I just grabbed some pillows from my living room to see how they look.

This house leant a little more towards farmhouse and I'm transitioning to a more coastal vibe for our new home.

Sometimes the reason vintage chairs survive in good condition is because they were too uncomfortable to sit on and get worn out. Try folding a thick beach towel and draping it over the back to imitate a custom pad. You could also try the thinner flat seat cushions sold in sets of four that tie onto wood kitchen chairs or rocking chairs before going to the expense of having custom pads made.

As cute as they are are they worth the effort? I'm with Apple Pie- try some work arounds before you commit.

@HALLETT & Co. @apple_pie_order

I know in my heart you are correct! They are in excellent shape and that is likely because they are uncomfortable. I'm stuck with them now, so I've got to find some way to make them work for at least a year or so! I put the blanket behind my back and it makes a huge difference! Even wearing a thicker sweater makes the chairs feel so much more comfortable.

I wonder if I can get some cheap ikea cushions and put those on the backs? My main concern is how it will look, though I guess I could just keep them in the room and bring them out when we are actually using the table, which is probably only a few times a month (we often eat at the island or in the TV room)

I found two on Ikea's website that I like and they wouldn't be a loss like custom cushions as I can always use them in other places!

Kuddarna would pretty well cover the entire back and Vänderot would just be at the bottom of the chair.

@Angelique your kitchen looks beautiful!

And the pillows look perfectly fine on the chairs. I couldn't find many results on Google showing pillows on dining chairs but it looks wonderful in your photo! (I did consider painting the chairs white and seeing yours has made me consider it again!). Thanks for sharing the image :)

What a great set! Love it.

Absolutely you can add pillows! Most of the rattan outdoor chairs have cushions for comfort. No reason at all not do what you want. :)

Please don’t think me rude, but in the specific case of your chairs, I wouldn’t paint them white. The details are so lovely natural.

Thanks, Sel Bee! I wouldn't paint those chairs you have - their charm is in that beautiful natural rattan!

I think rattan chairs most often need some padding through the back... here's another image, I like the color with that wood, so pretty...

@Jilly and @Angelique, thanks for the advice. I won't paint them though I might go over the existing high-gloss finish with a satin or matte to tone the glare a bit from the high-gloss finish.

Do you think either of those ikea pillows i posted earlier would look better than the other?

We take possession of our new house next week and I'm going to start a thread for the living/dining (28' long by 11' wide with a brick section on the wall for the old woodstove, that I'd like to turn into an electric or gas fireplace), and another thread for the kitchen that needs to be fully redone. If you see those threads they will show these chairs and the table in the new house!

I like the lumbar ones better looks-wise, but I think for comfort, you may prefer the larger cushions. If I were you, I'd head to a local store where you can grab a few cushions of different sizes/styles, and try them out to see what feels best. You can then look into getting them custom made to your chairs - but at least you'd know exactly what feels best to you and your family, which is ultimately the goal with pillows/pads anyway.

Some chairs just make you hurt looking at them! Cushions will be a fine addition.

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