apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I like the Jake chairs at Room & Board. They're only $79 each and come in a bunch of colors.

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/collection.do?method=get&id=377418&cat=91552824

The light blue one is really cute.

Eww... the jake chair is a knockoff of the Series 7 by Jacobsen. Dont compound one knockoff with another!

A really good, sturdy, stylish chair I like is the Bellini chair through DWR. Its pretty, and the squared off profile contrasts nicely with the articulation of the Tulip -er Docksta - table. If you've got a little bit more in your budget they come in a super shiny finish as well!

http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=0044

I've seen Ikea Urban chairs around this table and really liked the look. And they are affordable!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50122339

I'd choose white Panton Chairs...

http://www.homeportfolio.com/catalog/Product.jhtml?catId=166&avId=11396&selected_anId=&prodId=53796

Check out the selections at cb2. I don't know your color scheme, but I'd consider pairing the Docksta with cb2's Window Seat or Diego.

http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=115&f=4196

http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=115&f=3006

The CB2 pony chair in oat wouldn't match a white table (even though it does look white in the picture)...it really is a grayish cream. Hence... the name oat.

i think it would be great to contrast this table with black scrolly metal chairs. a quick search came up with these
http://contractfurniture.com/product_detail.php?prodID=1731#self
not perfect, but you get the idea.

I recently got a set of OH Chair's to go with the Ikea Salmi table. They fit in well with Ikea's aesthetic and are a lot more study than anything we found there. (if you have wood floors get caps for the ends of the legs.)

Yay! A question about the Docksta! I own this table, and I put red Stefan chairs around it. It looks really neat, I think. But I have a more traditional style than most of the readers on this site. Don't forget the seat cushions for the Stefan, though; they are not the most comfortable chairs without them. Also, I agree with Janel - the clear Tobias chairs look really nice with it, and they are good-looking chairs in real life. And they seem pretty sturdy, too. I also have seen black bentwood chairs paired with a white tulip table (for example, the Ikea Ogla chair, which they may be phasing out because I can't find them online), and that also looks really cool. My preference is if you have a really modern table, pair it with very traditional style chairs, and vice versa. I wish I could post some links, but my computer is not cooperating. Sorry.

If you discover a way to keep this table from shaking, can you please let me know? I think that is its only drawback. Thanks.

"If you discover a way to keep this table from shaking, can you please let me know? I think that is its only drawback."

For someone buying a new table, the cure for this is to get the Odyssey table from CB2. The IKEA table has a flexible plastic base whereas the CB2 table has a stable metal base. For a mere $50 more, it's worth it.

I've seen the Gilbert chair work well with it (or something in a similar style).

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60059441

I second the Panton Chair.

http://www.inmod.com/pantonchair.html

why don't you get cheap bent wood chairs similar to the chair on the right in the pic. and paint them white? they can be found all over for under 20$.

I splurged on S Chairs for my Docksta Table. Moderndose is running a 2 for 1 special. www.moderndose.com

http://www.europebynet.com/Detail_nn_sku_EBACH029.html

I like the Mart Stam armchair in white leather.

http://www.moderndose.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=175

or you can go armless, but the armchairs are more comfortable

i have the ikea table and matched it with 4 white gilbert chairs. I love it. The combo really works well and the shapes aren't distracting... but just dramatic enough.

i know about the budget issue...i think this table is a very good choice...and about $1200 cheaper:)

I scored a vintage Saarinen look-alike from Craigslist for $40, and then found some Eames shell chairs in white off of ebay (6 for $22, without bases).

With the Eiffel bases, I think they look great with the Saarinenesque table.

Check it.



http://www.dwr.com/images/zoom/zm_6455_6.jpg

I dont know if you've seen the CB2 one in person but I thought the quality wasn't great (it's faux suede right?). That said - I also LOVE anything lucite and whyyy have I never seen that chair at Ikea before???

for an affordable option, i second the room & board jake chair. i know the objections to a cheaper option of a designer piece but i think the curvy shapes would go well together.

I would shop around for some classic Thonet café chairs. They don't have to match. Don't paint them white. The juxtaposition of the old and natural set against the white and new will look great. It will create a dining space with some soul.

White opaque (or even crystal transparent) Louis Ghost chairs by Philippe Starck would complement this table very well.

The one pictured (solid one-piece seat and back at left) looks like the Catifa 46 by Arper in polycarbonate. It is available in a ton of colours of poly (including white with a contrasting colour like lime green on the back), fabric and leather upholstery, various heights, and different base options (including sled or 4-leg for dining). They're really quite affordable. I think my designer net pricing on them is something like $140 each as shown.

whatever you do, DON'Tget a Mart Stam chair! we were stuck with them for over a decade (until they all fell apart), as we saw them and thought they would make great dining chairs. THEY ARE NOT DINING CHAIRS -- they are side chairs -- they pitch you backwards, instead of forward to the table. As a result, you have to sit on the edge to be able to eat at the dining table.

This miserable experience taught me to always ensure that the chair you are buying is a proper dining chair, and not a side chair. Try to always sit in it first.

My vote? I'd find some vintage Thonet chairs -- junk stores, antique stores, ebay, wherever. Missmatched is good. And while at it, I'd look around for a real Saarinen table (craigslist is a good source -- seen some reasonable ones there, and even here on AT).

...Or look around for Eames (like kyle) or Jacobsen, just do some hunting in places like craigslist etc., and see what you come up with. Serendipity is a great thing...

I would also encourage CraigsList...I've picked up my (4) Eiffel chairs and my zero table from DWR--both in amazing, new near condition, $800 for everything. I agree with Monika1, serendipity is a great thing!

I don't know what granny's chairs look like, but have you considered using those chairs? Sometimes with a coat of paint for pop the juxtaposition of traditional and modern can be a real treat. Just a thought and a REALLY cheap one. You could do this until the right chairs fall in your lap - probably from CraigsList. Mixing styles is much more edgy than buying the suite, don't you think?

the as-is @ ikea section had two of those tables last week, be sure to check in as-is it's the best bargain! :)

I like, and I know I'm probably in the minority from reading other comments about them, the ChairChair from Bludot. It's sturdy, comfortable and a good price. PLUS if you add in the CozyCozy it adds a dash of color.

btw, the other chair in the picture above is one I am personally in love with (it is a real Thonet, made in a licensed factory), and is called a Czech Chair.

As in the picture, you could splurge on just 1, and then match it with whatever other white chair you manage to find on Criagslist...Eames, Jacobsen, etc. It is lovely to mix things up -- looks wonderful all white, but with different chairs. (yes, it is a *wee bit* expensive, so I only suggested 1 of 'em...)

http://www.furnitureseen.com/Modern-Furniture/New-York/Seating/Czech-Chair-Herman-Czech/3/30/943

I agree with one of the poster's comments above regarding the odyssey table from cb2. It's a tad bit more expensive than the docksta, but more stable. I do like the tobias chair -the acrylic one pictured above - with the odyssey or the docksta table.

I am in a similar situation where I am moving into a smaller place. I am thinking of pairing the Saarinen style table with some french cafe chairs. You can probably find a good deal if you search ebay or craigslist.

http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2007/11/french_bistro_c.php

To the Monika1 who was against the Mart Stam chairs: I don't think chairs need to "pitch you forward" to the dinning table unless you're gulping and running.

Mine have tight backs, and I rather like armchairs for long, chatty dinners. The Brno Chair by Mies van der Rohe is another example of a similar (but obviously more posh) style in leather that is used with dining tables.

I've had my Mart Stam chairs for 20 years, and they've lasted as they're made of cowhide.

we got the docksta from our downstairs neighbors, but ours shakes something fierce--does anyone have any tips on stabilizing? I almost think it would be better to find 4 table legs and make it into a regular table again.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/surveys/design-elections-best-retro-modern-dining-table-043165

We use air chairs (http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=0765) around our docksta -- two green and two orange. They look great, and we can just drag them out the sliding glass door onto the patio.

Red ones are currently on sale at DWR...

suzygirl -

maybe you have a different vintage of the Stam chair than we did, but ours were extremely uncomfortable for dining.

A good dining chair neither pitches you forward nor back, it keeps you straight.

We found ourselves always fighting the chair as it was pushing us back into the backrest. In order to eat at the table we had to perch on the front edge of the seat, or lean very far forward from a more natural seated position... both of which were uncomfortable and annoying.

And yes, ours were the standard cowhide leather version. They started out stiff, but after a couple of years of daily wear, were stiff no more. One of the chairs developed a rip on the underside of the seat, and so that seat soon sagged. Another developed a rip on the back of the backrest (strange, as we did not use the backrest much). Finally, the armrests started coming loose, and fell off.

When someone posted here on AT that they had just gotten some Mart Stam chairs that were missing armrests, and did anyone know where to get replacements, we sent them our armrests, and got rid of the chairs.

They were our worst purchase, ever. My husband still holds them up as a warning not to put style over function.

However, they worked nicely as guest chairs in our office -- they did not get too much wear, were comfortable and looked good.

Firstly, I would go with the Odyssey table from CB2 - same look, but way better construction than the IKEA table. For instance, it has a sturdy metal base, whereas the flimsy plastic base on the IKEA can get dirty looking very quickly. I bought Saarinen style chairs to match from http://www.whiteonwhite.com/ in Chicago, and I'm very happy with them. White on white was more than happy to bargain too! online, I've also seen knockoffs at designerseating.com, has anyone purchased from them? If I couldn't get Saarinen knockoffs, I would go with the Oh chair from Umbra.

We also had the Docksta table and had to scrap it after three years. It scratched way too easily, down to the particle board underneath (so we're not talking light colored scratches, but dark scratches that showed on the white surface). I will say that I saw one in the As-Is department in Ikea the other day that didn't look nearly as painfully dinged up as ours, so maybe it's something they've improved. And as other commentators have mentioned, the base was a pain to keep clean, it scuffed very easily. Too bad because I loved the table. We paired it with Umbra Oh chairs in White, which are surprisingly comfortable and affordable. :)

our fake tulip table goes v well with our fake tulip chairs. got 'em on EBAY for little $.

Can the Docksta table go outside? Will rain damage it?