We’ve done some updates in the dining room that I’m VERY happy with and it was time to share. Naturally, we aren’t done so this is not a reveal, just a fun process post.
Here’s what it used to look like:
Now to be fair, typically there are two chairs on the ends and four on the sides, but the chairs blocked the architecture of the table which is my favorite part.
(Above was before we reupholstered the chairs in Crypton fabric).
Now, I liked everything up there, but the arms of the chairs were getting so disgusting from the kids’ hands and I was having to clean them too often. They would clean up well, but it did become another job that I had to do. Plus, the chairs just felt so basic and while they were comfortable and simple, I knew they could be cooler. I’ve been chasing the “super stylish and comfortable” dining chair for years now and will likely never find that combination. Generally, it’s because I like the look of sculptural chairs which inherently are less comfortable than large-scale upholstered numbers.
I wasn’t looking to change them out, but I always have my eye out for cool, vintage, chairs that are still comfortable and work with the stools and the table.
I tried mixing them up with vintage wood chairs but it looked better in a photo than it did in real life (it just looked a bit messy and unintentional).
A while ago at the flea market, I spotted from afar, six upholstered Cherner armchairs and darted instantly towards them, knowing they were mine. I’ve wanted them since I was 25. In case you don’t know how rare that is, trust me it’s SO HARD TO FIND. You can find single Cherner chairs relatively easily, but finding SIX UPHOLSTERED ones and having them all be the armchair version (versus just the side chairs) is HUGE. Normally they’d be anywhere from $6k – $10k for a set on 1stdibs. They had just come out of the truck and as I was buying them so many people came over to the booth to ask about them and everyone was so bummed that I had snagged them. I couldn’t pay fast enough. They were still expensive, at $2,200 for the set, but like I said it’s such a steal and they are one of those things that we could eventually sell and even make money off if we needed to in the future.
Why do I love them so much? I suppose the beautiful line of the bentwood and the scale. They are simple (meaning that the eye has an easy job understanding them) but so unique. And because they are bentwood, I think they are hard to knock off so I won’t deal with them being everywhere (thank goodness). They are a classic and just so sculptural.
The downside: Due to their age they are super creaky…and no, they aren’t as comfortable as our old chairs but I think once there is new upholstery and padding, they will get closer.
Sitting in a creaky chair is more annoying than you might think and we TRY to ignore it but sometimes, if the kids are moving and shuffling around too much in them, I just want to snap “STOP MOVING!!!” It’s very confronting to know that you intentionally bought some expensive, uncomfortable, un-returnable, creaky chairs for your family.
But I’m REALLY REALLY hoping that I can get them upholstered and restored to be more comfortable (more padding) and not creaky.
There has GOT to be a way to reinforce them, right? If anyone knows anyone in the LA area who can restore these so they aren’t creaky, please let me know.
We also updated the table: A few months ago, we sanded off the stain on the top of the table, making it SO much prettier. Right now it isn’t sealed and while it does pick up some stains, it doesn’t bother me at all. The base is a bit darker and I like that, too. It’s a pretty light pine and I like it so much more than the more orange stain that was on it.
The light: We switched out the big pleated pendant for this triple pendant fixture that I got on Chairish (for $375).
The old one was kinda big and made it strangely hard to shoot. We were always trying to minimize it and avoid it so for a recent shoot I put in this one and I suppose I like the micro-pendants better and they still work so well with the other lighting in the kitchen.
So the question remains: How do we reupholster these Cherner chairs?
I actually secretly love this bright blue, but the fabric is in terrible condition.
We could keep it classic with black leather or vinyl, but now that I’m used to a bright color on them, I might miss it!
I hadn’t thought about a brown or camel leather, but that could be really tonal and pretty.
I could always go with a similar fabric that the chairs currently have in a bright blue, but this is a bit too bright for me…
By the way, it was super hard to find any inspiration photos of colorful upholstery on the chairs. Are people not doing this?
image sources: top left | top right | bottom left | bottom right
I suppose leather or vinyl will be the best choice with kids so I need to go shopping. I guess if there was a really beautiful slate blue leather I could see that looking good, but camel leather could be so pretty.
I’d love to hear your opinion: you see we really have the stools and the island color to work with, and I want to keep it classic and simple, not do any pattern or anything too dramatic.
Thoughts? And do you even like my creaky 60-year-old expensive “dream” chairs?? I’ve just wanted these for so long and I INSIST on making them work. Everytime I’m at my friend’s house (who is borrowing my old chairs until I want them back), I am jealous of how comfortable they are and I know that Brian is, so let’s hope the upholstery can add more foam and the restorer can reinforce the wood and get rid of all the squeaks and creaks…
***photography by Veronica Crawford for EHD
Emile, adding a thicker foam padded seat will ruin the profile of the chair. Feels like a square peg in a round hole to try to get these to work for every meal with two kids under six. Same thing was true with the last round of chairs. Stick to a simple wooden or aluminium chair with removable seat cushions, so you can wash them as needed or easily replace them. Also, in this last picture, there are four types/shades of wood visible–excluding the painted wood in two other colors. it feels far from intentional, particularly because the bar stools clash intensely with your dining chairs.
You can have an opinion without being mean.
I don’t think this comment is mean. It’s honest; no sugarcoating, but not mean.
I agree that you can have an opinion without being mean – and I think Ellie did a great job of doing just that.
I agree.
I can really sympathise with finding something you’ve wanted for ages and being really excited about using them. But as someone says further down they fit your old house and, maybe, old life?
I absolutely agree with not designing down for children, but some things aren’t practical. And these chairs strongly clash with pretty much everything else in the space. Taking them up to the mountain house might be a good compromise.
It just struck me as I was typing that it’s like you loving a pair of trousers and explaining to your best friend, “they don’t fit me, they’re damaged, and they don’t go with anything I own, but I love them and bought them anyway!” And I have absolutely done that a number of times ? so I don’t mean to come across as snippy.
The second comment beat me to it, I was agreeing with Ellie, the first poster, not Ms Anonymous
yep. she (first commenter) hit it right on the nose. expensive to begin with, then emily would have to get it fixed and reupholstered, AND uncomfortable. what did she pay for – solely for the aesthetic? replacing the cushions with something thicker would compromise the chairs’ sleek silhouette, the main reason she bought them. i still can’t get over that they were so expensive AND uncomfortable! ?
Well the chairs will be cool with new upholstery and leather would definitely be a great choice but now the stools dont jive with the design.
I would keep the chairs but maybe find 2 chairs for the kids for now, maybe let them choose their own chair from a few options. I would then do a deep deep indigo, almost black leather or vinyl. And then paint the island a slightly lighter blue, maybe just a touch lighter or even with a touch of green. And then I would find some simple stools that are wood that go with either the chair stain color or the tabletop. That would pull it all together. I would leave the light for now, I like it and think with some deeper blues that it would look great.
That was my first thought too-the stools just look awkward now.
Love the chair, but the bar stools don’t work now… if it s not one thing it’s another – no?
The barstools do clash with the chairs. I say keep the chairs, find stools that can work with both design AND that work at the table for the kiddos. It seems close enough to pull those stools up to the table and back at dinner. The kids will be more comfortable also. Sometimes, it’s worth a bit of work to have those special rare things we love.
I like the chairs, but don’t think they go with the farmhouse table or the stools. I think you just love mid-century and your heart is not in this Tudor/English country style. Good luck, though!
I really want to love these chairs! I mean I DO love them, they’re stunning. But if I’m brutally honest I don’t think the tone of the wood will ever work with your kitchen island or stools, or the dining table – and the general vibe of them is so mid-century compared to your English period-style kitchen. And I don’t want to say that because I can feel how much you adore them – and they are such beautiful pieces.
Would they work at the mountain house? I can see how the organic shape and the focus on the wood/craftsmanship might look incredible there?
My thoughts exactly. Also, I know people have varying tolerances for mixing wood tones (I’m probably on the “low tolerance” end of that spectrum) but the light pine table plus deep wood chairs plus pale floors plus medium oak counter stools reads as lots of wood done in a hectic way (to my eye), especially since they are also really variable styles–I look at the kitchen/breakfast area and see French country but the dining table veers more rough/rustic farmhouse and then the new chairs really throw a kink in that by being very midcentury modern. I’m not sure any combo of padding/upholstery will tie them together, sadly. And for some reason that light fixture is throwing me off too even though I know you have lots of brass in your kitchen; maybe it’s just bringing in too much yellow? And the three lights on the fixture plus three stools is also adding to the busyness factor, I fear.
I completely agree! They look very modern/mid century modern. They will look amazing in the mountain house. The photos above featuring those chairs are in very modern settings.
I don’t disagree with you… there’s a lot going on here! I much prefer the whole look with the Crypton chairs. The flow was so nice and everything was so complementary. And the unfinished table top is throwing me off. I think these new chairs have too much red and the style clashes with everything else. They are super cool though! They really would’ve been amazing in the old house!
I think it’s a killer snag for $2K and wholeheartedly support this purchase! However, yeah, they look super bad with the stools. But I actually never really liked these stools anyway. They always looked too basic, like too kindergarten classroom to me. The powder coated metal and mid toned wood and basic shape never wowed me but now they look SUPER basic compared to these Cherner beauties. Keep the Cherners, add a little padding and a neutral leather/vinyl, and get new counter stools.
Holy guacamole there’s a whole lotta opinions in this thread. The teacher in me wants to create graphs and track all the opinions visually— or at least with tallies! I’m picturing Arlyn with a whiteboard making little tic marks! Anyway, on to my two cents: you have some upscale elements to the kitchen that other elements are fighting with. I am all for adding in things you love. I think the chairs can work but you need to pare back and refine other things to let them shine. The current bar stools are too clunky and schoolhouse-ish. The new light fixture is very brassy and there are three which feels like a lot for your eye to take in, when really the focus should be on the swooping lines of the chairs contrasting with the rustic table. The light should be more discrete and elegant – think Nicky ’s double arm pendant (which is such a subtle swoon-worthy investment!) oh, also the thinner white lines of the stools are super distracting. I don’t think Nicky Kehoe is the holy grail/answer to everything but her T stool is definitely more subtle and better/pared down forms than what you currently have. Basically… Read more »
There’s a photo in the Mountain house kitchen reveal where you have one of these style chairs in-shot (a non-upholstered one). It works really nicely, and an upholstered one in that same environment would be amazing with either black or the buttery very light caramel colour you have used on the light-coloured kitchen bar stools. So one of those options would tie in so nicely while still standing out due to the contrasting wood tone. Also completely agree that wherever the chairs end up going, let their sculptural shapes shine, keep the table and its legs minimal and sophisticated. Mountain house all the way!!
Agree. Just get some nice quiet white chairs. There’s way too much going on here and it will make the beauty of the table and the kitchen pop.
Ellie is right – they are beautiful chairs but sadly they just don’t look right in that space; particularly with the island and stools.
sorry, my niece is emily spelled emile. i do know your name, i promise!
maybe save these for when the kids are older/special occasions and get everyday chairs from target? best of both worlds.
maybe save these for when the kids are older/special occasions and get everyday chairs from target? best of both worlds.
I really like these process/progress posts and I love the chairs! Would they work better (stylistically & functionally) at the Mountain House?
I agree! I think you could upholster them in a black or tonal leather (easy to clean!) and they would vibe better with the stools you have at the mountain house. Good luck and congrats on the great find!
Those chairs are gorgeous! This whole dining area reminds me of the style of your previous house which I loved so much! I think you need new bar stools to work with the dining chair and table wood color. A camel leather or vinyl would be beautiful. And I would paint your bar an Emily indigo blue. I know you are trying to branch away but this dining area makes me miss your touch of indigo.
i was totally thinking camel – something buttery and warm!!
Why not play with tone and find a fabric that goes with your island? Like a darker green? That wasnt one of the things you were considering, but it could work and be timeless. Of the above, I like the neutral camel leather the best (actually, love) but I do miss the pop of color on the chairs, too. But I think the island and table decor can bring the color for you if you go the neutral out. I did notice the current blue on the chairs really brings out the blue in the painting.
The blue on the chairs combined with the painting is delightful. Combined with the kitchen island and stools though, though, it looks clunky. A deep green that echoes the bottle in the painting and is on speaking terms with the island sounds good to me. I love the shape of the chairs but sort of agree with those that think they don’t fit your current life very well. I want them to work, though.
I had the same thought about a deep green or a deep blue like the settee in Aren’t & Pike photo. So good. I think you can make this work but in my mind, the island is the issue now–the stools, the light fixture, and the cladding and color of the island. You’ve got the great sconces in the kitchen which feel right with where you are going with the Cherner chairs. The island overall is throwing me.
I agree with Sahaja and Christina’s comments. I am not entirely sure whether the practical issues and styles mesh here but I want them to… I also see a dark green color on the upholstery. It may bring a through thread into the dining and kitchen areas. I love the new lighting. The combination of a pop of color in the dining room upholstery with the metal will bring a little more contrast and energy to this room. I look forward to seeing what you do.
I think dark green is a great idea!
Wow, love those chairs! I also love the dark green upholstery idea. I agree with the other posters, too, about finding different barstools that don’t clash with your awesome new chairs. The new light also looks great! Good luck with fixing the creak issue!
Just thinking out loud….the creak must be some kind of friction at the joints right? Maybe? So…tightening and/or wd40 on the screws? I’d try that before paying anyone.
I love the moment I finally find the i have been looking for! (The other week I found the exact coffee table I had been hunting online, secondhand, for months….i dug it out of the neighbor’s trash!)
Good idea, but I was thinking about heavy duty felt washers….?
Yeah maybe!! and yes it’s the best feeling 🙂
I think an off-white fabric or leather would be pretty in your kitchen and make the shape pop even more.
While I love those chairs, after looking at your last photo on this post, it has changed your whole kitchen/dining look. They don’t vibe with the island color or style or the stools. Or schoolhouse type lighting over the island. Are we looking forward to a midcentury redo? I’m up for it!
1. totally happy for you! i looooooooove when the universe brings me the vintage treasures i’ve been dreaming about. such an “eeeeeeeek!” moment!
2. i LOVE the color of the upholstery now. just reupholster in the same color/fabric.
3. as far as the creak factor. i say, try wd40 as someone else suggested, then try having joints tightened or whatever.
4. as far as the creaky/child factor, why don’t you just get 2 easy/child-friendly chairs for your kids to use at the table? why put small children in beautiful vintage and expensive chairs? i have 2 young kids. kids are the destroyers of everything and are full of energy and have a hard time sitting still. so, when it’s just you guys at home eating together, get them their own chairs.
5. love these kinds of posts.
Thank you thank you xx I will definitely try the wd40 and see if that works..
Please check with your carpenter, WD 40 might gives trouble if the joint actually need to be glued, or if the wood need to be refinished. I would try the felt washer first.
Emily, please DO NOT put WD-40 on these chairs unless it is in an inconspicuous area — it will make a big grease spot that will never come out. Never put oil of any kind on antique furniture or woodwork — it eventually oxidizes and turns black and that won’t be fixable. The one exception is teak oil on teak furniture or furniture that intentionally has an oiled finish. Wax is the thing to use for protection and shine.
Please take these beauties to a pro. Like you said, these are usually 6-10K a set, so they deserve to be treated with kid gloves.
Here is an antiques expert saying the same thing, so you don’t just have to take my silly word for it:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/stories/articles/2004/2/23/tips-trade-leave-finish-alone/
I’ve made plenty of conservation mistakes in my life, and I’m just trying to keep you from making one. Those chairs are beautiful. They were a great buy. You are smart and capable. Just do the research before you dive in!
Don’t use WD-40! The lubricating effect is temporary– it’s actually a solvent! (here’s a good explanation: https://lifehacker.com/when-should-i-not-use-wd-40-5891936) Use a garage door silicone instead.
As someone else said, do NOT use WD40. It will breakdown over time (like a couple years, not a long time for a major purchase) and then it will begin attracting water (humidity in the air). It will not permanently bond with the water, which will then be soaked up by the wood of the chair. It will RUIN your chair. If you must put oil on the joints (though I would talk to a joiner or try the felt washers first), then get a quality machine oil. These are not expensive and you can find good ones at hardware and sewing stores as well as bike shops. 3-in-1 oil being one you can find all over the place that works really well and doesn’t break down into attractant molecules.
I love these kinds of posts too!
But I would not try wd40 on the chairs. Instead I would contact I furniture carpenter and have him/her have a look at the chairs. They probably have to be reglued. We reglued our own creaky chairs and tightened all the screws and it worked. But it´s best done by a professional, especially since they have the right kind of glue.
Love the chairs BUT now the bar stools don’t work. They just seem to clash stylistically. So you should change the bar stools if you’re going to use those chairs.
Hi, I see the same thing. It feels like the bar stools and chairs compete now. There are a lot of lines/busyness for my taste.
I like the blue color a lot – but I think it doesn’t work with the island base (although that color is in the painting too) it doesn’t go in my eyes. Tonal would be really pretty. I think the chairs are gorgeous! I also would try WD40 or something on the screws as someone else mentioned to see if that helps.
Of the abovementioned colors, I’d go with a buttery camel leather (LOVE!) or a cream/off-white leather/vinyl. The first is timeless and beautiful and the latter would work to tie your new chairs to the overall color scheme of your kitchen and dining area.
That said, while I love the look of these chairs (and yay for finding something you’ve wanted for so long!!!), they do clash quite starkly with your island stools. It’s not the most pulled together look.
In any case, as someone said in the comments, tightening the screws and trying some wd40 could really help with the creaking issue. I’d try that before finding a professional to do the work.
Happy week! 🙂
Jess
If I am remembering correctly, when the squeak is wood on wood, rubbing bar soap on those surfaces helps and won’t damage the finish like wd 40 might. It might have been beeswax too. You should be able to get the squeak fixed at least!
I’m leaning the most towards camel leather (or vegan leather or vinyl). I think it would be versatile and durable. My second choice would be a green-colored fabric, which I think would harmonize nicely with the island more. so than blue, plus it would be more unexpected than blue.
Wow, a dream come true for you for those chairs, congratulations. They are beyond! I love the blue, but also think the tonal option looks sophisticated. Tough decision to have: how to upholster your dream chairs!
I think I’ve blue leather or some other tough fabric would be cool.
Not to be discouraging but: is there really any way to make old chairs stop creaking? If so I’d LOVE to hear about it. Perhaps the creaking is just something you get used to.
Oops, that was supposed to say “ICE BLUE” leather.
I actually love the idea of a navy/slate leather, though camel would be beautiful too! I do have to agree with everyone else, I don’t know that these chairs vibe with the barstools…. but keep the chairs and change the stools, they’re too beautiful!
Hi Emily, I am so glad you found your dream chairs. The Cherene chairs are truly special and gorgeous. However…I always thought your previous chairs were a huge mistake, design wise, as they are super bulky and truly don’t fit the table or the style of your house. I have always thought you should get vintage Windsor and just put a cushion on the seat that you can remove. I had Windsor chairs for years and used to sit and write my college papers for hours in them. They are timeless and classic. I vote camel leather and putting them at the mountain house. If you don’t need them all just keep the other ones, or put two on the ends of your table in LA. Right now it all looks a bit clashy (which I am sure you are aware of). A color would need to work with island color and I would vote for either the brown leather or a dark olive green. I am glad you got them though, and that price is amazing. Don’t feel guilty. They are works of art and will always be worth money!
Those are really cool chairs! Although I have a feeling this is going to be one of those snowball projects where it starts with the chairs needing to be reupholstered and ends with new island stools and maybe a new island paint color. Right now, it’s not going together well in color or style.
I agree. These are GORGEOUS chairs for a dining room. But this room isn’t really a dining room; it’s an eat-in kitchen. And the two spaces are (sadly) now clashing. Save the chairs for another house/different version of this house (i.e. older children)
I agree with Mary. These are the type of special chairs that would be amazing to design a whole dining room around and have them be the star, but as more of an eat-in kitchen, I feel it is a bit of a clash. I definitely say hoard them for a future dining room!
I have a set of vintage chairs at my table and don’t want my son destroying them so I have a specific chair for him (the ikea kids dining chair) that he uses! That way I can still have my beautiful chairs to look at and use. As for color I say camel would be wonderful!
100% Camel leather! it will play nicely with the various tones of wood like the barstools and the lighter tabletop.
Could you do buttery baby blue leather like on the seat of the office chair in Ginny’s midcentury makeover? Still blue, still fun, but more toned down. LOVE the chairs!
First. They are GORGEOUS! I currently 4 have non creaky vintage bentwood Thonet chairs they came from a university. Luckily I found two upholstered ones for the ends. My end chairs are covered in different fabrics. One an ivory leather. The other the original orange vinyl which my son lovingly stabbed multiple times with a pencil when he was two!
I would say go with a neutral leather, super easy to clean. Just in eye out for pencil stabbers!!
I’m so excited for you!!! It’s amazing finding something you have been pining after for years!! What a find!
As far as upholstery goes…I vote for a beautiful, genuine leather. (As a side note, have you thought about being your reupholstery projects to Tijuana? There are so many affordable, high-quality upholstery shops there and it’s so close to you in LA. ) Now can we talk about padding? I understand that you want everyone to be comfy at the table, but maybe there are other ways to do that? My family is from Italy where we linger around the table for hours and we SO do not have soft and comfy chairs. We mostly use benches and hard wooden chairs. Dinner is about the people, not the comfort of the chairs. In any case, you know what’s best for your family, but maybe if you took extra soft padding off the list of requirements it would be easier to visualize what you want on these chairs?
I can’t wait to see what you do, it’s so fun watching your process!!
Emily,
I look at your blog all the time but never post. Love the chairs and the color!!! I would try to keep the color of the chairs. It makes the painting behind the chairs pop but I am not sure the bar stools or the color of the island works with the chairs. I guess it would be easier the change the chairs? Thank you so much for your blog!
Love those chairs, the color of the upholstery, and the echo between them and the painting hanging on the wall behind. That said, I think in a small kitchen/dining situation, they just don’t work. The kitchen has cottage and industrial elements, farm-y chicken wire and sleek, shiny white tile. It’s oriented on a triangle and you also have a busy mediterranean tile just outside the door. There’s white, green, gold, black, and various wood tones. It’s a lot. I think those chairs, especially given the “creaky” state they’re in, would work best in a house with a dining room where there’s a separate kitchen table with sturdier chairs that handle the everyday eating/wear and tear of children. Obviously, that’s not the case here. I think you’ll make yourself miserable trying to get the kids to not move 3x a day at meals. Why add that stress? Store these in the basement as an investment for your next home when the kids are older and pull them out for shoots. If you need need need to use them in this home, you should paint the island white, replace the bar stools and remove the industrial cabinet you’re currently using for alcohol… Read more »
I follow Dynasty Upholstery on Instagram, they are in LA and repair/reupholster a ton of vintage furniture. Would definitely reach out to them!
Oooh I will! Thank you xx
I LOVE the bright blue that is currently on the chairs, but if you’re going to reupholster them then I’d suggest a forest green color or maybe even a burnt orange. I love pops of color and I LOVE your kitchen!
Emily, love, love those chairs!
Having grown up with a family antique business, whatever you do in refurbishing your gorgeous chairs PLEASE DO NOT let anyone damage/change the original screws, labels, etc. This would reduce their value. If they still creak, they’re still worth more yhan if you have them glued or use new screws or the like.
I agree with a comment above, about letting the kids have their own chairs for every day use.
Those. Chairs. Gah!
Go with what you love! If you love the chairs and they make you smile every time you look at them, it won’t matter whether they creak or are uncomfortable. Also, children who grow up with nice things learn to respect and care for them. I’m sure you’ll make everything look fabulous. BTW, I would have arm wrestled an old lady to land a set of 6 Cherner chairs for 2k!
Is it out of the question to leave the fabric as is until the kids get older (beyond the messy eater phase) and then invest in recovering them?
I adore these chairs. But they’re not right for your family now. You have young children who need to sit in more comfortable chairs that don’t squeak. Save these precious chairs for later and find a more suitable/durable/easy-to-clean option for while your kids are small.
Love the chairs. Love both your dining room and kitchen, however they feel totally disconnected from one another. They are two completely different styles. Kitchen feels traditional with a vintage schoolhouse vibe and the dining room feels mid century modern. Perhaps new bar stools and light fixtures would bridge the two?
UGHHHHHHHHH! This is my forever problem. I want a super comfortable chair, that looks beautiful, is good for kids and isn’t a million dollars. Why don’t you design one for us????
I love those chairs as well. But as other comments mention I don’t see it with the rest of the kitchen. They aren’t working with the island stools. Could they be used in the mountain house ? If you do upholster them I’d go with something classic like camel leather.
What about a blush leather? I just bought a blush leather banquette and I’m in love! And regarding the critical posts, you love them, you’ve wanted them forever and they were a steal! You’ll try to make them work and if you don’t, you can sell and give us more dining room content. Go for it!
Omg a blush leather banquette?? Sounds so dreamy!
Yes!!!!! Blush would be perfect!
Keep the blue! I normally don’t like color but I think the blue looks perfect in that setting. I’m surprised I’m not telling you to do them in black LOL
I’d keep looking for other options. Comfort matters.
The new direction is much more Emily and more interesting. I love the new chairs. I would go with black leather to bring in some of the black accent elements in your kitchen (lights, wire grids, etc). It would help to unite the space. I like interesting and unique pieces. These chairs are not something that someone will see everywhere. There are many similar versions of the upholstered chairs. Love it!
What about black and white cowhide backs with black leather seats? It would elevate the design and keep things interesting.
Bar stools + chairs = too much. I’d change the bar stools and keep the chairs – reupholster in something you adore, whatever that is. Chairs are brilliant, iconic. Bar stools to me are kind of cheerful but childlike? Sure it would change the look of your kitchen but you are getting older, maybe your tastes are shifting to a slightly more sophisticated/dramatic style. And your kids are growing up too.
I LOVE the chairs. Think leather would be nice because you can treat it and they will still look cool once the leather gets scuffed and beat up a bit. I don’t love them with your bar stools. They seem too school house for the awesomeness of the chairs and I think everything would be improved and less countrified if you ditched the beadboard on the island for a flat panel…that being said I really love your kitchen ?
i think you should have kept the dining room the way it was with the big light and the upholstered chairs 🙁 it made sense with the style if your home and your kitchen.
The chairs seem to really reflect your personality and make you happy. I say go with them, with a nice wipeable fabric, and just work with the rest of your house to slowly bring it closer to “you.” The tutor style is lovely, but you’re all about having your home reflect your personality. It’s going to be a mix of styles and pieces that “spark joy.” Decorating a home is a never-ending process. It’s our pleasure as your audience to watch how you transform different spaces to be not only objectively beautiful, but unique to the individuals and families living in them.
For the kids, look at Ikea’s Junior urban chairs. We have them pulled up for our two at the table next to the adult chairs and they really don’t look bad! Keep a couple extra stacked nearby for kid guests (they are lightweight and stacked yet sturdy enough for my 2 and 4 year old to climb in and out)
HIGHLY recommend!
Good to know! I will check them out 🙂
I have these chairs for my kids too. Totally practical.
I love them. I would go for black leather/vinyl because it’s a classic look and wipeable, plus you can get away with more padding than with a colour. On the other hand my mother had beautiful mahogany chairs upholstered in sunshine yellow leather and it looked amazing in our dark dining room and weathered decades of hard wear very well – they faded a little and would fade more in your sunny house but consider it!
I think the stools at the breakfast bar are letting you down; they look unsophisticated compared to all the other elements in the space especially the light fittings. If you use them a lot, consider the DeVol plain wood stools which would go nicely with the Cherner chairs. If you don’t use them much, ditch them altogether. People can stand and chat to whoever is cooking and then sit down at the table to eat. I can’t wait for breakfast bars to fall out of fashion altogether.
Please no to the blue fabric. It does not work at all against the green of your island. I don’t think you have a choice but to use black.. which I think would look best anyway. Brown would work but with all the wood it’s too much brown. Black leather with a thicker padding. We have wishbone chairs with burnt orange/brown leather pads off of Etsy and they are SO comfortable and look amazing. I gently wipe off the pad where my kids sit after meals and back to new. The pads can also be flipped in case a big stain happens but I don’t think that will ever happen with these pads.. they clean up so easily. If you ever decide not to use the Cherner chairs keep leather pads in mind! (Plus they were very affordable.. 70 a pad.. came from another country)
Yes and the stools! You can’t have both. The main problem is that the tone of the Werner chairs absolutely do not go with the stools and I love mixing wood tones. The cherner chairs are antique and clash really badly with those modern light stools. The more I look and think about it the more I think you will have to replace those stools with an antique style stool. This is one case where the wood of the chairs and the stools have to pretty much be the same. Dark, shiny, antique looking stools. The wood cannot be farmhouse or modern.. I don’t think. It’s definitely going to be tricky to find something that will work but if you do it will change the whole style of the kitchen dining to mid century.
Ok last comment! I’m looking again and I have to say- these simply don’t work in this house. These are so much better for the mountain house.. think of all the fun you could have! You can’t really make midcentury work ( as a set like this. here and there is ok) in an English Tudor.. of course there are no rules but it just doesn’t work well. The chairs don’t even work with the dining table which is farmhouse all the way. I think you need wood spindle chairs- all the same- with pads. That would look adorable and would work! Our chairs are wood with pads and they are super comfy and perfect for my kids.
While I love love love these chairs, I have to agree with others that they don’t fit the style of your home. I think if you had a place for them in the mountain house maybe they would fit more with the scandi vibe there. I was already thinking that throughout reading the blog post and the. They final picture showing them with your kitchen really confirmed it.
They are gorgeous chairs and I hope you can have them repaired to not creak. I wonder if this is common with older bentwood? Maybe so
Done online has posted how they fixed it.
The lighting update and the sanding of the table are gorgeous.
I agree with most of the comments. These chairs are GORGEOUS. But also agree that they don’t look good in this house/kitchen and I would be so nervous all the time when the kids are sitting in them. They are too precious for daily use with small kids. Also I think the chairs would look way better with a different table. This table is too farmhouse and the color of the wood is competing with the chairs too. Wouldn’t it be absolutely amazing with a big white round table? And a camel leather upholstery ? Difficult decision but you will make it work. They are a keeper for sure, now only where and how to use.
Agree completely.
Please don’t reupholster until you are committed to the chair’s residence! I agree with many of the other responses that the gorgeous chairs do not go with the style of your kitchen. Nor do they complement the kitchen’s painted wood cottagey feel.
Your table, painted island, bar stools, painted white cabinet all speak to cottage style, not the sleek modern style of the chair. Love the chairs, just not in this house, but nice job on the lucky find!!