A friend just emailed me with an urgent request. They recently moved to a new apartment and sold their old dining set. Here’s what their new place looks like:
They purchased their new table from Housing Works (a really great thrift store here in NYC). It is round and has cute spindle legs and will either get painted or refinished.
Here’s where the urgent request comes in. My friend is hosting Thanksgiving dinner and needs a set of dining chairs ASAP and doesn’t want to get something off Craigslist (which can be expensive and a pain without a car here).
I thought you guys would be interested in my suggestions for relatively inexpensive and readily available dining chairs that swing a little modern to go with a vintage table. So here’s the list, from most to least expensive. Nothing is over $200 per chair:
These Tolix chairs from Pottery Barn (available in gunmetal gray, red or white) come out to $179 each when you buy a set of four. Or they are $199 when purchased seperately.
Talk about a classic–and the ultimate in kid-proof!
This great orange velvet chair from Pier 1 is a great price at $170. I love that it’s modern but also pretty formal.
Ballard Parsons chair in off-white duck for $129. There are other less expensive Parsons-style chairs out there, but none have the traditional upholstered legs that I love.
Kmart is absolutely teaming with great chair knockoffs right now! At just over $95 per chair, this set of Eames syle chairs looks like a great deal!
There’s a similar set that comes in acrylic too! $145 each.
I absolutely LOVE this pair of chairs from Overstock ($265 for two). Doesn’t the brown and cream fabric look suzani-inspired?
World Market just came out with these awesome French bistro chairs ($260 for a set of two). I think these would be amazing painted a bright color or white or black. Really any version of these chairs is going to be great (other than the unfortunately current state).
As a side note, this $199 bench looks so cool. It’s upholstery in a woven kilim-like zebra pattern:
$100 at IKEA buys you a really cool chrome and acrylic chair.
I have an obssession with klismos chairs and I think these from West Elm are a really cool, modern spin on the classic style.
Just $79 per chair, available in many colors. I’m partial to the yellow and the red.
This $60 chair from IKEA is a great, basic buy, especially if your dining table is going to be colorful. Or if you use a colorful dining room rug.
If it’s blue and lacquered, what’s not to love? These chairs from Target are just $40 each!!
Do you have any favorites to share?
Copy Cat Chic posted these a few days ago that look a lot like the tolix – http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Silver-Tabouret-Stacking-Chairs-Set-of-4/5095638/product.html
Perfect selection! I just bought two of the yellow West Elm chairs for my new studio and love them! You can see them here: http://www.andunlimited.com/studio-interior/
Great round-up! I have these target chairs (in white) and I love them. And now I'm off to pick up my jaw after seeing these chairs from Kmart!!! What??!!?!
We just got the Torrey Side and Arm Chairs from Pier 1 last week to go with our table. And they are on sale!
http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/Dining/tabid/493/List/0/CategoryID/117/level/a/ProductID/5929/ProductName/Torrey-Side-Chairuu/Default.aspx
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! I've been looking for new, and relatively inexpensive, dining chairs and I was so excited when I saw your post. Now I just have to convince the hubs that we really need new chairs…
tolix chairs are my all time favorite!!
We were preparing to invest in them when I stumbled upon 4 knoll tulip chairs for cheap on craiglist. So now I'm going that route instead, but someday I want some tolix in my life!
I was just about to post the copy cat chic link to the tolix chairs. GREAT deal and they would look great with that table!
Where did they get their rug? I love it and I'm looking for something similar in blue or green.
The West Elm ones are my favorite here. I've bought some things from them before and their chairs and tables are quite sturdy and high quality. The ones from Target I have seen in person and are a bit rickety. I think they'd go best with that table. Finding matching dining chairs in large multiples second hand can be a real pain. And it's especially expensive if you're looking to seat 6, 8 or 10!
I also really like this yellow chair from CB2 for $79. Not bad!
Great choices!! Just an FYI. I ordered the Tolix chairs from Pottery Barn in July and they are STILL backordered. The latest I've heard is they will be available in January. So if you're looking to get chairs quick, keep looking.
This is the second time I've seen a post with the tolix chairs. I really like them.
I'm a HUGE fan of the IKEA NORDMYRA chairs – they're a great price, and they're solid with a bit of vintage.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10087644
I love the look and feel of these more modern dining room chairs. I came across your post this afternoon while browsing interior design blogs and the topic of window treatment selection was very interesting to me. Window treatments can match well with dining room chairs, and the more modern twist is a great way to go. It is true that you must dress your windows appropriately to bring out their true beauty. Thank you for writing and as a special thanks to you and your readers, I would like to offer a 20% off coupon using this code upon checkout: BLG20.
Yay! I love round ups. I tend to be partial to a rustic wood table with white chair. I love their gray couch. It would be fun to do the table in gray with white chairs…
All great choices – that Pier One chair looks way more expensive than its price!
I love the Overstock chairs. Just something classic about the Parsons chair.
I love those chairs!
I love these suggestions!
I have parsons chairs from Ikea and LOVE them. They are so comfortable. We stained the birch colored legs a dark espresso color.
Thanks for the great suggestions! So many options I wouldn't have thought of!
Renting chairs is an option – those sweet ballroom chairs or the classic white folding?
We sat on folding chairs until we could afford the one's we wanted! I do like the target chairs.
pve
I've had the Ikea Gilbert chairs and the Tolix chairs. Both work great with kids and spills. I'm looking to upgrade a little bit and thinking about these Safavieh leather beauties from Overstock for my new black and white dining room.
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Becca-Cream-Leather-Dining-Chair/4688190/product.html
I love the look of those West Elm chairs, but – alas – cannot click through to their linked site. They do not allow anyone outside of the U.S. to visit, apparantly: am I the only one that finds this rather discriminatory?
:-S
I'm loving your blog! I think I might have to buy the orange chairs to go along with my table and I love that zebra bench, I wonder if it would look good at the end of a bed?
I like the yellow ones! But I'm boring and would probably pick up some some of those aluminum ones Ikea.
These are all amazing. I love the acrylic chairs and the Bertoia are SO cool. Thanks for sharing!!
i would go to a goodwill and find the number of chairs that i needed –
spray them all black and cover seats in lots of different fabs-
no need to rush into a set of something you may not like-
and odd chairs can be used anywhere in a home
john in nc
I found some tolix knock offs for only $99 each last week! I do a feature on my blog weekly called steal verses lux so I featured those last week.
Great finds by the way! I have been eyeing a pair of slip covered parson chairs for myself.
http://cottagebythegulf.blogspot.com
I love the Tolix chairs from PB, but be forewarned — I ordered mine in late August/early September, and they are STILL on backorder, and got pushed back another month last week. SO, if your friend needs them for Thanksgiving, they probably won't be available. :(
Gorgeous selection, though – I love the blue (?) couch in their living room.
Great post! I love all those chairs and will need some new ones soon. I'll come back and use your links! Let us know what she chooses:)
Small world… I just moved out of that building! I hope your friend enjoys her time there. My vote is for Tolix or a similar knockoff. I think they'd contrast nicely with the slipcovered furniture.
I love the orange velvet chair, it may not be the most practical but I think it would tie in really well with the floor rug. I also think they are a little more solid and would pair nicely with the delicate legs of the table. To have a balance. If not I think any of the white chairs would also look really good.
I have the IKEA acrylic ones and love them- they are so comfortable and are so easy to clean- really love the look, ease and price of them. My second choice would be the Bertoai look-a-like- love the style of these chairs paired with the wood table. Modern but still warm.
love these! got anything like them in an office/desk style? i need a reeeally cute office chair.
My vote is for the acrylic Eames style chairs with that table, so cute!
i love the west elm chairs. we just got a vintage table off of craigslist and are also looking for chairs, but we don't have the budget to spend much more than $20 per chair! i'm hoping to find them at thrift stores, garage sales, etc. then paint them all white to have them coordinate. so far i've found one…$2.99 at savers! can't beat that. do you have advice on how to refinish a chair so it holds up well to wear? would i just use a polyeurothane (have no idea how to spell that!) coating?
We had the same problem and searched high and low. We ended up stumbling upon a set of 6 for $150 at a consignment shop. It was a heck of a deal and after a bit of paint and new chair fabric they turned out great!
I vote klismos from this list, as another idea, I love my simple black ballroom chairs, from overstock, around $200 for four.
I'm in Australia so the supplier is irrelevant but we recently picked up a similar chair to the French Bistro chair but more rounded with rattan seat (rattan weave over a solid base too so it will have a longer life)for $AU99 a piece.
http://www.earlysettler.com.au/furniture/detail_description/574/Dining/Chair/2/Cross%20Back/90047401
I found the upholstered parsons style chair too unstable with small children climbing on them.
You had to go and mention the chairs from Ikea didn't ya? I've been pining for that chair since I first laid eyes on it. But I am on a strict budget and I don't even need new chairs. *SIGH*
how about these (Masri Mosaic side chair):
http://www.seatingexpert.com/Proddet.asp?ProdID=1181&category=2&secondary=22. And the price is right at 49 bucks apiece!
wow. that whole kmart chair thing is really surprising me! looks like they are trying to make a comeback.
I was going to link you to the last ones that you pictured. I have them in green and I LOVE that they stack and are so lightweight. :) They'd also be totally cool with a vinyl decal added to them. (i'm thinking numbers or some kind of symbols?) Fun and inexpensive? What could be better than that? :)
So I am usually very jealous of all your great CL finds and sad that I don't have access to a big city full of lots of listings. Your post made me realize that at least living in NC I have my Volvo wagon that can fit a TON of furniture! Picked up 4 parson's chairs from CL last week for $25! I guess there are tradeoffs to not living in that awesome city!
http://www.copycatchic.com/2010/11/design-within-reach-marais-a56-armchair.html
Another copycatchic find – Silver DWR marais armchair on off overstock. :) $197 for a set of four = $50 per chair…that's awesome.
great post!!! does anyone know where that great orange rug was from??
I have the bertoia chairs around my tulip table in my kitchen. I love them! They are only $110 each at ezmodfurniture.com +free shipping. You can't beat that!
The rug looks like the Pottery Barn Moorish Tile rug from a couple of years back. Here's an alternative: http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/surya-ft40/silver/158FT40SLV-508.html
Great picks I love them all and now reconsidering my own seating options. I was also going to tell you about the tabouret stacking chairs at overstock 197.00 for four!! I see Emily has mentioned it I hope your friend finds what she is looking for.
Great choices, I have the Ballard Designs chairs at my own home and love them. Whenever I am feeling like a new look I switch out the slip covers! I am loving these right now http://www.ballarddesigns.com/limited-edition-designer-parsons-slipcover/linens-fabrics/slipcovers/12656
$170 for 4 Black Tolix knockoffs! I don't need dining chairs right now, but I would SO get these if I did!
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Black-Tabouret-Stacking-Chairs-Set-of-4/5095639/product.html?rcmndsrc=2