apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This looks a bit like the Big Sur table at Crate and Barrel. They show it with the Folio Leather dining chair. If you go to the product page for said table, you can see their 'Room Views', which show these chairs with the table:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=881&f=14071

Panton chairs immediately come to mind. If not, then Starck ghost chairs (Louis at the heads, Victoria for the sides). Either way, my suggestion is to be modern, almost aggressively so.

I would suggest something "light", as the table looks quite "heavy" feeling in a room. If it was my table I might go with clear Kartell chairs: the Louis arm chairs for the ends, and the armless ones for the rest, (even though I'm sure some people think they're played out, I still like them), or maybe something silver like the navy chairs http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=0012

Also, I have a place in my heart for the Bertoia chairs, maybe those would look good on the ends with a vibrant coloured pillow (if they're high enough- I'm not sure) http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=11617

We have a wood slab table and a cool wooden bench and paired it with 4 Danish modern chairs that have slate gray apholstery. Gives it a classic, modern feel. I think it would look great with your table too. :) We got our chairs at Modlife in Chicago.

I whole heartedly agree with Matthew in DC. Paton were the first chairs I though of when seeing the table. The plastic and curves would be a nice contrast to the natural wood grain and clean lines of the table.

The eco chair

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/eco_chair_and_vu.php

From http://voxia.com/ in white might look nice too. Plus the bonus with then is sustainable materials and manufacturing

Hmm, I don't see plastic with these - there's balancing and then there's polar opposites. Leather would be a great approach, I like the Whitman line at Restoration Hardware if your house is not ultra-contemporary. It also might be interesting if you used something with more curves that still used wood, like the much-seen Globus chair on DWR or a Cherner chair.

I have a soft spot for this table.

The great thing about it is that just about anything will go with it. I've got two old drafting table chairs with mine. The chairs are slightly distressed and the padding is dark green which is a natural complement to the soft white oak. Although you said yours is wenge-are you sure it is wenge?

If we could splurge we would go with the Alster chair from Ligne Roset as a luscious modern accompaniment.

You could tear out some pictures of different chairs you like and lay them out on the table and see which one speaks to you.

I love it when people ask these questions, but don't give any indication as to the rest of the decor in the home/room. With that table, the house could be modern, French country, etc. Also, any budget restrictions? The more information, the better the response. :)

That said, I'm picturing the Eames Eiffel Chair. In white.

I think the Bertolia chair from Knoll would be smashing. I would think about the color of the chair and then the pad on it depending on what else you have going on in the room, but I think a bright, modern contrast would be most pleasant.

Well, again, it depends on the rest of your apartment, but the first chair that came to mind was the Arne Jacobsen 7 chair in white... with arms for the ends, without for the long side. Fritz Hansen now does a leather version too. In white.

If that's the Gus* table I think it is... you should definitely get the Oliver Chair to go with it. The Oliver Armchair has probably got to be one of my favourite chairs ever!

http://www.gusmodern.com/products1/dining/oliver-chair/oliver-chair.shtml

I'm with Gretchen - white Eames Eiffel. Even though they are everywhere, they remain beautiful and I don't think you can beat white and Wenge for contrast. I also think the metal legs contrast well with the heavy dark wood as do the curves of the chair against the clean hard lines of the table. You need something to lighten it all up because that table is bulky. However, what are the rest of the colors you have going on? You could always go with the Eames Eiffel in colors. I think it would look great.

yep, that's the Gus table ten-eighteen, thanks for pointing that out. the ends of the bench are solid unlike the big sur. Now I'm frustrated because I thought I researched every table like this that's out there. I guess I wouldn't be as frustrated if I knew this one is more expensive!

do you know how much the Oliver chairs cost?

I almost agree with BB and Gretchen. :)

Eames shell with the Eiffel base, for sure... but I prefer cream to white. White is just a bit too stark for me. (And please -- if you have to go with new instead of original, the fibreglass version, not the plastic!)

As a back-up suggestion, the dowel base is pretty nice, too...

I also highly recommend the Fiberglass eames chair in white with the chrome eiffel base. I've seen it with a chunky wood table before and it is absolutely stunning.

The founders of Gus* Modern have a little retail shop here in Toronto just a block from my loft! (Check out their website at www.stylegarage.com ... they're one of my favorite stores) I've actually been thinking about the Chunk table myself... it looks great with the Oliver chairs, but I'd probably go with the Thompson chair in wenge/white.

I think this chair would look nice in the dark finish
http://www.spacify.com/products-587-225-Ped.750.html

I would go with the matching Oliver Chairs from Gus* Modern. You know they will look great! Here is a coupon code I found that works for them to take off 15% "june15"


http://www.bobbyberkhome.com/product/seating/3592/gus%2A-modern-furniture-oliver-chairs-by-gus-modern.html

http://gus-modern-furniture.bobbyberkhome.com/

BERTOIA CHAIRS, no doubt.

I was going to mention StyleGarage too, as urbanmark mentioned. It's only a few blocks away from me too... so we must be in the same neighbourhood! :)

I think Gus is a toronto based company, so mabe their stuff is a bit cheaper for us in Canada?

WOW ... Ghost chairs with a chunky table ... boarders on ... RADICAL ... lol

LOL ... Bertoia. Panton ... boy you guys are really living on the design edge here ...

I have a few more suggestions for you, in the Thonet vein.

One thing I'd like to mention though, is that you should take great care in making sure that the chair you pick is an appropriate DINING chair -- that is, that the pitch of the seat, the height, the arms (if there are any) and so forth are actually appropriate and comfortable for dining and works with your table. We once bought designer chairs that were frequently shown as dining chairs, but in fact, were side chairs. We regretted the purchase each and every time we sat down to dine -- the chairs pitched us away from the table, we slid, and it seemed like every meal we had to fight against them. So just because they are frequently pulled up to a dining table, doesn't make the chair a good dining chair.

I can vouch for the Series 7 though -- they are suprememly comfortable chairs, simple as they are.

Here is a riff on a Thonet classic, available at Conrans:

It comes in white
http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=10496&cid=ChairsStools&language=en-US

red (which would look good next to Wenge, but again, depends on the rest of your place)
http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=6827&cid=ChairsStools&language=en-US

And without arms
http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=10495&cid=ChairsStools&language=en-US

Then there is this classic 1960s upholstered Thonet -- sorry, don't have the model number, but this is what it looks like
(scroll down to "change up"):

http://designsponge.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_designsponge_archive.html

I can't find an image of the other thonet, except in a magazine -- Canadian House & Home March '07, page 123 (sold at www.commutehome.com) . It is a Thonet (or Thonet-style) chair, with black bentwood and both a cane seat and back. It is a more modern, squared-off and simplified version of a Thonet; like a marriage between Breuer's Cesca chair
http://www.quintoncavendish.co.uk/dc/item_display.php?item_id=32 and this Thonet:
http://www.architonic.com/cat/view/1006574

I think it would be nice because it is quiet, it doesn't shout... the contrast with the table is there, but it is more elegant and Conran-like. You can get it in the natural beechwood, which would be nice. Actually, come to think, I've seen it in Sir Terence Conran's own house... And he has a dining table like yours too, albeit in natural wood. Why not check out his design books for inspiration?

Okay, so I peeked to see what Sir Terence has come up with of late -- here are two more possibilities for you:

http://www.contentbyconran.com/catalogue/products/86/

http://www.contentbyconran.com/catalogue/products/79/

I agree with Gretchen and the others...you can't go wrong with Eames eiffel chairs. White would be nice, but red would offer a nice contrast as well.

my friends got the same set and they bought an amazing white retro chairs from the store white on white -- you should check it out online.

http://whiteonwhite.com/

See -- the Gus table seems to have been inspired by Conran's own:

http://www.conranshop.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=18920&cid=TablesDesksConsoles&language=en-GB

...and on the site, they sugest the Eiffel chair as a pairing (or the leather bench), but I recall that he has paired it differently in his own home.