I need new dining room chairs

[Scarlett]

I could keep my existing cherry table if the chairs were black I think.....but my main concern is sturdiness.  I am so sick of cheap dining room table chairs.  If anyone has purchased new chairs or even a complete set lately that you have found to be sturdy please share.  

 

[Scarlett]

Also, can someone tell me what this base is called?  And do you agree these chairs did not come originally as a set with this table?

 

[WildflowerMom]

Maybe a 'square pedestal' base?

No, those chairs do not look like they came with that table. 
 

My dining room table and chairs were passed down from dh's grandparents.   They're sturdy.   Maybe an antique shop might have something more sturdy?  

Edited August 18, 2021 by WildflowerMom
Grammar

[Katy]

The chairs & table were not a set. Check estate sales in higher end areas of Bartlesville & Tulsa.  You’ll find plenty of sturdy vintage or antique pieces for much cheaper than new junk, in a matching color, but it might take several months to find the perfect thing.

The last time we went to a sale there was a chippendale reproduction set in cherry with 3 extensions and a dozen chairs marked at $250 for half off, and at the end of the last day the estate sale guy said he would take $50. We didn’t have the space or I would have bought it. I’m pretty sure it ended up at Salvation Army. 

[Faith-manor]

I am all ears. Our dining room table needs new chairs too!

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, Katy said:

The chairs & table were not a set. Check estate sales in higher end areas of Bartlesville & Tulsa.  You’ll find plenty of sturdy vintage or antique pieces for much cheaper than new junk, in a matching color, but it might take several months to find the perfect thing.

The last time we went to a sale there was a chippendale reproduction set in cherry with 3 extensions and a dozen chairs marked at $250 for half off, and at the end of the last day the estate sale guy said he would take $50. We didn’t have the space or I would have bought it. I’m pretty sure it ended up at Salvation Army. 

That is what I thought too....not a set.  

I have been poking around FB marketplace this morning in Tulsa.....estate sales are a good idea. 

[Katy]

3 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

That is what I thought too....not a set.  

I have been poking around FB marketplace this morning in Tulsa.....estate sales are a good idea. 

I know Bartlesville is quite a drive for you, but follow craigslist and the estate sale section in their paper if it’s still online.  There’s a lot of P66 couples who have retired in recent years, and many of them downsize.  If you can avoid hideous midcentury modern you can find super high quality things for pennies on the dollar. 

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, Katy said:

I know Bartlesville is quite a drive for you, but follow craigslist and the estate sale section in their paper if it’s still online.  There’s a lot of P66 couples who have retired in recent years, and many of them downsize.  If you can avoid hideous midcentury modern you can find super high quality things for pennies on the dollar. 

Ha, I agree.

[Shoeless]

I was going to suggest estate sales, too.  There are some very good deals on wood furniture to be had. The younger people don't want it because it's too "old fashioned". I think we paid about $250 for our dining room table and 6 chairs, and the set is 100 years old. 

[Innisfree]

Agreeing that good (even very good) antique and vintage furniture is a bargain. Around here we can find high quality handmade cherry, black walnut, and mahogany furniture for a fraction of its original cost, and about the same cost or cheaper than modern stuff with particle board.

And, bonus: no need to feel guilty about more tropical deforestation!

[Carol in Cal.]

Huge heavy antique tables are a dime a dozen here.  You can’t get people to take them.  It’s remarkable.

No, that was definitely not a set, and I think the chairs and table clash with each other.  Having said that, for my entire adult life my main dining table has been an oval walnut table that I bought at an antique show in Vermont in 1980, and some coordinating but nonmatching Windsor chairs that I bought from a colleague there.  I think that chairs and tables don’t have to match, but they should at least coordinate.  

I have a barley twist set — little dining table and 4 chairs — up at our cabin.  It kind of cramps my style because it’s too small to seat 4 with serving dishes comfortably.   So when I neighbor posted a slightly bigger antique dining table with four chairs, very cheap, I bought it and took it up there.  The chairs are too formal for the cabin, but I use the table with the barley twist chairs—they don’t match but they look reasonable together as they are stained just about the exact same color.

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Scarlett said:

my main concern is sturdiness.  I am so sick of cheap dining room table chairs.

Are they actually breaking on you? Is the problem the chairs or the plush carpet? 

I wonder what would happen if you put down a really smooth rug on top or changed the flooring. Or (shh) go with some hip chairs with rollers and a glass table. 

I don't think I'd buy chairs to go with the table if you don't love the table. Sell the whole thing off and start over. Maybe you'd like a raised table, something square.... Bar height dining tables are very popular. 

As far as quality, around here we just go to to the Amish furniture store. Solid wood, made as you want it, no issues. If you're willing to pay, anything can happen, lol. 

https://www.okamishfurniture.com/  just an example

Edited August 18, 2021 by PeterPan

[Scarlett]

33 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Huge heavy antique tables are a dime a dozen here.  You can’t get people to take them.  It’s remarkable.

No, that was definitely not a set, and I think the chairs and table clash with each other.  Having said that, for my entire adult life my main dining table has been an oval walnut table that I bought at an antique show in Vermont in 1980, and some coordinating but nonmatching Windsor chairs that I bought from a colleague there.  I think that chairs and tables don’t have to match, but they should at least coordinate.  

I have a barley twist set — little dining table and 4 chairs — up at our cabin.  It kind of cramps my style because it’s too small to seat 4 with serving dishes comfortably.   So when I neighbor posted a slightly bigger antique dining table with four chairs, very cheap, I bought it and took it up there.  The chairs are too formal for the cabin, but I use the table with the barley twist chairs—they don’t match but they look reasonable together as they are stained just about the exact same color.

I thought so too.  It has already gone pending but I would love to know if that is really a Henredon table or not.  

I found a couple of estate sale FB pages so I have been going through them.....kind of depresses me to see people's entire lives reduced to a sale.  😞

[Scarlett]

33 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Are they actually breaking on you? Is the problem the chairs or the plush carpet? 

I wonder what would happen if you put down a really smooth rug on top or changed the flooring. Or (shh) go with some hip chairs with rollers and a glass table. 

I don't think I'd buy chairs to go with the table if you don't love the table. Sell the whole thing off and start over. Maybe you'd like a raised table, something square.... Bar height dining tables are very popular. 

As far as quality, around here we just go to to the Amish furniture store. Solid wood, made as you want it, no issues. If you're willing to pay, anything can happen, lol. 

https://www.okamishfurniture.com/  just an example

Very very cheap chairs.  We have tile so it isn't carpet causing the problem.  Funny story about this set.  My parents gave it to us.  They bought it new at a furniture store (local--not Ashley)  we have used for years.   Ashley brand I think....or some such.  Used it for several years.  They remodeled and did  not have room for it, so gave to us.  After we got it we noticed the chairs don't even match.  None of us could believe that in the past 7 years none of us noticed that.  Dh was taking one apart to reinforce when he realized the seat had been recovered and the new material was different on several of them....and underneath was an obviously VERY old seat cover.  Then we got to looking closer and 2 of the chair backs were shorter than the rest.  Soooo weird.  We would have demanded a refund if so much time had not passed.  LOL  Of course now that is all I can see when I look at those chairs.

[Scarlett]

39 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Are they actually breaking on you? Is the problem the chairs or the plush carpet? 

I wonder what would happen if you put down a really smooth rug on top or changed the flooring. Or (shh) go with some hip chairs with rollers and a glass table. 

I don't think I'd buy chairs to go with the table if you don't love the table. Sell the whole thing off and start over. Maybe you'd like a raised table, something square.... Bar height dining tables are very popular. 

As far as quality, around here we just go to to the Amish furniture store. Solid wood, made as you want it, no issues. If you're willing to pay, anything can happen, lol. 

https://www.okamishfurniture.com/  just an example

And yes if I decide to buy a new set it will be something like the Amish.  I have been in their stores many times and the quality is outstanding.  

[PeterPan]

36 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

And yes if I decide to buy a new set it will be something like the Amish.  I have been in their stores many times and the quality is outstanding.  

Just for a laugh, I'll tell you that your amish options in OK (is that where you live?) look totally different from what you'd find in our state. They're really nice, definitely. I just thought it was interesting. Your pick showed a very traditional painted hood in your kitchen, almost french country, and your colors on the walls are soft. Maybe you'd like something more open like a trestle. 

You're probably going to have some lead time on furniture. The last things my dh ordered I think he was told 3 months and it ended up closer to 6.

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, PeterPan said:

Just for a laugh, I'll tell you that your amish options in OK (is that where you live?) look totally different from what you'd find in our state. They're really nice, definitely. I just thought it was interesting. Your pick showed a very traditional painted hood in your kitchen, almost french country, and your colors on the walls are soft. Maybe you'd like something more open like a trestle. 

You're probably going to have some lead time on furniture. The last things my dh ordered I think he was told 3 months and it ended up closer to 6.

Oh!  That first pic was not mine, it was a FB marketplace ad.  I don't have that table and chairs....it was something I saw on line....on FB.  

[Denise in IN]

We bought our dining room charis at Target about 5 years ago, and they have been quite sturdy - they get daily use and nothing has loosened or broken yet.

[Scarlett]

40 minutes ago, Denise in IN said:

We bought our dining room charis at Target about 5 years ago, and they have been quite sturdy - they get daily use and nothing has loosened or broken yet.

Wow, thank you!  I would have never thought of Target!  I just looked at their website and I think I can get a set of 4 for 450.00  They have some really cute ones too that I think would go fine with my existing table.

[mmasc]

Well, I’m not sure if this is at all what you consider good quality, but we’ve had these (in white, though) for 3 years and they’re still going strong. Ikea says they’re solid wood. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, mmasc said:

Well, I’m not sure if this is at all what you consider good quality, but we’ve had these (in white, though) for 3 years and they’re still going strong. Ikea says they’re solid wood. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Oh my word, this is what I just emailed to dh.  https://www.target.com/p/set-of-2-carey-dining-chair-threshold-153/-/A-51230035?preselect=13328429#lnk=sametab

[mmasc]

1 minute ago, Scarlett said:

Oh my word, this is what I just emailed to dh.  https://www.target.com/p/set-of-2-carey-dining-chair-threshold-153/-/A-51230035?preselect=13328429#lnk=sametab

Welp, there you go then! Problem solved. 😂 Also, my Ikea chairs have been through 2 moves in those 3 years and still look brand new. 

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, mmasc said:

Welp, there you go then! Problem solved. 😂 Also, my Ikea chairs have been through 2 moves in those 3 years and still look brand new. 

I really like the look.  I have big guys though...6'3 and 240 ad 255.  I hope they can hold up to them.....

[cjzimmer1]

2 hours ago, Scarlett said:

And yes if I decide to buy a new set it will be something like the Amish.  I have been in their stores many times and the quality is outstanding.  

That's what I was going to recommend.  My Amish table and chairs are over 12 years old and hardly have a mark on them despite the rough and tough workouts that my kids put them through.  I did have it made out of hickory because that stronger than oak but the chairs are so strong one would have to be trying (and very very hard at that) to damage them.

[Scarlett]

5 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

That's what I was going to recommend.  My Amish table and chairs are over 12 years old and hardly have a mark on them despite the rough and tough workouts that my kids put them through.  I did have it made out of hickory because that stronger than oak but the chairs are so strong one would have to be trying (and very very hard at that) to damage them.

Man they are sooooo expensive though.  I have a few other things that are higher priority....but a good table and chairs is on my list for sure.  These Ikea ones from up above might just do the trick to hold me off a bit.

[Carol in Cal.]

I have Henriksdahl chairs from IKEA at my office.   I bought them in 2006 and they have seen heavy use and are still going strong. Best of all, the upholstery comes off and you can wash it in your Speed Queen.  It is extremely securely held when it’s on thanks to super strong Velcro, so it doesn’t seem like a slipcover.  So I can clean it without paying someone, and if I feel like it I can change up the decor just buy switching covers.  I am really happy with them.

Since I have a fair amount of experience shopping for big tables and chairs to go with them I will tell you what I have learned:

1.  Cost Plus chairs are lovely to look at and miserable to sit on.

2.  At a fancy store the set of chairs costs more than the table.

3.  A tiny difference in seat height makes all the difference in the world in comfort.  Try before you buy, and not in heels either.

4.  Antique chairs are most often available in sets of three or four.  If you want more than that, be prepared to ‘mix and match’. 

5.  Bucket seats are miserable for dining room chairs, despite being super comfy in cars.  Something about back position.

6.  Benches are good in theory but someone is always either stuck in the middle or too far from the table to eat well.  Plus there is always that kid who forgets and sits back into the air.  

 

[cjzimmer1]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

Man they are sooooo expensive though.  I have a few other things that are higher priority....but a good table and chairs is on my list for sure.  These Ikea ones from up above might just do the trick to hold me off a bit.

True and maybe it's because I was at a different stage of life than you when I bought it but I figured it made more sense to invest in one table set that would see me through raising kids/grandkids/holidays/family gatherings than to buy a lower quality but have to replace it one or more times because it didn't hold up.