Do you remember those books about learning everything you know in kindergarten? I have a similar feeling about seating except that I learned it in restaurants. There are a few things to learn about a restaurant just by virtue of the seating. If the seating is very hard, and not all that comfortable for a long sit, it’s likely the kind of place that turns those tables quickly and they don’t really want you to sit for a long time. Then there are the ones that sit like a big ol’ easy chair, and they are designed to have you enjoy your evening and order another bottle of wine as the night wears on. Either way, the seating should be comfortable enough for you to enjoy the time you spend there.
Occasionally, you arrive at a restaurant and the banquettes feel as though you are sitting on the floor and the table edge is at your chin, which is not so cool. The same is true of chairs that have been “sprung” or bottom out when you sit on them. Generally, they are old and have gone by their expiration date. When we select chairs for a commercial space, we have to be aware that, like bucket seats in a car, everyone has a different sized bucket! They have to be very durable, which may be something you want to have in your home as well, and it is always reasonable to ask where the chairs came from. Generally, the covering is a custom selection, but you can approximate it when you do it for yourself. When you find a chair that suits your body type, then you definitely want to ask about them. You are looking for something that has a proportion that suits your knee to hip dimension as well as your hip to shoulder dimension. This is going to make for the most comfortable sit for you. You want your lower back to feel supported, and you want to have your body relate to the table where the table falls between your belly button and nipple line.
When it comes to the style of the chair, it can be anything that suits your home decor. The classic Louis chair, a parson’s chair, the ghost chair or something mid-century modern like the elbow chair, can all be excellent looking and durable chairs but very different in style. Where you are going to use them may indicate the finish just as it does in a restaurant. The kitchen may be a quick meal or coffee, while the dining room may but a longer sit. Explore the upholstery that you select as you will be surprised just how often the leather chairs are made of a high quality vinyl, which makes them a little easier on the pocket book and sometime easier to deal with. Of course, good quality fabrics can be more expensive but they can bring the room up to Downton Abbey standards!
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