Key points to remember when choosing your kitchen chairs
- A kitchen chair is moved several times a day: ease of handling and weight come first.
- Kitchen table heights are generally standard, from 70 to 75 cm; check them before buying.
- Four chairs around a round or square table, 6 to 8 around a rectangular table.
- Faux leather and PU can be wiped clean with a sponge, while fabric offers the best comfort but requires more maintenance.
- Metal legs are very easy to clean, while wooden legs can be repainted or revarnished.
Choosing your kitchen chairs: what criteria should you consider?
When choosing kitchen chairs, consider five criteria: everyday ease of handling, the base and the space it occupies on the floor, table height (70 to 75 cm as standard), the seat upholstery and the style of the kitchen. These criteria should be combined according to how you actually use the room.
Where can you find and buy kitchen chairs or dining table armchairs? At Maison Pavane!
Although the dining room chair is often the one that raises the most questions when choosing (as it is more visible to everyone), the kitchen chair also deserves a little time and consideration.
The range of chairs available today means that it is entirely possible to buy affordable kitchen chairs that are functional, stylish, easy to clean and able to blend perfectly into your décor thanks to a simple or original shape.
Let’s not forget that many homes and apartments now have open-plan kitchens, and it would be a shame not to give your kitchen chairs as much attention to design as to practicality!
And let’s remember that the chair is designers’ favourite playground, so let’s not deprive our beloved kitchens of their own designer chairs—it would be a shame to reserve them solely for the living room!
The kitchen is a living space in its own right, and many family meals are enjoyed in this room, which has become the heart of the home. It is also sometimes used for homework by mums and dads who cook and help with lessons. And occasionally, we work there too...
So let’s not miss the opportunity to make our kitchen a beautiful place, and choose chairs that reflect the importance it has in our lives!
Size, choice of base, seat upholstery and colours, style and maintenance—this article will guide you through everything you need to know about kitchen chairs!
What makes a kitchen chair comfortable and functional?
A comfortable and functional kitchen chair is first and foremost easy to handle. It is handled and moved several times a day, sometimes by young children: its weight and ease of grip matter just as much as the softness of its seat. A backrest that is easy to grip prevents the chair from being dragged across the floor.
Before guiding you through your choices, here is an important reminder: a kitchen chair may be handled / moved several times a day, sometimes by young children.
When choosing your kitchen chair, consider its ease of handling and weight.
For a fairly heavy chair, make sure it is easy to grip (for example, by the backrest, to avoid dragging it across the floor and leaving marks).
Which chair model should you choose according to the size of your kitchen?
In a small kitchen, choose a base that frees up floor space: four standard legs, which fit easily under any table, or sled legs, which allow a vacuum cleaner and mop to pass underneath. Cross legs and a central swivel base provide stability but require moving the chair when cleaning.
Depending on the amount of floor space available in your kitchen, first consider your chair’s base and the space it will occupy, so that you can continue to maintain and use your kitchen with ease:
- a kitchen chair with 4 standard legs provides excellent stability and fits easily under any table. Cleaning is easy, as you can use a mop, vacuum cleaner or broom underneath this type of chair,
- a kitchen chair with sled legs allows you to vacuum and mop very easily,
- a kitchen chair with cross legs, which are very fashionable and widely used on Scandinavian-style chairs, provides excellent stability. When cleaning, remember to move the chair to remove dust underneath the base,
- a kitchen chair with a central swivel base provides stability thanks to its shape, but needs to be moved regularly to clean the floor properly underneath the central base.
What chair height should you choose for your kitchen table?
Another point not to overlook is the height of your kitchen table when choosing your chairs.
Of course, kitchen table heights are generally standard (70 to 75 cm), but bear this detail in mind if your kitchen table has a custom height or if you have a kitchen island or a bar in an open-plan kitchen (in which case you could opt for these stylish high bar stools!). In this case, measure your tabletop before buying: our guide explains what bar stool height to choose for an island or bar.
For long rectangular tables, why not try a kitchen bench that you can, for example, place against a wall?
How many chairs should you place around a kitchen table?
Also adapt the number of chairs to the shape of your table:
- For a round or square kitchen table, four chairs can easily be placed around the table.
- For a rectangular table, 6 or 8 chairs can fit comfortably around it.
What is the style of your kitchen: vintage, contemporary or modern—and which chair suits it best?
Industrial metal chairs and Scandinavian chairs with plastic shells work with almost every kitchen style. For a rustic kitchen, fabric retains warm tones; metal chairs, on the other hand, add a modern twist. There is no need to match your chairs completely to your kitchen.
Modern or rustic, designer or vintage, all kitchens are on trend today, provided they reflect your personality and make you feel at home!
It is up to you to decide whether you want to completely match the style of your chairs to your kitchen. But remember, for example, that “industrial” kitchen chairs in metal, or a “Scandinavian-style” chair with a plastic shell, will work with virtually every kitchen style!
For a more rustic kitchen, choosing fabric chairs is a very logical option for maintaining warm tones, but why not break the rules with something more stylish? Why not dare to choose a metal chair for a modern twist?
You have chosen a kitchen chair style from our collection of seating; now let’s look at a few more technical but decisive details that should be considered to refine your choice: the seat upholstery and the choice of material for your kitchen chair bases.
Which upholstery should you choose for your kitchen chair seat?
Choose faux leather or PU for easy cleaning, fabric for seating comfort, a plastic or polycarbonate shell for easy maintenance and support, and rattan for a natural look. Each material has its advantages: your lifestyle should decide, not aesthetics alone.
For a kitchen chair that is inevitably highly exposed to the hazards of everyday life, the question of seat upholstery is not without consequences and deserves careful consideration:
- Do you prefer the practicality of faux leather or PU, which can be wiped clean with a sponge?
- Do you love the incomparable softness of fabric for comfortable seating?
- Are you drawn to the flexibility of rattan and its natural appearance?
- Do you have a soft spot for a retro touch and the rounded design of a plastic shell?
Each material has its own advantages; it is up to you to determine which is best suited to your use of the kitchen chair, depending on your lifestyle.
However, take note of these observations from our design team regarding kitchen chair seat upholstery:
| Seat upholstery | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| Faux leather, PU or fabric | PU leather or split leather with a polyurethane film coating: the chairs will be very comfortable thanks to their padded seats, providing outstanding comfort. Very pleasant for family meals, when seating and comfort are important. |
| Plastic or polycarbonate shell | A kitchen chair made with a plastic or polycarbonate shell, inspired by Scandinavian design, also offers the advantage of easy cleaning and good support. |
| Fabric | A fabric kitchen chair, unquestionably very comfortable, must be handled with greater care and requires more regular maintenance (hands soiled during meals or meal preparation, splashes, minor kitchen accidents, etc.). If you are considering ordering fabric kitchen chairs, choose a dark upholstery, as light colours will show stains (unless the fabric is easy to clean). |
| Rattan | A rattan kitchen chair, hugely on trend and able to brighten up any kitchen like a ray of sunshine, will most certainly need seat pads or small fabric cushions for optimum comfort and protection. To care for a rattan chair, feel free to read our complete article on rattan care. |
Which material should you choose for your kitchen chair’s frame and base?
Metal and wood are the two most common materials for kitchen chair bases. A metal frame or base is very easy to clean and is suitable for a busy family kitchen. Wooden bases are available in several shades and can be recoloured with varnish.
Just as chair seats are important to choose carefully, the bases supporting them are equally important, and their design is fundamental to the chair’s quality and stability!
- A chair’s metal frame or base is very easy to clean, making it an excellent choice for a busy family kitchen!
- The wooden base has the advantage of being available in several shades: you can change its colour with varnish if you grow tired of the original shade and enjoy DIY projects as part of your decorating routine!
FAQ: your questions about kitchen chairs
Which kitchen chairs should you choose for a small kitchen?
In a small kitchen, choose a chair with 4 standard legs, which fits easily under any table, or sled legs, which allow a vacuum cleaner and mop to pass underneath very easily. Both types of base free up floor space and make everyday maintenance easier.
What is the standard height of a kitchen chair?
Kitchen table heights are generally standard, from 70 to 75 cm, and kitchen chairs are designed for these heights. Check this point if your table is made to measure. For an island or bar in an open-plan kitchen, choose high bar stools instead.
Which kitchen chair is the most comfortable?
Faux leather, PU or fabric chairs are the most comfortable thanks to their padded seats. Fabric offers incomparable softness but requires more regular maintenance. A rattan chair benefits from being fitted with seat pads or small cushions for optimum comfort.
Which kitchen chair is easiest to clean?
Faux leather and PU can be wiped clean with a sponge. A Scandinavian-inspired plastic or polycarbonate shell also offers the advantage of easy cleaning. As for the frame, a metal base is very easy to clean and is suitable for a busy family kitchen.
How many chairs should you have around a kitchen table?
For a round or square kitchen table, four chairs can easily be placed around it. For a rectangular table, 6 or 8 chairs can fit comfortably. Around a long rectangular table, a kitchen bench placed against the wall is an alternative.
You now have everything you need to choose your new kitchen chairs with confidence! Still missing a detail? Our customer service team is here to help you choose the right kitchen chairs!
