A dining table isn't complete without somewhere to sit, and when it comes to sitting, chairs are the gold standard. When choosing chairs to pair with a hardwood dining table, hardwood chairs are great. As with all seats, one of the most important details of a chair is what you sit on.
At Loewen Design Studios we make chairs with 4 different seats.
Each have their own pros and cons, and suit different situations well. We'll look at them one at a time.
Wood seats match the rest of the chair. This can be a wonderful for many different styles. It can be done to match the table exactly, the same wood and finish, for a very consistent look. Be aware though, this can be a lot of the same if you aren't prepared for it. Wood chairs can also be made of a different wood or different finish than your table. This gives a little more variety to the styling, with a 2 tone look. When it comes to sitting, wood seats are the firmest of the options. Wood seats are the thinnest seats, and do not compress when you sit of them. They are also warm seats.
Fabric seats, like the rest of the seat options, introduce a new material. This means that they must offer a new color. Fabric seats in particular often blend many similar but different colors into the single fabric. Fabric seats, like wooden seats, are quite warm. They are also thicker, and do compress when sat upon. Fabric seats have a protective coating on them, and are made to be cleaned.
Leather seats are a wonderful luxurious seat. They are a real natural high quality leather. Like the fabric they are a different color than the chair and the table. For this reason I would suggest that the chairs are made of the same material with the same finish at the table. This means only 2 different colors in total. The leather seats have coating applied to protect the leather, though they are still a natural product and require a little care and attention to keep in the best condition.
Finally, Faux Leather seats are yet another wonderful option. They are cooler than many of the other seats. They offer a new color like the leather or fabric seats. They are very similar to leather to the touch, but they clean very easily. This makes them both a comfortable option for seats and a simple option to maintain. They are available in black, white, many vibrant colors, and some leather stylings.
All in all, wood seats look the most different from the other options, and are the firmest. The Faux Leather seats are the easiest to maintain and offer many different colors. Fabric seats have a mixed color and texture, and leather is the most luxurious seat.
Each different seat can be wonderful in a different situation. It just depends on what it is that you're looking for.