Trying to decide between dining room chairs

[flowerweaver]

Our current dining room chairs are falling apart, I bought them new in 1980 (!) I've found some I like online that are on sale and they come in both fabric and leather. I'm trying to choose.

Our dining room is used daily, it's not for special occasions even though it's a very nice space. I would prefer the fabric chairs, but we often garden until dark, come in wanting to eat, and our clothes are covered in dirt. I am ripping out excessive old kitchen cabinets so that a small kitchen table will fit that can have metal/wooden chairs. So I'm thinking the kitchen table will be used for those times.

However, my spouse is hard to train and I fear he will selectively forget and the fabric will get stained. This leads me to believe the leather might be more stain resistant (although I am not sure about this), but they look more stiff and formal to me. I suppose I could sew slip covers for either, but in reality I don't have time right now.

What has been your experience? What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Smart Red]

Hard to train could be a problem. How about keeping one old chair in the dining room where he sits for a while. That way you will have time to see how big a problem you might have.

All things being equal, I'd rather go for the fabric chairs I like. Plastic covering over 'his' chair for a while? You shouldn't need to cover all the new chairs.

 

[Nyboy]

I grew up in a house where everything was covered in plastic from couch to lamp shades. I remember how happy my mother was when the new SOFT vinyl slip covers came out. I have a leather couch it was given some kind of protective coating at factory was extra $200. couch looks brand new with only damp cloth Was warned that red wine would stain leather, so far looks as good as new

 

[bobm]

Hey ... I am a man NOT a dog and I will not be trained . If you ask, and if it is realistic and not dangerous , I will do it .

 

[ninnymary]

Go with your heart. You can always put a towel over his chair and yours.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

Yes, I was a bit upset by the use of trained. However, I did train my spouse to be a perfect husband so I understand the loving use of the word as well.

 

[flowerweaver]

He often uses the phrase in jest, so do I. I did not mean it in an unloving way. In his heart of hearts, my husband wants to keep the new chairs nice, but he's both very preoccupied and forgetful. And we both garden and get messy. He's really the one more worried about stains. Neither of us wants a house covered in plastic either, we just try not to make impractical choices for our lifestyle.

Just chatted with a sales associate who said the fabric is more stain resistant than the leather, the fabric is 90% poly and 10% linen. I think ultimately they'd be easier to recover down the line. But I do like the idea of fabric slipcovers, if I could just find time to sew them.

 

[Carol Dee]

@flowerweaver Go for the fabric ones. (It sounds like you like them more.) Start by tossing a dishtowel over the seat when you come in for gardening. They can be tossed in wash easier than a slip cover, too! Leave them on until company comes!