else, measure. Standard seating is 18 inches, while standard table height is 30 inches. You will want 12 inches between the top of the chair’s seat and the bottom of the dining room table. If you have a table apron (the panel that connects the legs to the top of the table), incorporate this also. You certainly wouldn’t want to hit your knees! After determining the size of the chair(s) needed, conclude how many chairs can fit around your dining room table. It is recommended to leave 24 inches of room between each chair. Some helpful hints – a 72-inch long table can accommodate 6, a 96 inch 8, and a 120 inch 10.
2. Ask yourself, “Is this chair comfortable?” While it’s great to consider different factors of a dining room chair, such as which fabrics are stain-proof or can be easily cleaned, you’ll ultimately want your guests to be comfortable while enjoying their meal. If you don’t host parties or gatherings that often, it may be best to select an un-upholstered chair that’s narrow and easy to fit at the table. If you’re the life of the party, however, you’ll want to select an upholstered piece so guests are comfortable during their visit. If you choose an upholstered piece, leave 7 inches of room between the arm of the chair and the table.
3. Be strategic in fabric/finish choices. Your fabrics and finishes don’t have to match, just simply complement one another. Consider one consistent element and one contrasting element to really make the room eye-catching.
4. Consider a head chair. These pieces are great if you’re looking for fun patterns, bold colors, and eclectic shapes. If you’ve found a head chair that you love, make sure it feels heavier than your side chairs because it may be wider and take up a bit more space, making it perfect to be at the ends of a table. Placing your head chair at the end of a table also adds a regal flair to the room.
5. If your dining room is small, look into banquettes. These are typically small and are usually pushed up against walls, allowing you to fit a table into a narrow room or corner. You’re also able to fit more people around the table because you will be sitting close to one another with these.
6. Don’t fear patterns, colors, and shapes that are different than “the norm.” Unless it’s a room you use every day, you’re free to go wild with the look of your dining room and there are plenty of eclectic pieces to choose from of all shapes, colors, and patterns.
7. If you have an open floor, mix and match. Open floor spaces can often be tricky because every piece needs to correlate with one another, simply because everything is seen at once. This doesn’t mean that every piece has to match, though! Choose your own coordinating element – a finish, a style, a fabric, or a shape. Once you’ve made your decision, use that option again when selecting barstools and other chairs.
8. Look into options for additional seating. Sure, it’s easy to choose chairs when you have a small family. But what happens when the entire family comes over for the holidays? Where will they be seated? Don’t fret, as this issue can easily be fixed with table leaves, folding ballroom chairs, and side chairs. All of these choices can easily be tucked away once the house is back to normal.