Styles of Dining Chairs

• Wooden: Some dining room chairs are made entirely of wood, including the seat.
• Upholstered: Dining room chairs often include upholstery, typically on the seat or the back of the chair. Contemporary styles such as parson’s chairs are covered entirely in upholstery.
• Wrought iron: Welded wrought iron or other metal chairs create a contemporary, bold look.
• Benches: Benches are increasingly being used for flexible, economical dining table seating.

• Spindle back: A traditional, simple look with vertical spindles along the back of the chair.
• Ladder back: Also a traditional style, with horizontal wide wooden strips across the back of the chair, resembling the steps of a ladder. The backs of these chairs are also typically quite high.
• Queen Anne: These chairs are characterized by a curved rail on the back, an urn-shaped center back piece, and curved legs called cabriole legs.
• Chippendale: From the French in the mid 18^th century, Chippendale chairs typically feature curved legs (sometimes with a claw and ball foot) and elaborate back supports.  
• Windsor: A type of spindle back chair. They come in sack-back, comb-back, fan-back, birdcage, and other styles.
• Fence back: Similar to a spindle back chair, except the vertical strips are flat rather than round.
• X-back: Just as the name indicates, the backs of these chairs are formed by an x, which sometimes resembles two intersecting half circles.
• Parson: A chair with upholstery covering everything, usually including the legs. Sometimes parson’s chairs have folds of fabric that fall from the seat to the floor on all four sides of the chair.