Over the years interior designer Amanda Huber regularly sourced furniture from The Dining Chair Company for her clients. So when she heard the business was for sale in 2017 it seemed like an unmissable opportunity. ‘I thought it was a gem of a company with a potentially great brand presence,’ she says. ‘Chairs are always a staple, whether in a formal environment or in more relaxed living and dining spaces.’ First up, she refurbished the showroom in the Pimlico Road design district, and then she expanded the range of styles on offer, both to include more contemporary pieces and to re-introduce some popular favourites.
The company philosophy is to create beautiful, handcrafted, bespoke furniture that is made in England using traditional techniques yet at an accessible price point. Standard styles can also be fully customised. For instance, the William chair has evolved as a result of client need and is now available in three styles: the William, Prince William and what is affectionately known as the Van Gogh, because it has no side wings.
The company philosophy is to create beautiful, handcrafted, bespoke furniture that is made in England using traditional techniques
Chairs can be made up in any type of wood, with the stain and polish matched to existing furniture or to create a specific piece. Starting with measurements and an initial sketch, Amanda and her team ensure all designs evolve to meet the company’s exacting standards. With a keen eye for imaginative reinterpretation of fabrics, trimmings and finishing details, The Dining Chair Company is a showcase for stunning upholstery effects, from frayed edges, leather piping and mixed textures to seams.
Clients include interior designers, retailers, hotels – The Dining Chair Company has supplied The Pig hotel and Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, among others – and private individuals. ‘We take personal pride in nurturing projects from initial enquiry through to delivery as well as in our commitment to quality and attention to detail,’ says Amanda, who cites art, architecture and vintage design as inspirations. ‘At the recent Decorative Antiques Fair we saw a pair of 1960s vintage Italian upholstered chairs with wonderfully curved wood carver arms, so now we are developing a design incorporating an essence of that.’
New designs this year that are launching now are The Mark, a very smart club like chair that is ideal for more sophisticated settings, and the Madison, a contemporary evolution of the Alexa, which is ideal for smaller areas and works equally well as a desk or dressing room chair.
And, despite its name, The Dining Chair Company makes much more than chairs – there is not only a range of upholstered furniture, from bar stools and ottomans to bedheads and sofas, but also a collection of dining tables in oak, ash, stone, marble and glass.
Keen to work closely with the latest fabrics from key fabric houses such as de Le Cuona, there is an exciting collaboration in the pipeline with digital designer Charlotte Jade, for next year’s Belgravia in Bloom. ‘We love using new and beautiful fabrics,’ concludes Amanda. ‘There’s nothing nicer than when clients ring us and say they have had our chairs for 20 years and still love them but would like them re-covered to fit in with a new interior.’
