I'm sorry, but I just can't envision leather chairs with that elegant table. Have you considered washable slipcovers for the chairs in a beautiful pattern and colors? You could then use the colors of the chairs in other areas such as drapes, rugs, wall paint etc. to pull the whole scheme together. Fabric would also give a much warmer look to the room than leather, and you could use the material for all the chairs for a much more unified look. If you prefer no pattern, that would be fine too; just pick a color that will give some impact to the room, although off-white can also look beautiful, especially when paired with blue. Ingrid

Thank you for all your help and suggestions. Sonicmom-I think you're right that I should probably select a less trendy fabric. I think now that I wouldn't get tired of a geometric pattern, but I'm sure I would. I would love a linen, and was originally just going to do a off-white linen, but I need something very durable. It will be in the kitchen area, and I have two small children and 1 big dog. He's not allowed on furniture, but he often helps himself when we're not home. Annie-I think you are right about keeping the frames as is. They really are in pristine condition, except where i ripped up part of the upholstery in front to examine the frames. Thank you for that link-they have a lot of great choices. I like the ambrosia pattern you posted.I also like this one: Laurie-We are about to gut the kitchen, so it will be completely redone. It will be a white kitchen, and the fireplace is a traditional red brick wall. So I don't really have to match anything since I'm starting over! My3dogs-I think I'm going to keep the frames wood. They will hold up better, and I need some contrast in my (soon to be) white kitchen. Thanks for that link. There are some beautiful chairs. After looking through those though, I think I do lean to a more traditional looking fabric. Some of the ones with uber contemporary fabrics (skulls!) don't strike me.

jejvtr: Thanks for the feedback. I am still looking. You are right--that sight is addictive. I think part of the problem is my rug was an impulse buy--used Karastan on CL for $300--and the colors there tend to be more on the cool side whereas the curtains are more on the warm side. The navy reads more blackish IRL. I think I would prefer to coordinate with the drapes since I can see myself swapping out this rug at some point... My instincts don't always steer me in the right direction and there are lots of detours. How did your house turn out after you painted it? I remember some progress pics, but not a final. housefairy: Thanks for the tip on the fusable interfacing and the fabric guard. I will look into both of those for my project. ronnieroo: That is probably best to just order the samples. I saw on another DR chair thread where the poster bought fabric online and the online pic looked different than her pic. What fabric project are you working on? I haven't seen any posts from you lately.

Select a fabric that brings out the best in the wood finish so that your chairs don't appear so flat. Additionally, are you adding padding or batting so that there is a slight curve to the top of the seat? Right now the seats appear concave. If they were my chairs I would cover the seats in Raffia Cloth. You can simply wipe any spills off the straw You want the Raffia or Madagascar Cloth that has a fabric backing so that it's easier to staple and sew. https://www.caneandbasket.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=67 http://www.franksupply.com/raffia/supplies.html#raffiafabric