Wanna Chat About Chairs?
So, I recently posted about my highly unexpected choice of a light pendant for the Servant’s Hall.
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I am leaning towards this table. Dirt cheap at $144! With free shipping! It well complements the light fixture. I had initially thought about doing modern Hipster chairs but then wondered if antique chairs would offer a delicious contrast. And y’all know how I love a delicious contrast.
So, I found this set of four, locally. Excellent condition, and a very good price at $150 for all four. I think of these kind of chairs as very Sears Roebuck. The iconic “Victorian” kitchen chair?
And this set of 4 for $300.
I’m not an expert on 1894 furnishing but perhaps an expert will bravely weigh in here? So, can y’all join me in a plaintive plea?
Bo, Bo, where are you? Bo, Bo, where are you?
The first set…I think…is circa-1904, a decade after the Cross House was built. Which gives me pause.
The second set….I think…is more period-correct for the house. I think. This set is quite lovely, and I love the seats. But they need a total refinish and are twice the price. So…poo.
The first set though has these attributes:
- Great price.
- Available locally.
- Needing no work.
- Offers very high contrast to table and light. I love this aspect.
What do y’all think?
Note: The Servant’s Hall is years away from being restored so I am in no hurry to achieve perfection via the furnishings. But this might be an enjoyable quickie.
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I vote the first set with all wood and high backs.
I’d also prefer an antique wooden table vs the lightweight one, but I don’t think I could change your mind about that. 🙂
Thank you, Krystal.
The whole point of the modern table is to add an element to complement/ground the light fixture, otherwise it will look too discordant all by itself.
Bravo Ross!!
I like the glass top with the pendants; complementary
You are so amazing Ross!
Such fun’
You would go for a quickie! I like to take my time, just saying. Don’t do anything I would do. I know you whippersnappers don’t listen to my advise. *sigh* Die besten Wünsche für Sie!
Will two fit on a side? Also they could always be used elsewhere. I prefer second set. Use Gilboys furniture wax, wipe and buff. Good to go just clean wood first
Ooo, the light fixture is amazeballs. The first set of chairs seems quite fine to me. Certainly there had to be chairs newer than the house in the house at some point. They’re quite attractive and a nice counterpoint to the table. But what do I know? I just like what I like!
PS – The second set of chairs are actually very nice too. I had a set of similar stools once – probably nowhere near as old and I wish I’d kept them and had them redone. They’d been redone when I bought them but 20-25 years of kids and dry desert air did them in. I gave them away rather than refurbished them a second time. . .
Try to sit on the chairs. Wood turning or carvings in the back or at the front end of the seat tend to be uncomfortable if you have to sit there longer than a few minutes. So: “no” to the bottom chairs, even if they are periodically correct. (We had similar chairs in the family and gave them away long ago for exactly that reason.)
The chairs in the top picture are not spectacular but you can sit on them without hurting your back or your thighs. The ones in the middle look reasonably comfortable, too. Mind the height though! Modern tables are lower than 19th century tables, so the chairs have to be lower, too (i.e. shorter legs). (I know the problem, because I have a 19th century dining table and had to search for chairs that are high enough for a comfortable seating-position.)
You’re on the right track.
I lean toward the first set of four chairs for $150. Not only for the design which contrasts with the modern and matches the age of the house but because they are sturdy, will clean up nicely and be easy to maintain. They also look like they are oak. Grab them now while you have the chance. The table can wait.
That second set has wicker seats. I would stay away from them but I do like the shape. I also don’t like the wood. Yes, it could be easily refinished but the rest of the house seems have a lot of oak and the mahogany or whatever that is doesn’t look right.
As for the table that is the right direction but you get what you pay for and I think that glass top is way too thin. I also question it’s sturdiness. Looks like the legs are glued on but even if they are bolted with a hold in the glass, it is still just a bump from a break. Too flimsy.
I used to have a glass dining room table. I bought the glass at a local glass discount place and they cut it to size, rounded the corners and polished and beveled the edge. I bought two plaster columns at a local place, painted them and then had the glass top put on top. I used that for over a decade. The only drawback was that it was static; you couldn’t make it larger or smaller with leaves. For your space you don’t need that and the plaster column thing couldn’t be practical.
Do you know anyone that welds? They could get some square hollow bar and build you a frame with legs and you could get a piece of glass for the top, thicker than that cheap table and set it on the iron frame with some little rubber bumpers to pad it and keep it from slipping. that way you could have it any size you want and get thicker glass. If you go DIY with some help from a friend that welds. you can have the table done up when you’re ready for it. No need to do it now and you can ruminate on an exact design and if something more perfect comes up in the meantime you can consider it instead.
But I would get that first set of four oak chairs now. See if you can get them for a bit less than $150. That’s $37.50 per chair which is a steal but $120 would be better. If they counter than say yes and you’ve still got a bargain.
Love the second table!
The first set of chairs will look narvelous with this table!
The pendant light is delicious!
Yay Ross!!
Ross,
The second set are of the style known as Hitchcock Chairs after its inventor Lambert Hitchcock. His is a fascinating story, developing mass production processes a century before Henry Ford. It’s impossible to tell if those are genuine or repops as they’re rarely been out of production since about 1820. The first set is going to be closer to period. In this case I think you should choose the set that speaks to you.
Grant, I see I didn’t scroll all the way down and I missed your comment. I believe they are at least in the Hitchcock style.
Don I’m sure you’re right. Even if they were made by Hitchcock it would’ve been a much later incarnation. Just looking at the proportions and finish they say post-World War 2 to me when Early American was sweeping the land.
Hi Ross. As is my habit with these questions, I start by trying to go straight to the source – old catalogs. Here is one on Internet Archive that gives a pretty good overview:
https://archive.org/details/catalogue18949500ohio/mode/2up
Also, if you don’t have them, the 1894-1897 Sears and Montgomery Ward reprints are invaluable references:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/315404263379
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1484850244
https://www.ebay.com/itm/196330472696
https://www.ebay.com/itm/315587646747
I don’t know exactly when the pressback chair was introduced in the 1890s, but it would not be inappropriate I think, though those particular examples might be slightly later.
And of course no matter what you choose, it has to feel right with the table, authentic or not.
I had a terrible time finding chairs for my 1892 kitchen – I’ll send you a picture of what I ended up with.
Stylistically, the pressmarks are a better fit with the era- they came out in the late 1880’s and were made into the 20’s in various forms. The set pictured appears to the 1980’s reproductions that were Everywhere- Multiple family and friends bought these in the 80’s. Sturdy as heck and I think very nice. However, if you go this route, wait for some really fabulous ones that go more with the house. I have had through the years some with dragons and gargoyles, fantastical flowers, etc. Plus the scale is bit smaller and may suit the table better. As another poster mentioned, the second set are Hitchcock style which is more early 19th century ( think 1820-30’s and while lovely (I own several myself) not really fitting of cross house and don’t really pair well with very modern. I love how you have fun with the aesthetic and include all the stuff you love.
I agree… 1980’s. I have 4 in the basement. The maker on mine is Broyhill.
Who doesn’t like an enjoyable quickie!
Ross, it would not bother me to have chairs that are a little later, but more in keeping? The second set also seem like potential Hitchcock reproductions that are everywhere in New England. The scale and age feel off. Here’s what I would consider. You have a lot more color going on, and as there chairs are inexpensive and mass produced? Maybe paint them a bold color pulled from the living room? They would certainly be fun.
Hi Ross,
The pressbacks have a lot going for them, especially for the Servant’s Hall restoration timeline, so I’d get them and enjoy the lovely vignette with the light. In the longterm though, I’d be tempted to eventually replace them with something period correct that has a lower back. My concern would be that the effect of the delicious contrast might be muted if the chair back blocks too much of the modern glass table.
I agree. For the price they are a steal (even better if there is a bit of a haggle). Here you pay $150 for one chair. Plus if something eventually better or more wanted comes along, those chairs can always be relocated somewhere else for use or even just sold for what was paid or even a profit. I don’t like high backed chairs myself for the dining room as it hides my table and any centerpiece I might have. I was lucky to get the original chairs with my 20s-30s waterfall table. I only have four but they match the table. There was likely a second arm chair and a second armless to the set but who knows what happened to them along their long lifetime.
I vote for the first set. They’re probably more comfortable to sit in!
For the second set— interesting! I have a single chair in that same style and always thought it was a repro of Colonial/Federal style.
I adore the hanging lamp!
Have you ever used a glass table on a daily basis before? I had one and found the hardness of the top and sharpness of the edge to be very uncomfortable on my forearms.
On the chairs I would vote for the first set as well.
I have. Had one for about 20 years. 1 inch slab with rounded corners and a 2 inch bevel around the top and all of the edges polished. It was comfortable to sit at and lean on. The trick is to get a good thick piece of glass, not that flimsy thing in the photo. I had mine custom made at a local discount glass manufacturer so everything was custom: size, thickness, bevel, corners, polish. I didn’t even need trivets for hot food or pads to protect it. The only drawback was to not slide anything in case it scratched. But scratches on glass can always be polished out as long as they are not deep. The cost was less than one dining room chair at a furniture store. For chairs I had an odd assortment of secretary office chairs on wheels that I got for free or less than 20. I spray painted them all black and then recovered them with blue vinyl to make them match, even though they were all different shapes and styles. It worked fine for years. They were so comfortable no one wanted to leave the table.
I eventually replaced it with a more period waterfall table with internal leaf and four chairs. I ended up donating the glass top and the two plaster pedestals it sat on to a local charity. I loved that table and got plenty of use from it but I love my current table too. I had a lot of plaster and glass in the dining room at the time but the glass is gone and a few of the plaster columns have been repurposed to display art.
I absolutely love that light fixture! It’s too fabulous for words, dahlink. The table is a little meh, but it definitely won’t compete with the light fixture for attention.
I’m not sold on either version of the chairs. They’re just not fabulous enough for that light fixture. Also, I agree with Jutta, who mentioned matching the chair height to the table. Really, the important thing in a chair is that it be comfortable to sit in. Me, I’d want something with some padding that won’t show stains, because I will drop food on myself and the furniture when I’m eating, glamour queen that I am.
Can’t wait to find out what you decide on the chairs and table.