Folding Chair Ideas: Which Style Best Suits Your Dining Room

Determine Your Style

Before you can find the best folding chairs for your dining room, you'll need to look at your current setup. Is all your furniture rustic and wooden? Or do you have a more modern, sleek design? Are you all about minimalism, or is your dining room full of color?

Once you've established your dining room's design, you can decide on a few basic characteristics for your ideal folding chairs based on that.

Formal

If you've designed your dining room in the formal style, you'll want to choose folding dining chairs that reflect your traditional aesthetic. Consider looking for wooden folding chairs in the same finish as your dining table. If your current chairs are upholstered, look for folding chairs that match the color and pattern.

You may also want to look at tall-backed chairs with an elegant curve. Dark leather chairs also suit the formal dining room style well, particularly if your table has a dark finish.

Coastal

For a breezy, coastal-themed dining space, look at light-colored wood chairs. Many rooms achieve the beach style by using natural, weathered wood. A classic A-frame style folding chair in a distressed oak finish is ideal for evoking the look of driftwood. Or, keep the look neat and streamlined with a matte white painted finish.

Instead of looking at leather or large cushions, search for chairs with linen upholstery in nautical or nature patterns. Linen will remind your guests of summer parties on the beach and create a soothing atmosphere. For the ultimate beach feel, mix up your patterns and use a combination of light browns and yellows with small accents of bright primary colors like blue and red.

Farmhouse

Farmhouse style dining rooms are full of comfortable, sturdy furniture. While you'll want to find solid-looking chairs, you should also consider their comfort. Metal folding chairs would look strange in this setting, so look for sturdy wood chairs with a cushioned seat. Avoid fully upholstered chairs since those may look out of place with the rest of your wooden furniture.

You'll want to choose chairs with natural wood or with a stained finish. Spindle back folding chairs with a contoured seat and turned legs reflect a laid-back country aesthetic. To emphasize the farmhouse feel, you can accessorize the chairs with seat cushions in light greys, blues, or greens that complement your tablecloth or the color of your cupboards.

Eclectic

The eclectic dining room is all about your sense of style. You probably have furniture from different eras and styles that fit your taste. Most eclectic dining rooms have a unifying feature, whether that's a color, theme, or design preference.

When choosing the perfect folding chair for your eclectic dining room, you'll want to focus on your unifying feature. If it's a color, find a folding chair that reflects that shade either through the frame or the seat cushion upholstery.

If it's a design feature such as curved lines, look for a set of folding chairs that mimic the lines of your other furniture pieces, but be flexible with color and material choice to express your eclectic style.

Modern

For those with a modern dining room, classic A-frame metal chairs are the best choice. Look for ones with a sleek, simple design, preferably with a rounded back. The most crucial aspect of modern design is simplicity.

You won't want to choose chairs with brightly colored cushioned or extravagant backs. Instead, look for dark colors and simple, strong designs.

Scandinavian

Scandinavian style is characterized by minimalism, functionality, and a focus on natural materials.

To complement your Scandi-style dining space, opt for folding chairs in a natural wood finish that features textural elements like woven seats or an ergonomic curved back to add depth and interest to the area.

Features to Look For

Compact Storage

The last thing to consider when choosing your folding chairs is your available storage and how important storability is to you. If you have a basement or attic to store your chairs in, you're less limited in choice than if you need to keep the chairs folded up against your dining room wall.

Some models can be folded completely flat, while others have a broader profile when collapsed. An ultra-compact model is ideal for storing under a bed or sofa, and if it also has a slatted or open back, you can install hooks to hang it on the wall.

Comfortable Seats

If you are using the folding chairs as temporary seating for guests, you need a style that offers comfortable design features.

Cushioned and upholstered seats often have a bulkier profile when folded, making them more challenging to store. You can forgo padded seats and instead buy cushions that fit the chairs in a color that suits your dining room, and then use them on your couch when the chairs are in storage.

If you want a more streamlined look, opt for contoured seats and a slightly rounded backrest for support.

Durable Materials

Most folding dining chairs come in wood, stainless steel, or plastic. Although plastic folding chairs are fantastic for outside parties or large events away from home, they won't add the air of sophistication you want at a fancy dinner party.

Metal chairs with cushions are great because they're hard to damage, fold up easily, and look great with many dining room sets. Look for heavy-gauge steel rather than aluminum as these models can bear more weight.

However, there are an even larger variety of styles of wood folding chairs available, from cherry to oak to dark wood. Ensure the wood is sealed and varnished for added durability.

Follow Your Style

Whatever the design of your dining room, you can find the perfect folding dining chair. Consider your existing furniture, and apply the design concepts and color scheme when choosing your folding chairs.

Having folding chairs that suit your dining room means there is always room for guests, and you don't need to sacrifice style for functionality.