Our new Manhattan loft is really coming together –construction is complete (including some finish work that seemed to drag on forever), and all of the furniture that we’d bought or reupholstered in in place. We love it.
Except the dining room.
Individually, I like all of the furnishings. The sideboard is a handsome vintage Gio Ponti piece that we’ve had for years and plan to keep forever. The table is a recent purchase –a vintage 50s T.H. Robsjohn Gibbings find that’s well proportioned to the space and, importantly, adjustable so small parties don’t have to huddle around one end. I like its dramatic sabre shaped legs and the way the top is beveled beneath its edges so it feels thin and light. The 70s Italian chandelier is also new to us, and I like the way it walks a happy line between glamor and glitz.
Which brings us to the chairs. They’re classic Saarinen armchairs that we’ve used in two previous homes, and they’ve served us well. The design is one of my all-time favorites, but, sadly, I don’t think it’s working here. They’re quite wide, so eight chairs are a tight squeeze around the table, even when fully extended. In addition (and, I think, more importantly) something about the proportions of the sideboard and the chandelier make the chairs feel short. The legs too are a little off: the unpolished metal tubing is neither refined enough to hold its own with the other finishes nor rustic enough to provide an interesting contrast. Finally, the gray wool upholstery is a bit of a downer here, although, of course, that would be relatively easy to change.
Unfortunately, I think we need to find a good new home for these chairs and move on. I’ve done a fair amount of shopping, but we’re having trouble making a decision. As always, your advice is most welcome.
But first, there’s something I’d like to eliminate: the chairs that were originally sold with the Robsjohn Gibbings table. To me, there’s something fussy and mannered about the S-curve in the back that detracts from the more elegant table. They’re not the chairs for us.
So on to the current contenders. All are (probably) available and more or less within our budget. And I’ll show them to you with neutral upholstery so we don’t get distracted with fabric (which, of course, will be our next issue).
1. Another vintage Robsjohn Gibbings chair, with a cleaner back.
2. The classic armless Saarinen dining chair.
A tried and true option –we have these in our Southampton home and love them. They’re narrower than the armchair, and available with wooden legs.
3. A bold but graceful chair designed by one of the Great Danes, Finn Juhl.
4. A light, tailored 70s design by Milo Baughman.
Of course, with this chair, finding the right fabric would be very important.
5. A Mies van der Rohe classic.
The chrome could work well with the chandelier, but I worry about comfort during long dinner parties. (This set is from Roberta Flack’s home, but we shouldn’t let that cloud our judgment.)
6. A sleek but sturdy mid-century Gio Ponti leather and walnut chair. (The side chairs are armless.)
A solid choice that would work well with the sideboard.
So what do you think? This is a big commitment, and a big investment for us, so I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Here’s a fresh take on cooking, entertaining, decorating and other domestic arts and sciences from a real daddy living in New York and San Francisco. I’ve always had a strong domestic streak, but since my partner and I had our daughter Julia last year, I’ve learned to keep my projects simpler, faster and more fun. I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned, and I’d love to hear your ideas too.
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Great room, and wonderful chandelier! I love the option number 3, but number 5 or 2 would also be great.
so you’ve picked many of my favorite midcentury chairs and thus really can’t go wrong.
i too am not a fan of S curved chairs but love the other RG option. i also think the baughmans in brass or bronze might be great.
not the finnjuhls or the MVdRs, you really don’t need all those curves and mixed curves and angles with what you are building.
your current chairs might also work better if you bring in another lower element like a bench. move your risom bench over to get an idea of the effect.
i have risom chairs with woven backs in armed (4) and armless(6) throughout our house and a six foot risom bench. i mix and match as the party dictates.
I vote for Juhl!
I would change the upholstery and get two new armchairs for the ends of the table. The Saarinen chairs are too great to give up!
I vote #1. It’s simple, clean but still sculptural. I always tend to lean towards simple chairs with an understated presence because it can feel busy to me if they’re too intricate and there’s 8-10 of them in a small area. I like them to blend but be beautiful when you stop to look at them. There’s also not a ton of upholstery, so you could get away with a bolder fabric choice without making it the focal point.
That’s just my two cents though.
I vote number 3, hands down. It combines comfort with the clean lines of the wood.
why don’t you think about mixing chairs? i’ve seen it done beautifully. i like the ones you have, keep a couple, maybe reupholstered,—i think you need some height around that table in that space.
Definitely number 1. The open spindle back is open and visually light, which won’t detract from the very attractive lightness of the beveled table top. The square shape of the seat also echoes the table top, while the subtle sabre shape of the chair legs echo the table’s legs. They would work perfectly together, as they were designed to. And, then I would use an upholstery in a color to coordinate with that great print over the credenza.
i thinkyou need a wooden leg- the steel leg is throuwing me off-
and the chair does you have does look short-
i think the gio pnte chairs are the most interesting- they are upholstered – whichis comfortable, but they have a great form- and the wood pulls it together- it’d do a fabric upholstery– the leather looks too office- somthing nubby and colorfull would be great-
i thinkyou need a bigger picture above your sideboard- it looks a little mincey on that side- or do a whole wall of pictures- photos etc….
Actually I really like the chair that comes originally with the table.
What’s lacking from your current chairs, and maybe why you’re unsatisfied, is some element that ties the table to the chairs. The original set, or say the Juhl/Saarinen chairs have the wood tone that make the table and chairs a set. Looking at your chairs, there’s really no elements all, except maybe the color of the fabric, that even ties it to the rest of the room.
I would go with the chairs that would originally come with the table, with a fabric like your current set. The wood completes the table set, and the rounded back actually gives a contrasting element to all the linear and formal shapes in the room. The elegant ess backs are still very clean but adds a small note of sumptuousness.
If I might share, I saw the ballet Spartacus at Lincoln Center a few years back. The Grigorovich choreography seemed to put masculinity and sparseness above any other aspect of choreography, maybe even the thought of dance itself. It was movement, almost anti-ballet, not reactionary but almost opposite anything ballet ever expresses. The lesson to home decor is that in creating an environment, like a dining room, you make choices that enhance the event that occurs there. You create a ballet to express balletic quality of a story. You create a dining room to express the essential elements of eating and sharing in community. Your design cues should come from that essential idea of communing to partake food, conversation, family, to recharge and relax. With that in mind, what chair makes sense?
I think the Saarinen armless chair with the wood leg but with a punchy color for the upholstery…
I think dinning room chairs should be VERY comfortable. Sit in all of them and imagine a long lovely dinner. My first love in look is the Ponti #6, but I’m afraid you have too many hard surfaces and need fabric instead of leather. My second love is the Juhl #3. Maybe keep looking. Good luck. David
Hey Chris – I absolutely like #3 the best, as long as the white isn’t wrong in that room. that table seems easy to overpower with the bulk of some of the other selections. Let me know if you need a home for those Saarinens!
Am I the only one who likes the MVDR chairs? You have a bit of wood in the space (sideboard, table, floor) and the chrome chairs might balance the disco chandelier (love it). It’s all looking amazing. And if the chairs are coming direct from Roberta Flack’s home, I say “cloud our judgement!” It’s killing me softly…
I love the option n°1: simple, clear and light
All the best from France
I think the chairs in # 1 are great and look like your style the most.
I vote for 1 or 3 and in the order. I love the floors by the way
While I’m partial to the Juhl chairs cause that’s what we have, I’m more inclined to look more closely at the Saarinen (#2) chairs. But first…
Are you planning to have any more textiles in the room? I see the metals, the brick and the wood (all beautiful), how about an area rug? If not, I’d encourage looking at a chair like the Saarinen that can handle more upholstery.
Another thought is to mix and match. Have the original Saarinen chairs at the head & foot (repaint legs black), and have new Saarinen chairs for the side chairs, all recovered in coordinating fabrics.
All in all, beautifully done work so far. I look forward to seeing the final results. Best.
Chris, this is a toughie (especially for a novice like me). However I’m intrigued by Leslie’s suggestion to consider adding some height to your new chairs. I really think she hits the nail on the head. If done gracefully, it shouldn’t overpower the table.
To answer your query though: #3 takes top choice for me, but #1 is a close second. Heck, I’d sit happily in any of them!
6. Too “boardroom”.
5. Too spare.
4. Height of the back is right but not sure base is right for room.
3. I like #3 but is that leather upholstery?
2. My first choice. Love the black legs.
1. All those spindles!
Honestly, I think the room itself is pretty terrible.
Compared to your other rooms, this dining room does not fit in well. Most of your rooms are colorful and/or has bold designs with more things in them. Their are decorative pieces or furniture that elegantly fill in the space in those rooms. But, here… everything is so colorless and bland.
I would get rid of the cabinet below the colorful painting. That thing is dreadful. And i would replace it with a cabinet that has more of an industrial feel to it, to bring out the brick wall. OR a wooden cabinet that has more of a natural/earthy feel to it, to contrast the brick wall. On top of which, i would place decorations made of glass, or metal, or mirror, or wood.
and then i would replace the current table with a black, slick, and modern table. I would adorn it with them with #4 chairs.
If you do decide to part with that beautiful Gio Ponti (?) sideboard, I’ll be the first in line to bid. Such a special piece, and I appreciate the contrast that you’re looking to achieve with the dining chairs. I’m partial to the Milo Baughman option (#4). Great back height, and the simple chrome leg relates so well to your 70′s chic chandelier. (Another piece I’d be happy to take off your hands). Have fun with the chair upholstery color!
Is finding a vintage colorful geometric Moroccan rug an option, to pull it all together? I’m just sayin…
Thanks for indulging me!
Number 3, the Finn Juhl, not only is it a beautiful chair but it combines the angles of the sideboard with the curves of the table, but not in white, and dont know about the proportions without seeing one next to the table.
Its looking very good though.
I personally love Number 2. The Saarinen Classic Dining Chair, I think they’ll go perfectly well with your fab table.
i love # 1. it’s simple yet elegant. it also compliments the table very well.
Hello, Ian. Thanks for your candor. I agree that the room isn’t together. The room badly needs a color direction and textiles — upholstery on the chairs and a great rug– and, of course, accessories. The #4 chairs are a particularly good choice, I think, because they’ll really be all about the fabric, which the room badly needs. Any color ideas? Cheers. DD
Thanks, Jenna. I agree with you and Leslie that height is a very important consideration here. The biggest problem with the existing chairs, I think, is that they’re too short.
Thanks, Russ! Good question. The room really needs a rug, I think, but I thought I’d settle on the chairs before I tackled their upholstery and the rug. I also like the idea of using different chairs for the side and head/foot of the table. Any rug ideas to share? DD
Thanks, Allen! I think the back height is a very important piece of this puzzle. And sorry, but the sideboard and chandelier are staying (but if I change my mind, you’ll be among the first to know.) DD
Love the mid-century modern classics. Have you considered the Wegner Wishbone Chair? The lighter wood tone and the flowing lines harness a really organic energy to soften the rigorous geometry of the other pieces.
Hello, Tim. I love that chair –it’s one of my favorites. I did consider it, but I think we’re looking for a chair with more upholstery here to soften the room and bring in some color. DD
With that information, I’d vote for the Saarinen side chair. The ribbon back and the cut-out look more comfortable than spindles (and look sturdier, too). A possible alternate to the MvdR chair is his Brno chair – similar shape, but with a full seat and back, as well as arms. Gotta figure Roberta was getting rid of the other ones for a reason!
The 70′s Milo Baughman chairs seem perfect. The height is just right, they look pretty comfortable, the fabric you choose can really bring things together and it provides just the right amount of metal to contrast with the rest of the wood in the room.
Sorry, interior design excites me and I tend to get carried away.