Mid-century dining table and chairs

[Kent Wang]

I want to commission a bespoke six-person dining table and chairs. I've contacted a few local carpenters/woodworkers. To me, the mid-century style is the ideal balance of expressive while still understated.

For the chairs, I want upholstery only on the seat, none on the back. No arms.



Example 1. This is decent, but perhaps a bit too simple, not expressive enough. I don't like the half moon back rest.



Example 2. The molded wood might be hard to do, but I do like the shape of the back. I could see that shape being made, but just flat instead of molded into a curve. I think the legs are better than Example 1.



Example 3. I like the expressiveness of the back leg, but am not a fan of the upholstery back. Maybe if the back was just a piece of wood?

Was most of the leather-looking upholstery from this period vinyl? I'd want to do leather. Most of the examples I've seen are black, but could I do a dark brown or oxblood?

Dining tables are much simpler.



Example 1. The shape of the top is perfect, slightly rounded. The legs perhaps could be a little more expressive.

I also looked at art deco dining sets. As much as I like deco, all the dining set designs I found through Google Image Search were really heavy and bulky designs, mostly U-base. Visually, this is too dominating. I'd also imagine it would be much more expensive to produce and am also a bit concerned about it wobbling as it just doesn't seem as stable as the traditional four leg design.



How would you design a mid-century dining set? Are there are good sources online to look through photos? I'm currently just using Google Image Search.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Kent,

Just my opinion, buy the chairs already made. There are a ton of current production mid-century designs, it will save you a lot of trouble and you'll likely end up with a better result than having someone build a ubiquitous mid-century style chair.

I would look at the Hans Wegner designs produced by Carl Hansen such as the sawbuck chair, which is a solid back and upholstered seat. I would also consider various Moller designs.

The table style should be determined by what needs you have, does the table need to expand to accommodate more guests, ect. I personally like the leaves to attach on the ends.

 

[foodguy]

kent, have y ou thought about heywood wakefield? i'm in the same boat as you ... long-term scouting project for me. i really like the wishbone table, but i haven't found chairs that i like. what do y ou think SG? I've got an hw bedroom set (bedside tables/dresser) and really like them.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

FG, cool table! I would chose something that is in the organic modern style, such as maloof or Finn Juhl. Maloof is obviously very expensive, but he encouraged other woodworkers to take up his style, so there are many craftsmen out there who build his designs. I'll post a couple examples as soon as my iPad begins to behave.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Finn Juhl.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Maloof

 

[Kent Wang]

That Maloof chair is quite tame compared to the others I found. Rather sinuous, nouveau-esque even.

My search would be much easier if I accepted chairs with arms. What do you think of arms? I have only owned dining chairs without arms, and I believe most restaurants are the same. I'm afraid that they restrict movement, should you wish to turn your body to the side to speak. But allowing yourself to rest your arms on the seat arms is perhaps preferable or more polite than resting them on the table.

 

[foodguy]

i prefer dining chairs with arms. but they are a bit cumbersome to fit around a table. i think now we have two that go at either end and armless chairs on the sides. i get one end because i'm the dad.

 

[gomestar]

i had a thread all about dining chairs. unfortunately, I don't think it would be helpful for this thread.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

With or without is fine for me. Many of my family members and friends tend to sit at the dinner table for a long time, so arms help until I can motivate them to move to lounge chairs.

I greatly admire maloof as a craftsman, but like the style of his more traditional stuff and his rockers over most of his other pieces.

If it helps on the search, I find chairs that have a seat suspended by wedding, fabric or woven in paper cord to be much more comfortable than seats upholstered over plywood.

 

[Kent Wang]

i had a thread all about dining chairs. unfortunately, I don't think it would be helpful for this thread.

I just read through that thread. None of those designs excite me. I prefer all wood. No metal, and definitely no plastic.

 

[foodguy]

the thing that has kept me from pulling the trigger on the HW wishbone table is that i'm not in love with the chairs. :foo: and the table is such a definite wood that it seems like the chairs ought to match.

my taste runs much more to wegner

what do you think?
:foo:2

 

[lefty]

Currently at auction.

Set of Six Fruitwood Barrel Dining Chairs Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Made by Cassina and issued post 1986 by Atelier International.

C Estate of the Honorable Edward I. Koch
Estimate $2,500-3,500


Gio Ponti
Italian, 1891-1979
Set of Six Dining Chairs, Model 116, designed 1950, issued by M. Singer & Sons
Walnut and vinyl
Height 34 inches,width 17 1/4 inches, depth 19 inches.

C
Estimate $3,000-5,000


lefty

 

[foodguy]

those pontis would be sweet in a certain kind of dining room.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Both are awesome choice (nice picks lefty). As much as I love when wishbone chair, I don't think it's well suited to the table.

Definitely like the woods to match as well.