Choosing Well: The Dining Chair
Some pieces of furniture simply occupy a room. Others become part of the rhythm of a home.
The dining chair belongs firmly to the latter. It is where mornings begin over coffee, where a quick supper becomes a long evening, and where friends inevitably linger after the table has been cleared. Perhaps more than almost any other piece of furniture, a dining chair needs to feel as good as it looks.
Choosing the right dining chairs is therefore less about finding a perfect match for your table, and more about creating a relationship between form, material and proportion.
At Coco Unika, we have always been drawn to interiors that feel collected rather than coordinated — rooms where natural materials, sculptural forms and pieces with character sit comfortably alongside one another.
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Some pieces of furniture simply occupy a room. Others become part of the rhythm of a home
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Begin With Proportion
Before material or colour, there is proportion.
A beautiful dining chair should feel naturally at ease beside the table — neither too slight nor too imposing. Most dining tables sit at approximately 75cm high, with dining chair seats generally around 45–48cm from the floor. This creates a comfortable relationship between seat and tabletop, although it is always worth checking the dimensions of both pieces before bringing them together.
Width matters too. Allowing approximately 60cm of table space for each person creates a more generous setting, particularly when chairs have wider seats or arms. Around a sculptural table, a little extra space can be even more important, allowing the form of both the table and chairs to be appreciated.
Rather than filling every possible space around a table, we prefer to leave room for the furniture to breathe.
Contrast Is Often More Interesting Than a Perfect Match
A dining table and its chairs do not need to come from the same family.
In fact, some of the most beautiful dining spaces are built on contrast. The weight and permanence of travertine can be softened by a woven leather chair. A substantial timber table becomes lighter beside an open-backed design. Smooth stone feels richer against the texture of natural fibres, while dark timber can bring warmth and depth to a pale limestone interior.
Our Frida Chair, for example, brings together leather, handwoven rattan and teak. Against the solidity of a stone or timber table, its open weave and natural texture create a sense of lightness. It is this balance that prevents a room from feeling overly considered. Rather than matching materials exactly, look for a thread that quietly connects them — the warmth of the timber, the undertone of the stone, or the curve of a chair echoed elsewhere in the room. The result should feel as though the pieces found one another over time.
The Beauty of Natural Materials
We return again and again to natural materials because they become more beautiful through use. Timber develops depth. Leather softens. Woven fibres introduce texture and imperfection. Stone carries variations that could never be replicated exactly.
A woven leather dining chair is particularly effective in a room dominated by harder architectural materials. Against travertine, marble or plaster, the weave introduces softness without the need for upholstery or pattern.
Timber dining chairs bring a different kind of warmth. Deeper timber tones can ground a pale interior, while lighter timbers lend a room an easy, relaxed quality. Rattan and cane have an inherent lightness that works beautifully in Australian homes, particularly when paired with stone, linen and warm neutral finishes. These materials do not need to remain pristine to remain beautiful. Often, their appeal lies in precisely the opposite. They acquire a life.
We explored this idea further in The Enduring Appeal of Woven Leather Seating, looking at the way leather, timber and handwoven construction soften and develop character over time.
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We return again and again to natural materials because they become more beautiful through use
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Comfort Should Never Be an Afterthought
The best dining rooms invite people to stay. A chair may be visually perfect, but if it becomes uncomfortable halfway through dinner, something has been lost.
Consider the angle of the back, the depth of the seat and the way the chair supports the body. If your dining table is the place for long lunches and evenings with friends, comfort becomes particularly important.
Armchairs can create a more generous feeling at the ends of a rectangular table, while armless dining chairs make it easier to accommodate additional seating and generally give the setting a lighter visual profile. There is no universal answer. The right chair is the one that suits the way the room is actually lived in.
Mixing Dining Chairs
There is something inherently relaxed about a dining setting that isn't completely uniform. This does not mean every chair needs to be different.
A pair of more substantial chairs at either end of the table can sit alongside simpler side chairs. The same chair might be used in two complementary finishes. Woven leather could be repeated in a nearby bench or occasional chair rather than across every dining seat. The secret is repetition.
If one material, colour or form appears more than once within a room, the combination begins to feel intentional. For a quieter interior, keep the palette restrained and allow texture to create the variation.
Made for the Way We Live
Australian interiors have their own particular relationship with natural materials.
Our homes tend to favour light, open spaces and an easy connection between indoors and out. Stone, timber, linen, leather and woven fibres sit naturally within that environment while lending themselves equally well to more European-inspired interiors. For us, the most interesting balance lies somewhere between the two: the restraint and permanence of European interiors with the ease and lightness of Australian living.
It is why we are drawn to dining chairs that feel refined without being precious — pieces that can sit around a travertine table in a formal dining room just as comfortably as they can beside an open kitchen.
It is an approach that runs throughout Coco Unika. In A Home, Naturally, we explore how timber, stone, leather and woven fibres can bring warmth and permanence to a home without making it feel overly composed.
A Room Made to Be Used
Ultimately, choosing dining chairs should not be about following a formula. Look at the room as a whole. Consider the weight of the table, the materials already present and, perhaps most importantly, how you want the space to feel when people are gathered around it.
Choose pieces with enough character to stand on their own, but enough restraint to live alongside everything else. Because the most memorable dining rooms are rarely the most perfectly matched.
They are the ones that feel lived in.
Explore the Coco Unika Dining Chair Collection →
A Few Things to Consider
What height should a dining chair be?
Most dining chair seats are approximately 45–48cm high and work comfortably with a standard dining table of around 75cm. Always check the dimensions of both pieces, particularly with tables that have a substantial apron or unusually thick top.
How much space should you allow for each dining chair?
Approximately 60cm per person is a useful starting point. Wider dining chairs and chairs with arms may require additional room, and leaving a little extra space often creates a more relaxed and considered setting.
Should dining chairs match the dining table?
Not necessarily. Contrasting materials can create a more layered and interesting interior. A stone dining table, for example, can work beautifully with timber, leather, rattan or woven dining chairs.
Can you mix different dining chairs around one table?
Yes. Keeping one element consistent — such as timber tone, material, colour or form — can help different dining chairs feel considered rather than mismatched.
Are woven leather dining chairs comfortable?
The woven construction allows leather straps to flex slightly with the body, creating a supportive seat that softens with use. Natural leather also develops character and patina over time, making it particularly suited to furniture designed to be lived with rather than simply looked at.
