Bentwood chairs

A bentwood chair is a curve of wood, and the depth of that curve is the number to check. 6 bentwood chairs are here, all with wood frames, vinyl or wood seats and indoor use. Read the depth on each page before you set a row against a wall.

What this group holds

All 6 chairs have wood frames and carry the bentwood style label. Seats are listed in vinyl and wood, and each chair lists upholstery options. One has arms. Prices range from $173 to $306.

That is a small group, so it pays to look at each one. Three of the four examples share a footprint of 16 by 21 1/2 inches and a height of 34 3/4. A wood dining chair is one of them. The fourth, another wood dining chair, is smaller at 17 by 17 3/4 inches and 31 inches high.

Depth is the number to watch

Twenty-one and a half inches deep is real floor. Leave 18 to 24 inches back of each chair so a guest can slide out, and aim for a 36-inch aisle. At 2 PM, with the room half empty, set one chair at a table, mark the pull-out and measure what is left of the aisle. In a narrow shop, the 17 3/4 inch version is the one that gives the aisle back.

The width is easier. Sixteen inches is slim, but each diner still claims about 24 inches of table edge, or 18 when pressed.

Seats, swatches and the custom line

Pick vinyl or wood for the seat, then pick the color from the options on the page. Upholstery colors change over time, so for a reorder, get a new swatch from samples and hold it against the chairs in your room. A request for upholstery beyond the listed choices turns the order into a custom one: up to about 8 weeks before transit, and no cancelling or returns once confirmed.

Wood chairs carry their own warranty periods; read the period on the product page. Clean them only with what the page recommends, since the wrong cleaning agent is excluded from coverage.

Indoors, next to what

All 6 list indoor use only, so a sidewalk table needs something else. Look at French bistro chairs for that.

For more wood, see wood chairs. For a lighter, open-backed look, try cane chairs. The retro mix of seats and stools is in vintage bistro furniture. Sketch a row in a cafe plan before you commit to a full row.