The Do's & Don'ts of Buying a Set of Dining Chairs

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The Do's & Don'ts of Buying a Set of Dining Chairs

The do's and don'ts of buying a set of dining chairs

It's rare that when buying dining chairs, you'll buy just one. Unless you're looking for a spare or an occasional chair, it's likely that you'll be purchasing a set. When investing in such an important and central piece to your home, it's key that you get it right. A dining room or kitchen/diner doesn't require much furniture to make it feel right. For example, your living room could be made up of multiple things: a sofa, a couple of armchairs, a TV stand, a console, a coffee table... the list goes on. But a dining room focuses purely around the dining table and chairs, so you need to know you've got the right stuff. In today's blog post, we thought we'd run through our do's and don'ts of purchasing a set of dining chairs.

1. Do measure your dining table and the surrounding space

You might think that dining chairs all generally come in a uniform size and say to yourself "oh, it'll be fine". This is often where people go wrong when shopping for furniture! Just because one dining chair looks a similar style to another, does not mean it has the same measurements. You need to measure up the size of your dining table so you know how many chairs can fit around it. For example, some tables accommodate four whilst others can fit six. Playing it 'safe' by just buying four chairs for a larger dining table might look odd and even end up being impractical in the future! Don't forget to measure the space around your table too - how far away from the wall will your chairs be? Can people easily manoeuvre around the room? Is the furniture going to block any radiators, doors or other pieces of furniture?

2. Don't just choose based on style

Whilst it can be tempting to go for the chair that looks the most aesthetically pleasing to you, this can often lead to problems later down the line. You should pick dining chairs that you like the look of, after all, you've got to live with them. However, you should also consider a number of other factors when choosing a set. Space is important. If you like the look of armchairs you should remember that they take up more physical space than armless chairs. Furthermore, you might really love a set of red faux leather chairs but they don't match your country-style neutral dining room. Will you come to regret the decision later down the line? Consider all factors when purchasing your dining chairs, don't just be swayed by style!

 

3. Do Think about daily, practical use

Yes, you may be daydreaming about your entire family around the table at Christmas. But is this really a practical picture of your everyday life? If it's just you and your partner living at home, filling up your dining room with lots of furniture might just feel cluttered and wasted. Buying a set of dining chairs should always reflect how you use your dining room on a daily basis, including the number of people and the types of meals enjoyed there. After all, you can always bring out the spares at Christmas! You may have kids and eat every meal at the table. Therefore, an upholstered fabric might prove impractical for cleaning up sillages. On the other hand, you might like to entertain and host dinner parties for your adult friends. If that's the case, an upholstered set may be a more comfortable and stylish option.

4. Don't forget to check for offers and sales

Furniture stores, like ours, are renowned for constantly having sales and clearances. That's why we always make sure people know to check back on their favourite products several times before buying! When investing in furniture, you're probably going to be spending a lot of money. So, it makes sense to research around the prices you're paying. Keep a bookmark of any chairs you're interested in and check to see if they've been discounted a few times before actually hitting 'buy'. It's worth asking the stockist if they'll do a discount on bulk buys, too. Because don't forget, the price you see for one chair might look good but it soon adds up if you're purchasing several at once. It's also worth looking out for tables that come with a set of dining chairs - you can kill two birds with one stone!

Looking for a set of dining chairs for your home?

Now you're armed with all the do's and don'ts of buying chairs for your dining room, you might be ready to get shopping. Whether you're heading to a store or browsing online, it's important to consider all the factors we've outlined above. If you're interested, you can check out our collection of dining chairs here. Let us know in the comments if you have any other tips for buying furniture or if there's something you'd wish you'd known earlier. As always, we love to hear your thoughts!



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