Mom always said, "No pets at the table."

I like it for winter in an adult-only setting--especially if you don't have padded chairs. In my house, though, I know my 7-year old would not survive a meal without spillage or wiping his hands on it!

Faux fur throw on plastic chair = slippage. The throw would always be on the floor.

I love my shell chairs, but they aren't terribly cozy in the winter. I got Ludde sheepskins from Ikea for our rocker in the living room and a couple of the dining chairs. Vastly improves the cold-weather sitting experience.

Our dining room is also the library, and we mostly use our dining table for board games and doing puzzles while munching snacks. Having something cushy like a fur throw on the chairs definitely makes that more inviting.

Those are all sheepskins, not faux-fur throws. They look great on the floor, on a chair, on the back of a sofa, wherever.

They are sheepskins as callmecath said. They are unbelievably cozy, and relatively waterproof, if cared for like wool (with lanolin wash). We love the one I brought home from the Shetland Isles. We sit on it in hard chairs in winter (so cozy) and lay on it in the LR, and lay baby on it to play. I like the full-length wool ones, but the shorn ones are more practical for babies, children, food spills, etc. One word of warning: dogs who chew leather will tear these up, and cats will shed all over them, so roll them up if you've got monster pets!

Dining room table to be means food and wine. Moving your arms around doesn't really work with a blanket- that's why they made the Snuggie! If you're cold, get a sweater. The throw will be waiting for you on the couch IMO.

To me, not 'to be'. Sorry.

As a wearer of mainly black clothing....I know this would be a nightmare of shedding hair all over the back of your clothing. I had to get rid of all my sheepskin rugs because of this problem. Even the rugs on the floor...you sit down on them in pajamas...you're covered in white hair.

I agree that sheepskin is very durable! We had a sheepskin throw on a rocker that lived in a very busy living room with three kids and it survived just fine without stains.

All in all, though, I'd rather just get more comfortable dining chairs that don't need them.

Don't forget some people are very creeped out touching something that looks too much like the animal it was taken off of, too. Yes, even leather wearing folk. It's kind of like how some folks can eat fish, but can't eat the same fish happily if it's still got the head attached.

I have a nice chocolate brown one on my dining room chair. tres cozy. it doesn't shed.

I have real sheep skins on my "cr*ppy a$$" Pier 1 Imports wicker dining room chairs that are just a stand in until i can finally afford the 8 wishbones that i really want but that's *sigh* a long way off. they disguise them nicely.

I brought them back (plus 2 twice long runners for my bedside) from New Zealand when there on my honeymoon. the facility we purchased them was a "green" tanner and the hides are the remains of the animals used for food. they are naturally water and stain repellant and show no signs of wear (whatsoever) and they are 3 1/2 years old. the only thing is, I brush the rugs regularly to maintain the fluffy smoothness and elminate the nap. but they don't shed at all (even when brushed) and haven't one bit. maybe because they are true hides...?

I absolutely agree with Gypsymomma, the pillow I brought back was finally destroyed by one of my hell hounds. she periodically gnawed on it and it was getting smaller and smaller until last weekend, it was nothing more than a dust bunny stuck to her cheek.

That isn't faux fur - it's a real sheepskin.

I agree w/ the others - great for winter.

Only if you are Elton John.

IF you want a cozy, comfy dining room chair, why not go that way in the first place?

Did anyone notice that the chair with the sheepskin is the only one without a place setting? Not sure if that implies anything about its practicality while actually eating or not. It just looks like an element for staging a photo and not "real life" useful to me.

sheepskin are great for winter --i fall asleep on my mom's 8-pelt in front of the fireplace all.the.time.

And they don't shed (at least hers doesnt) so I don't know why people keep saying that...

I wish they were faux fur and not sheepskin. I love the look of the sheepskin, but just can't look at it without thinking "poor little sheepie."

Hey, sorry to interject w/ an unrelated question. I've been looking for a soft grey paint color like the one featured above. Does anyone happen to know the name and brand? Thanks.

I don't mind the idea, but this looks like it was tossed in there when someone said "oh wait I think we need some texture." Sheepskins have always felt greasy to me...maybe I'm wrong but they don't seem 'sanitary' at all...just kinda icky.

kimg924--haha, no it's not about whether it's practical, that chair actually gets used the most because the little girls get cold sitting on the plastic in their pj's. That place setting must have already been cleared!

lululeydi--the gray is Ben Moore Stone Harbor and I wrote about great greys right here!

NO.

Unless there's a good reason for it, like that is the kitty's favorite chair. Anything for the pets is okay.

I'm a no on this one, but I don't really like faux fur anything.

i agree with CallDoctorBison... i love the look (especially on an ottoman for a dog bed as shown in an old house tour)... but i just feel sorry for the poor sheep - green or not (i'm a vegetarian).

Like carpet in the kitchen. icko!

I've had sheepskins laid over my Barcelona chairs for years, and I LOVE IT so much that I just got a huge one to put on my couch by the fire!

That said, I don't think I'd ever use them in the dining room - too hard to clean, and too weird to have the juxtaposition of animal skin next to your food... And while it looks kind of cool here I'd go all or nohting. How would you decide which lucky guest gets the snuggly, comfy chair?? :)

I always assumed that was just a staging thing for the photo...

I like the way it looks, but animal fur around food kind of grosses me out. I'm pretty sure it stems from my family butchering their own food when I was a kid, but animal remains (of any sort) around food just screams 'unfinished butchering job' instead of design. Don't get me wrong, I've got a sheepskin at the foot of my bed - it's just around food that it skeeves me out.

what a random question. gosh, i really hope we get to the bottom of this.

I ADORE my sheepskin, but I never sit at the dining room table long enough to "stage" it there. In winter, I drag it from room to room, living room to bedroom to morning room (guest room when I need it, breakfast room when I don't). If I had the money, I'd buy another four of them, and a huge one for snuggling.

But no, it doesn't really seem appropriate at the table. Sheepskins are for being cozy, and the table isn't really a cozy place, you know?

Also, I get really annoyed by people who eat lamb and beef but can't stand the sight of a sheepskin and criticize leather. Vegetarians who hate animal skins are exempt from my distain, but everyone else should really examine their value systems, and come to grips with the reality of meat = dead animal.

When they first see it, a lot of my friends ask whether my sheepskin is polar bear. Anyone else ever get this?

I love the fact that it adds great texture to an otherwise "cold" area of the house...and totally agree dining rooms aren't intended to be very cozy for the most part...but honestly I would totally do this and maybe just move the skeepskin when we're eating...or put on a chair that's not being used. who knows but I do like it for aesthetics when the table isn't being utilized! I'm a dork.