Klismos Dining Chairs in Antiqued Walnut and Cream, Sets of 2

Klismos Dining Chairs take their shape from Greek antiquity, and this pair keeps the essentials: saber legs sweeping out at the front and the back, and a curved crest rail that wraps around the shoulders. The frame is antiqued walnut, with the grain showing through the finish at every bend, so the chair reads warm rather than lacquered. Seat and back are upholstered in cream, which sits in the same mellow register as the wood.

Each chair measures 21.5 inches wide, 20 inches deep and 37 inches high, a compact footprint that seats eight around a standard table without crowding the corners. The back is upright enough for dinner and the seat plain enough that no cushion is wanted. The splayed rear legs take a little more floor than a straight-legged chair does, so allow room behind them when the table stands near a wall.

Walnut and cream is an easy pairing, which is what makes these useful in a room that already has strong pieces in it. Set them against a dark timber table for contrast, or a pale one to keep the whole arrangement quiet. They suit a neoclassical dining room, but the line is clean enough to sit with modern art and a plain rug without looking like a period reproduction.