Louis XV Dining Chairs in Cream with Silvered Legs, Sets of 2

The legs make these Louis XV Dining Chairs. A cabriole curve at the front, finished silvered and whitewashed rather than stained, leaves the frame pale and lightly weathered instead of formal and dark. Cream upholstery covers the seat and the back in one plain tone, with no buttoning, piping or trim to interrupt it. The effect is a French shape with most of the polish taken off it.

The chairs measure 23 inches wide and 24 inches deep with a back standing 39 inches high, generous proportions that hold their own at the head of a table without needing arms. Six will seat a long table comfortably, and a pair alone will anchor the two ends. The height gives a sitter something to lean into through a long dinner, and the width leaves room to turn.

Silvered legs are the reason to put these in a pale room rather than a dark one. Against chalky plaster, bleached timber and washed linen they keep their line without going heavy. Use them with a limed or painted table, or with a dark antique table that the pale frames will lift. Cream seats keep the palette quiet enough for the room to hold its pattern elsewhere.