Louis XV Cane Back Dining Chairs in Gray Oak, Sets of 2

A woven cane oval sits inside the carved backs of these Cane Back Dining Chairs, painted over in the same finish as the frame so the weave reads as texture rather than as contrast. Light still passes straight through it, which is the detail that keeps the frame from feeling heavy. The whitewashed gray oak finish leaves the beechwood grain visible, cooler and more relaxed than polished French walnut.

Cabriole front legs carry the curve down to the floor, and the seat is covered in cream flax linen, a natural pairing for the pale frame. At 21 inches wide with a 19 inch seat height, the chair fits standard dining tables without crowding, and the low seat suits a table with a deep apron. Six will run around a rectangular table with room left to pull a chair back and stand.

A gray-washed Louis XV frame belongs in a room that wants the period line without the period polish, so it sits well with a scrubbed farm table, a painted dresser or limed oak floors. Cream linen keeps the whole chair in one pale register, which suits a room built on chalky walls and natural fiber rugs. Two work either side of a hall table when they are not needed at dinner.