As someone who has furnished several apartments of various sizes in the 12 years in which I moved around Paris and New York, I have had to be resourceful with both my budget and the way I use space. As much as I would love to spend my tax return on a flight of Brutalist dining chairs for a Beowulf-esque wood dining table, I sadly do not live in a kingly mead hall. I live in Bushwick, and my railroad apartment begets more budget- and size-friendly solutions.
I believe in mixing and matching. I think you can splurge on a prominent head-of-the-table chair, and then collect comfortable, more affordable dining chairs with time; as Stacey London once taught us all on What Not to Wear: things don’t have to match, they just have to “go.” Look for dining chairs with any or all combinations of wide seats, plush cushions, and versatile designs. Keep your eyes out for designer dupes, visit secondhand sites often, and remember that your bum deserves the best.
