How To Choose The Perfect Dining Chairs

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Choosing dining chairs is often more complex than choosing the dining table itself. Comfort, proportion, materiality, and overall atmosphere all play a role in creating a dining space that feels considered and cohesive. While there’s no single formula that works for every interior, there are a few principles we consistently return to when helping clients select dining chairs for their homes.

At benssur, our architectural expertise simplifies choosing dining chairs that not only look fantastic but also feel great and perfectly suit your lifestyle. Follow our easy, step-by-step guide to become a dining chair expert.

1. Start With Proportion

Your dining table typically determines the scale of the space, so dining chairs should be selected in relation to it. Before choosing a style, it’s important to understand how many chairs your table can comfortably accommodate.

As a general guide, allow at least 200 mm between chairs for comfortable spacing, while ensuring enough clearance from table legs and ends. This helps avoid a crowded layout and creates a more balanced overall look.

In smaller dining areas, slimmer chair profiles often feel lighter and more architectural, while larger spaces can accommodate wider or more sculptural forms.

2. Choose Between Armed and Armless Dining Chairs

Next, consider whether an armed or armless dining chair best suits your space. This decision is worth making early, as it influences both comfort and overall proportion within the dining area.

When you calculated your space in Step 1, you likely gained a clear idea of whether your dining area is large or compact. Space availability is crucial when deciding between armed and armless chairs. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Armed Chairs: Offer maximum comfort and are ideal for leisurely dining, long conversations, or lively game nights. However, they occupy more space and may crowd smaller dining rooms.
Armless Chairs: Sleek, versatile, and minimalistic, armless chairs slide neatly under tables, making them perfect for compact spaces. They help maintain a clean, spacious look but require resting your arms on the table.

Ultimately, your decision depends on your dining room size and lifestyle preferences.

3. Balancing Material and Practicality

Material selection plays a significant role in both the appearance and practicality of a dining chair. While aesthetics are important, it’s equally important to consider how the chair will function in everyday living.

Timber Dining Chairs: Warm, reliable, and versatile, timber is easy to clean, low-maintenance, and robust enough for daily use. At benssur, we see timber dining chairs as true all-rounders. We’re absolute timber lovers, crafting most of our products from premium solid timber like oak, beech, or ashwood.
Leather: Luxurious yet practical, leather dining chairs are soft, smooth, easy to maintain, and highly resistant to spills. Ideal for busy households with kids or pets.
Paper Rope: Unique, stylish, and incredibly comfortable but prone to stains. Best suited for dining spaces with fewer spills and an emphasis on style.
Metal: Extremely durable, low-maintenance, and strong but cold to the touch in winter. Consider adding cushions for added comfort.
Fabric: Warm, cozy, and inviting, fabric chairs excel in comfort and offer a pleasant feel, especially in cold weather. They require immediate care to prevent permanent stains from spills.

Our top recommendation remains timber dining chairs, given their versatility and reliability. Opt for leather or metal if durability and easy maintenance are your priorities, or choose fabric or paper rope for maximum comfort and style in lower-risk environments.

two chairs in image both have natural timber frame, but one with a black leather seat and the other one has paper rope seat.

4. Creating a Cohesive Dining Space

Finally, consider how your dining chairs will visually interact with the table and surrounding space. While there are endless opinions around what “works” in interior design, we’ve found that the most successful dining spaces focus less on strict rules and more on balance and cohesion.

One principle we often return to is “similar, but different”.

Rather than matching your dining chairs exactly to the table, aim for complementary contrast. The goal is to create visual harmony without the space feeling overly uniform or heavy. For example, pairing a natural timber dining table with timber dining chairs featuring black leather seats maintains consistency in material while introducing contrast through texture and tone. This creates a more layered and considered overall look.

Ultimately, the most successful dining spaces feel balanced rather than perfectly matched.

an image of a beautiful dining room, showing a natural color timber dining table with 4 natural color timber dining chairs with black leather seat — Pair natural wood chairs with black leather seats to balance timber harmony and bold contrast. – *Photo by Anna*

Avoid matching everything in the same colour and material, it can feel heavy or monotonous. That said, as mentioned above, even matching sets can look striking and well-balanced when paired thoughtfully with the right flooring, wall colour, or other elements in your dining space.

But… again, if you’re unsure, stick to our simple rule: similar, but different.

The Final Word

Congratulations! You’re now well-equipped to select the perfect dining chairs. Trust your taste and instincts. Remember, design is personal, subjective, and constantly evolving. There’s no absolute right or wrong. If you need help choosing, feel free to contact us – our team of practicing architects and designers are here to assist!

Though we’ve not covered every style, Scandinavian, modern, classic, or replica dining chairs, our best advice is simple: If you love it, it’s perfect. Just ensure genuine quality, like every designer dining chair you’ll find at benssur.

Happy chair hunting! Go forth and dine beautifully.