West Elm Walnut Dining Chairs

West Elm Walnut Dining Chairs

The 14 Best Dining Chairs of 2021

Complete your dining room with the perfect chairs

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The Spruce / Chloe Jeong

A great dining table needs seating to match; dining chairs are a necessary purchase. Your dining chairs might be used daily or just occasionally, but either way, it's important to find ones that are comfortable, sturdy, and stylish. There's no shortage of dining chairs to choose from, and they're available in a vast range of styles, so you're sure to find something that suits your tastes.

Here are the best dining chairs for any home style.

Our Top Picks

These traditional dining chairs are made from solid rubberwood with mortise-and-tenon joinery for durability.

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With a Y-shaped backrest and curving arms, these solid wood chairs would look great in a farmhouse or Scandinavian-style home.

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This modern, comfortable, and affordable dining chair has a sleek acrylic seat supported by a chrome base.

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Choose from several colorful upholstery options—including green, grey, and yellow—for this set of two chairs.

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These leather chairs are available in numerous colors, including both real and faux leather options.

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Made from handwoven rattan, these chairs dining have a beachy appearance, with a silhouette inspired by Parisian bistro chairs.

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These contemporary armchairs are crafted from molded plastic, have comfortable armrests, and come in several colors.

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Choose from dozens of upholstery fabric options, including performance velvet, soft boucle, and more.

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This chair has a distinctly midcentury appearance, thanks to its walnut finish and unique elbow rests.

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This incredibly affordable set of four metal chairs can be stacked for compact storage and can be used outside or in your home.

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Dimensions: 22 x 23.5 x 37 inches |Material: Rubberwood |Weight Capacity: 275 pounds |Arms: Available with or without arms

What We Like

• Durable construction

• Comes in various colors

• Available with or without arms

What We Don't Like

• Expensive

For a classic chair that will never go out of style, you can't go wrong with the Aaron Dining Chair. These well-made chairs are crafted from kiln-dried rubberwood with mortise-and-tenon joinery and corner blocks for exceptional stability, and they have a beautiful X-shaped back.

These dining chairs are available in a wide range of wood finishes, and they're finished by hand and sealed with a protective lacquer. Plus, you also have the choice between regular armless dining chairs and dining armchairs, depending on your home style and personal preference.

Dimensions: 20.1 x 21.7 x 29.5 inches |Material: Wood frame and rope seat |Weight Capacity: Not listed |Arms: No

What We Like

• Durable construction

• Comes in various colors

• Can sit close to the table

What We Don't Like

• No warranty

Are traditional wooden chairs too plain for your tastes? You can infuse a bit of personality into your dining room with the Tomile Wishbone Chair, which features a popular design from Danish designer Hans Wegner. The chairs are solid wood, and they feature a Y-shaped backrest and curving arms, all constructed with mortise-and-tenon joinery for durability. The seats have a light natural finish, and their seats are interwoven rope in a similar hue.

Dimensions: 21.62 x 22 x 32.25 inches |Material: Chrome-plated steel and polycarbonate plastic |Weight Capacity: Not listed |Arms: No

What We Like

• Affordable

• Comes in various colors

• Flexible

What We Don't Like

• Can scratch easily

For a more modern home, the TOBIAS Chair is a cool and affordable pick. These chairs have transparent polycarbonate seats mounted on a chrome C-shaped base, and they come in clear and blue color options. The seat of this chair is flexible to make it more comfortable to sit in, and you can't beat the reasonable price, especially if you need to buy several of them or are shopping on a budget.

Dimensions: 17.7 x 20.1 x 32.7 inches |Material: Uphostery with metal legs |Weight Capacity: 250 |Arms: No

What We Like

• Comes in various colors

• Comes in a set of two

• Includes warranty

What We Don't Like

• No arms

The Kora Upholstered Dining Chair will add a pop of color to your dining room—they're available in eight different upholstery colors. The chairs come in a set of two, and they're covered with polyester velvet that's delightfully soft to the touch. The chairs are mounted on four angled wooden legs, and you can even choose from several finish colors to match your space.

Dimensions: 18 x 23.5 x 32.5 inches |Material: Leather or vegan leather with iron legs |Weight Capacity: 275 |Arms: No

What We Like

• Made with genuine leather

• Durable construction

• Comes in various colors

What We Don't Like

• Expensive

Leather will add an elegant touch to any dining room, and the best-selling Slope Dining Chairs come in genuine top-grain leather or animal-friendly vegan leather in a variety of colors. These chairs have a wooden seat with foam padding, supported by powder-coated iron legs that form an interesting X-shape design.

Choose between several leather colors and several metallic finishes for the base, customizing these beautiful chairs to match your style perfectly.

Dimensions: 18 x 23.5 x 35 inches |Material: Rattan |Weight Capacity: 300 |Arms: No

What We Like

• Comes in various colors

• Available with or without arms

• Easy to maintain

What We Don't Like

• No warranty

For a beachy and airy vibe, the Riviera Dining Chair is handwoven rattan on a hand-shaped rattan frame. The silhouette is inspired by Parisian bistro chairs and made using classic French techniques, and you can choose from four colors, including a natural tan hue and three shades of blue. Plus, the brand has a matching bench if you want to offer different types of seating around your table.

Dimensions: 22.6 x 21 x 30.3 inches |Material: Polypropylene plastic |Weight Capacity: Not listed |Arms: Yes

What We Like

• Comes in various colors

• Stackable for easy storage

• Easy to clean

• Includes warranty

What We Don't Like

• Made of plastic

All your guests are sure to comment on the unique Ripple Chair, formed from injection-molded polypropylene plastic. These modern chairs come in several muted color options, and they feature comfortable armrests and an intricately curved frame.

However, the best part has to be that the Ripple Chair is stackable, allowing you to easily store away extras until they're needed around your table. Because they are plastic, they can also be wiped down with soap and water, making them a wonderful option for homes with young kids.

Dimensions: 18.5 x 22 x 32.5 inches |Material: Upholstery with oak legs |Weight Capacity: 300 |Arms: No

What We Like

• Comes in various colors and fabrics

• Easy to clean

• Offers back support

What We Don't Like

• No arms

The Layton Upholstered Dining Chair offers a simple, classic appearance that would mesh well with just about any style of home decor. The chairs are mounted on solid oak legs that can be finished in several colors, and you get to choose from a vast collection of upholstery fabrics, including everything from performance velvet to soft boucle and chenille options. The seat and back are a combination of foam and polyester fibers for comfort, and the backrest is slightly curved, so it supports you without chair arms that can take up too much space at the table.

Dimensions: 30 x 21.5 x 22.5 inches |Material: Rubberwood and semi-aniline leather |Weight Capacity: Not listed |Arms: Yes

What We Like

• Comes in various colors and fabrics

• Durable construction

• No assembly needed

What We Don't Like

• Arms are short

For a midcentury modern option, you'll love the Zola Dining Chair, which has an interesting, angular shape. This chair has a solid wood frame and padded foam seat, and you can choose between dark gray or black fabric or black leather for the seat. The back legs of the chair are slanted to create a cool Z-shape with the short armrests, and the whole piece is finished with a wood veneer in a walnut stain—the perfect match for most midcentury furniture.

Dimensions: 21 x 17 x 33 inches |Material: Metal |Weight Capacity: Not listed |Arms: No

What We Like

• Durable construction

• Comes in a set of four

• Stackable for easy storage

What We Don't Like

• No warranty

The FDW Metal Dining Chairs are durable, convenient, and affordable, and their metal construction is perfect for a farmhouse or industrial-style home. The chairs come in a set of four, and they're available in nine different colors. The chairs feature a comfortable ergonomic backrest, and they even have non-slip rubber feet to protect your floors.

The metal construction is covered in scratch-resistant paint, which is beneficial, given that you can stack them on top of each other for more compact storage. The chairs are hearty enough for outdoor use on a balcony or porch.

Dimensions: 16.5 x 19.25 x 35.37 inches |Material: Pine |Weight Capacity: Not listed |Arms: No

What We Like

• Affordable

• Durable construction

• Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

• Must re-tighten assembly screws periodically

The IKEA STEFAN Chair is a more affordable take on a traditional dining chair. It has a classic design with a simple slatted back, and despite its affordable price, the chair is solid pine wood. It's finished with a black lacquer that makes it easy to clean, and the only real caveat is that the brand recommends re-tightening the assembly screws periodically for stability—a small price to pay for such a budget-friendly find.

Dimensions: 19.75 x 23.5 x 40.25 inches |Material: Oak, rubberwood, and upholstery |Weight Capacity: Not listed |Arms: No

What We Like

• Comes in a set of two

• Comes in various colors and fabrics

• Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

• Expensive

Another traditional style option is the Paige Dining Chair, an upholstered seat that comes in a set of two. These chairs are oak wood, and they feature a round back mounted on an ornate base. The wooden parts of this chair have a slightly distressed finish that highlights the carved details, and you can choose from several upholstery options, including linen, microfiber, and velvet fabrics.

Dimensions: 30.25 x 25 x 21.5 inches |Material: Rattan |Weight Capacity: Not listed |Arms: Yes

What We Like

• Comes in various colors

• Durable construction

• Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

• Indoor use only

The Pari Rattan Chair will add boho flair to any dining room. Its natural rattan is carefully manipulated into a beautiful curved form and sealed with clear lacquer. The chairs are available in a natural rattan color, but they also come in several painted hues that will brighten up your dining room. Even though rattan is often used for outdoor furniture, these chairs are indoor use only, and they would look perfect in a sunny dining corner or a sunroom.

Dimensions: 41 x 25.25 x 31 inches |Material: Upholstery and manufactured wood|Weight Capacity: 250 |Arms: Yes

What We Like

• Comes in three colors

• Provides back support

• Includes warranty

What We Don't Like

• May require some assembly

Many people like to place more prominent, more stately dining chairs at either end of their table, and the Lila Tufted Linen Arm Chair is up for the job. These attractive armchairs come in a few neutral shades, and their linen upholstery features piped edges and button tufting for added sophistication. The seat and back are foam-padded for comfort, and the wooden legs have a slightly distressed finish.

Final Verdict

For a classic dining chair that will last for generations to come, you'll want to look at the Aaron Dining Chair (view at Pottery Barn), which uses the best materials and construction techniques. If you want something a bit more modern, the Slope Leather Dining Chair (view at West Elm) has an attractive leather finish that comes in several colors.

Size

One of the most important considerations to take into account when shopping for dining chairs is their size. You'll want to measure your dining table to see how many chairs can fit around it—be sure to leave several inches of space between each chair and ensure there's space around the table for chairs to be pushed out. As a general rule of thumb, there should also be 12 inches between the seat of a dining chair and the tabletop, as this will provide adequate room to sit without bumping your knees.

Material

Dining chairs are made of various materials, each of which provides a different look and feel. Wooden chairs are typically one of the most sturdy and versatile, as you can change their finish if desired. Metal chairs are durable but can have reflective properties. Other common chair materials include upholstery fabric, which is comfortable and attractive but harder to clean, and rattan, which will add texture to your space.

Arms

Dining chairs are available with or without arms, and you'll need to decide which style suits your needs. Armless dining chairs take up less space than armchairs and are often used along the long sides of dining tables. However, armchairs are usually more comfortable, as they provide somewhere to rest your elbows and stability when you're standing up and sitting down.

FAQ

• How do you prevent dining room chairs from scratching the floor?

  One way to prevent dining room chairs from scratching the floor is to use felt floor protectors. Most are adhesive-backed and stick easily to the bottom of your chair legs, and they're also one of the most inexpensive ways to prevent scratching. If your felt protectors don't stick very well, try cleaning the bottom of your chair legs with an appropriate cleaning agent before putting new ones on. Another relatively inexpensive way to prevent your dining room chairs from scratching the floor includes covering the surface with an area rug.

• How much room do you need between dining room chairs?

  To have sufficient elbow room, you should leave around 24 inches of space for each chair at the table. This allowance will help prevent people from hitting elbows at the table and allow plenty of room to slide chairs in and out without squeezing or discomfort. If your dining room chairs have arms, leave a few extra inches of space to be safe, as arms can take up more room around the table. Always make sure to measure your dining table beforehand so you know how many chairs can fit comfortably around it.

• How do you clean dining room chairs?

  Cleaning your dining room chairs will depend on what kind of material they're made out of. If cleaning upholstered dining chairs, always check the fabric care instructions. Some upholstery requires professional cleaning. If you're spot cleaning a stain, you should still check the manufacturer's cleaning instructions for the appropriate cleaning agent for the specific kind of fabric. You should clean liquid spills as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage.

  If cleaning wooden dining room chairs, you'll still want to check the care instructions, but generally, you can use a small amount of mild dish soap and a microfiber cloth to clean them.

This article was researched and written by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce, The Spruce Pets, and The Spruce Crafts. With a background in textiles and design, she's an expert in selecting the best fabrics and furnishings for the home. For this list, she considered each chair's dimensions, whether it's available with or without arms, and the materials used.

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Continue to 13 of 14 below.

West Elm Walnut Dining Chairs

Source: https://www.thespruce.com/best-dining-chairs-4154196

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Corbusier Dining Chair

Corbusier Dining Chair

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One of the world's most renowned designers, Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier was one of the most prolific and diverse designers of the 20th century. Celebrated for his contribution to Brutalist architecture, Le Corbusier's architectural style is reflected in his iconic and instantly recognisable furniture.

Celebrated as one of the founding fathers of Brutalism, Le Corbusier was enamoured with the vast capabilities of concrete. Often referring to the home as a "machine for living", his designs are as focussed on function as they are on form. Among his outstanding projects is the modernist city of Chandigarh in India, the Unité d'Habitation in Marseille, the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York and the convent of Sainte Marie de La Tourette near Lyon.

Beginning his experimentation into furniture design in 1928, Le Corbusier is renowned for his collaborations with Charlotte Perriand and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret. Driven by the belief that furniture needed to be functional as well as beautiful, his designs are brilliantly simple and minimalistic. Innovatively utilising materials such as chrome-plated tubular steel and cowhide, Le Corbusier, along with his co-creators, developed instantly recognisable pieces such as the LC4 Chaise Longue, the LC1 Armchair and the LC3 Sofa that remain world-renowned to this day.

Borne Béton Light

Initially conceived for the Unité d'habitation de Marseille and Bhakra Dam in 1952, the Borne Béton Light is a standing table and floor lamp that has over the years become an archetype of its genre. The ultimate task light, Borne Béton is crafted from concrete in a fluid form reminiscent of the shape of bankers lamps, reinterpreted into a starkly modern mould. The light's source manifests as a strip of bright, dimmable light on the bottom side of the lamp's top surface, creating a direct beam of strong emanations, ideal for reading or working, or even lending dark corners an illuminating touch.

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Corbusier Dining Chair

Source: https://www.conranshop.co.uk/designers/le-corbusier.html

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Black Corner Hutch Dining Room

Black Corner Hutch Dining Room

We offer many choices of wood oak cherry maple and more. 38 out of 5 stars based on 533 reviews 533 ratings Current Price 10998 109.

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A strong sturdy hutch brings practicality and presence to your design.

Dining Room Corner Hutch. Typical for china dining room interiors-corner hutch that includes elements of folk artFree-standing corner cabinet is a highlight of the architectural details of the home. A corner hutch is also a great solution for a small room where the corner is wasted space. 182019 Black corner cabinet dining room functional regarding inspirations cabinet built in hutch white traditional China oven dining room corner unit cabinet design glass cabinets vintage teak furniture stylish extraordinary for furniture living elegant tips classic interior wood storage ideas with IKEA cabinets for dining luxury home software free trial furniture unfinished highland.

If your dining room is small and youre lacking for space thats not a problem. Or use the Eagle in the office entry living room or bathroom. See more ideas about corner cabinet dining room corner cabinet dining room corner.

Find Small Corner Cabinets Dining Room. You can also choose your size. Store fine china wine glasses dinner plates or whatever you think will work best.

See Detail Corner Hutch Cabinet For Dining Room at here. Stop in our Waynesville Ohio furniture store which is south of Dayton and north of Cincinnati to shop for a beautiful dining room hutch to. A corner dining room hutch is a very useful household product.

China Cabinets With Reviews. A corner hutch is designed to fit snugly in the corner of your dining room so it will not require a lot of floor space. From looking beautiful to saving space a hutch can prove to be very beneficial.

5272020 A dining room corner hutch is often used to store and display china in the top cabinet area and serving bowls in the bottom cabinet. Take our Amish-made corner hutches for example. Featuring plenty of shelf space.

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Many people even place their corner hutch in the living room where it functions as a. Give it a home in the corner of your kitchen then load up its double-wide cabinet with dishes and linens. Product Title Beadboard Buffet Cabinet – Sideboard with Storage Average rating.

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In many dining rooms the corners are wasted space anyway. If you are looking for a corner china cabinet or corner dining room hutch we have an extensive collection in our Ohio amish furniture store. Corner Curio Cabinet Corner Curio Cabinet Corner Curio Cabinet Utilize that empty corner in your dining room or living room with this accent cabinet finished in a warm brown oak.

In a handsomely painted wood with glass front these cabinets utilize a space without wasting even an inc. Station this cabinet in a corner of your dining room to arrange cherished family heirlooms and china on its five tempered glass shelves then turn on the top. Corner china cabinets help make a house a home by displaying beloved objects and storing items for safe-keeping.

Jun 23 2017 – Explore patty boelmans board corner hutch colors. If you are planning to buy a hutch there are a lot of designs you can choose from. Corner Hutch Cabinet For Dining Room.

Corner hutches are also useful in the kitchen where they are used to store mixing bowls spices and other kitchen supplies. Designed to fit snugly in the corner of your dining room they dont require a lot of floor space. See more ideas about corner hutch corner china cabinets corner cupboard.

That corner space can be used efficiently with small corner cabinets for the dining room. Choosing one of our compact Amish corner hutches gives you lots of storage space with little impact on the space in your room. How to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets.

Featuring a corner-fitting design this curio cabinet creates display space in any environment while the warm finished manufactured wood frame adds a dash of earthy appeal to the room. Saturday October 12 2013. Our hutches range in size with some more slim and shallow models available.

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Black Corner Hutch Dining Room

Source: https://magzhouse.com/2021/06/10/dining-room-corner-hutch/

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Maple Farmhouse Dining Table

Maple Farmhouse Dining Table

Thank you so much for visiting! This post contains affiliate links. That means I may receive a small amount of compensation if you choose to purchase from my links.

When we bought our house two years ago, we bought some of the furniture that was being sold along with it. The old owners were taking their kids camping across America for a year and didn't have a need for it. But, it was all brand new. In fact, some piece like our farmhouse dining table were even handmade.

We snapped up a number of items right off the bat including our family room furniture and the farmhouse dining table.

But then little things about all of these purchases started to annoy us – like so often happens when you actually own an item.

The issue with the farmhouse dining table…

More specifically, our farmhouse dining room table has man-made lines in it as a decorative accent. Once something like food, spices, play-doh falls into that straight, deep line, it's never coming out. My mother-in-law even tried to get it out with a knife and she couldn't do it.

The table came with two benches that we've now had to repair twice. The farmhouse dining table and benches are essentially made out of 2×4 and the construction hasn't held up to wear and tear very well.

But honestly, it's the line that bothers me most.

This year we are planning to swap out with the table we refinished that's in the barn (See that HERE), or buy a new dining table for our home. Additionally, we are planning to finish the basement beginning next month. So, we will need a table down there for games and crafting.

Farmhouse dining table search

So, since I'm one table short, I thought I'd start searching and show you all some of the farmhouse dining tables I'm loving right now.

I'm looking for a long, harvest-style farmhouse dining table. That's what we currently have and that's what will fit the space in the dining room and the basement too. However, I've included a few round tables I like too!

Altogether, my style is straight lines with a little bit of flourish. If money were no object (and I could redo this whole house in the exact way I wanted), you would probably find my style a modern French country.

My favorite farmhouse dining tables have straight lines, warm wood and maybe a little bit of leg flourish.

I'm not sure if we will buy new, try to make something or find something at a local thrift store and refinish it. But, if we decide to buy something new, these are the ones I'm loving. I'm especially leaning towards the Benchwright Extending Dining Table {HERE}, the Teakwood Theordora Dining Table {HERE} and the Stafford Reclaimed Wood Dining Table {HERE}. Here are some other top picks!

So which table is your favorite, friends? I'd love to hear in the comments below! Also, if you're on the hunt for a new coffee table, check out our review of our Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table {HERE}.

Thank you so much for visiting today! I hope that you will come back again and visit us at Sugar Maple Farmhouse!

Maple Farmhouse Dining Table

Source: https://www.sugarmaplefarmhouse.com/beautiful-farmhouse-dining-table-finds/

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Dessin Fournir Dining Table

Dessin Fournir Dining Table

For more than two decades, Amy Brown, Bill Caballero and Scott Hamel worked together running the furniture companies in the Dessin Fournir portfolio—then watched the company go belly-up last year. Now, in something of a comeback tale, they're reviving the businesses they've been so passionate about. This summer, the trio of longtime colleagues bought the intellectual property of Dessin's four furniture lines—Dessin Fournir, Gérard, Therien and Quatrain—which they are relaunching this week under the name Fournir Collections.

It's a surprising twist in the story for the three partners, who spent years as happy collaborators in what was long a well-oiled machine. "We were constantly in contact," recalls Caballero. "It was Scott and Amy overseeing clients and showrooms [from the company's headquarters in Plainville, Kansas], and me overseeing manufacturing operations on the West Coast." Then, in April 2019, Dessin Fournir filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Though the news came as a shock to many, the company had been struggling behind the scenes for some time. Since launching Dessin Fournir in 1993, company founder and CEO Chuck Comeau had assembled a family of more than 10 companies that spanned furniture, wallcoverings, fabric, drapery, hardware and lighting—many with remarkable pedigrees and A-list collaborators, like the storied fabric house of Rose Cumming or a licensed line with Kerry Joyce. But Comeau also invested heavily in real estate, amassing 18 properties in downtown Hays, Kansas, as well as property in Plainville. With all of his holdings as collateral (including the companies that comprised Dessin Fournir, and his own personal life insurance policy), a foreclosure suit in late 2018 on these assets—for missed payments on some $8 million in loans—were a bellwether of the trouble to come.

In an email sent to clients announcing the filing, Comeau pinned the company's woes on his efforts to scale: "I failed to understand the 'right-sizing' for our company after the recession, and instead thought we should try to maintain jobs," he wrote. But people close to the business say that in reality, one of its core flaws was its amalgamation of brands. Yes, the companies were each, on their own, rather remarkable—but together they posed a distraction in time and investment from Comeau's core business. As the web stretched ever thinner, fissures began to emerge.

Although Comeau indicated his intention to continue leading the brand after it emerged from bankruptcy, his efforts were short-lived. The company's shuttered operations never reopened, and the court rejected Dessin Fournir's Chapter 11 petition by July of that year, after it became clear that, with no revenue, the company had no way to pay a looming insurance bill. Instead, its assets were handed over to its two largest secured creditors: Bank of Hays and local company FSSW.

There have been silver linings to come out of the collapse of Comeau's empire, including a handful of his tenants in downtown Hays who were able to purchase their own buildings at a bank auction in October 2019. And on the home furnishings side, a series of former stakeholders have emerged as white knights to preserve many of the brands. A little over a year ago, Lauren Hudson, a Houston-based designer and owner of Wells Abbott showrooms in Dallas and Houston, acquired Dessin's legacy fabric lines, Rose Cumming Chintzes and Classic Cloth; her debut collection for each brand is being released in January 2021. (Hudson mulled moving the brand to Houston, but ultimately rehired staff in Plainville and recently acquired a second warehouse there, as well.) Meanwhile, former Dessin Fournir employees Chris and Kelli Hansen purchased and reopened Palmer Hargrave Lighting in December 2019, hiring back the company's production manager and craftsman.

Now, Brown, Caballero and Hamel are part of that silver lining, too. Though they had exploratory discussions about acquiring the four brands last fall, they abandoned their plans as COVID-19 shook the country this spring. Then, in June, the idea resurfaced when a casual conversation about the fact that no one else had bought the brands quickly became, Well, why don't we buy them? In August, they approached the bank, which made them an offer.

In the meantime, all three had begun to reestablish their footing in the industry. Caballero, who departed the company at the end of 2018, was an operational management and product development consultant by mid-2019. Brown has been working remotely in sales support for Michael S. Smith's Los Angeles–based brand Jasper since the summer of 2019. And amid the bankruptcy proceedings, drapery hardware brand Fritsch—represented in North America by Dessin Fournir—asked Hamel to take over the relationship; he's been working with the line personally since July 2019 and aims to integrate that representation into the Fournir Collections framework. (The trio are also in talks to keep manufacturing Erika Brunson's licensed collection.)

Fournir Collections will launch armed with ownership of the four brand names, a revamped Dessin Fournir website, and all product-related intellectual property, from master drawings to prototypes. "That's what we purchased to make sure we can make all of the products on our website, from the [pieces] developed in the early 1990s to those developed in the last few years," Hamel tells Business of Home. "It's very important to us that we keep the same quality, style, and attention to detail."

What they did not purchase is a wealth of showroom models and inventory scattered across the country, which is being consolidated in Dallas as part of the foreclosure. (Dessin Fournir's bankruptcy petition included $4 million of unsold inventory.)

For now, the company will operate primarily through online orders. Visitors to the trade portal of the Fournir Collections site will discover a product assortment trapped in amber: More than 1,000 pieces (and prices) exactly as they were in 2018, made in partnership with many of the same Los Angeles workshops that powered the brands in the past. At least initially, everything will be available, though the partners may move to streamline future offerings. New products will also be developed and released over time.

That the full product lines were already all online—a vestige of Dessin Fournir's early investments in digitization, which were spurred at least in part by the Kansas/California split of its operations—was another saving grace that made the trio all the more confident to invest in the business amid a global pandemic. "The website is one of our huge resources right now, and people were already used to using it—the way designers shop on it hasn't changed," says Brown. "A lot of the things that other brands are switching to now—things like digital storyboards and tear sheets—we've already done that. We know how important it is to be able to shop and have full support digitally, and our website can support that. We're just changing the ownership and contact information."

Dessin Fournir's Carter wing chair, Romney side table and Pierre shelf Courtesy of Fournir Collection

The company's Sutcliffe table and Werth dining armchair Courtesy of Fournir Collection

Left: Dessin Fournir's Carter wing chair, Romney side table and Pierre shelf Courtesy of Fournir Collection | Right: The company's Sutcliffe table and Werth dining armchair Courtesy of Fournir Collection

The site has quietly been online and accepting quote requests for several weeks, and garnered several orders—a heartening sign as the owners prepared for a more formal debut. (In fact, says Brown, clients had been requesting quotes throughout the website's dormancy, perhaps unaware that the company was in limbo.) As whispers of the new ownership have spread, the response has been enthusiastic.

"When people started finding out, there was so much excitement around the brands coming back and us taking ownership," says Caballero. "Every call was like [sinking] a three-point shot. We had people that said, 'We're going to support you guys, and we want to see you succeed.' The fact that they can't wait to see the product back on the market and to be specifying it again is really exciting. When you're buying something like we did, it is a risk. But we are looking at it as a positive risk: We're going to make it work."

"When we put our updated confirmation on the site, we instantly started getting calls and emails," adds Brown. "There are probably many, many people who think the website isn't up anymore because the prior company went bankrupt, but it was very reassuring to know that, yes, people still want it. It's desirable. I think it's remarkable, given how long the lines have been out of circulation, that people are still going to the website and looking for a Contact Us page."

Fournir Collections will start with representation in several showrooms that were longtime supporters of Dessin Fournir—many of which still have all of their floor samples. The task of finding new representation in the remaining territories will loom large in the months to come, but the expansive network that represented the erstwhile Dessin Fournir brands does not interest the new owners. "We don't have any intentions of being in 14 showrooms nationwide [again]," says Hamel. "The main goal for us is to remain lean and keep expenses down. When you try to outfit 14 showrooms in 14 different regions, there's a huge cost involved in doing that—it's not the model that we want to proceed with."

Instead, the company is focused on funneling its funds into product development and the return to the sterling customer service Dessin Fournir was once known for. Much of that success will hinge on the trust and longstanding relationships the new owners have built within the industry—including the way they tried to help their designer clients and showroom partners button up loose ends and connect with manufacturers amid the company's bankruptcy, often via text. "Yes, the bankruptcy shut down [the business], but our relationships with so many designers and showroom owners kept going," says Brown. "We never stopped talking, because they're not only colleagues and supporters, we're friends."

"The people who know us know our passion and integrity," adds Hamel. "We want to make sure designers know that, to us, their orders and taking care of their needs are the most important things."

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Dessin Fournir Dining Table

Source: https://businessofhome.com/articles/three-dessin-fournir-alums-are-relaunching-its-iconic-furniture-brands

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