The dining chair is perhaps the most underrated item of furniture in your home. It’s given little attention, but a comfortable dining chair can make or break a dinner party.

Comfort should be the overriding feature of any modern dining chair you consider buying. But there are plenty of trends in modern dining chair design you might want to look out for so your furniture is the talk of the table at your next dinner party.

Minimalism

“Less is more” is a popular trend today. Many contemporary dining chair designs are taking a minimalist approach with pared-down features and understated fabric.

Instead of a busy combination of colours and patterns, modern dining chair designs are about getting back to basics, accentuating extreme simplicity in open, clean-lined designs and distinct colour combinations.

These Shiraz Red Jesper Dining Chairs are a prime example of the minimalist design.

Curves

Curves are back, and they’re trending more than ever. The curved plane, whether it is in a sweeping armrest or a bowed back, is perhaps the single biggest design trend in contemporary dining chairs.

Suave curves add depths and movement to your dining chair, inviting you to take a seat and relax.

These Heron Grey Espen Scoop Back Dining Chairs perfectly exhibit the beautiful, curvaceous element of modern dining chairs.

Contrast

Dining chairs today often feature a combination of earthy materials to provide a stylish or rustic contrast.

While the seats and backrests typically feature a textured fabric, the legs highlight natural wood, as in the case of these Mokuzai [木] Dining Chairs.

The natural element

As our world gets sleeker and technology more slim-lined, it’s nice to hark back to an earlier, more organic time. Natural elements are making a comeback, with weathered finishes, wicker, and rattan featuring in more contemporary dining chair designs.

With the natural elements and the distressed look of your modern dining chair, you’ll give your dining room an irresistible vintage look. The Chamond Dining Chair below is designed with the southern French farmhouse style in mind.

Traditionalism

It may seem ironic to see traditionalism as one of the popular trends of modern dining chair design – and that’s the point.

Contemporary dining chair designs are giving a nod to the past with buttoned fabrics and rolled tops resurging as popular features.

These Audrey Dining Chairs add a touch of sophistication with their metallic studs, button accents, and curved backs.

Low backs

Gone are the days of stiff highbacks. Modern dining chairs feature low, cushioned backs to prop you up without straightening you out. Modern chair backs are also usually angled back slightly to ensure maximum comfort.

This Jesper Chair with Armrest has a seat depth of 43 cm but offers added comfort with high armrests.

Neutral colours

If you haven’t noticed it already, many of our examples feature muted colours that won’t take attention away from any dining room décor you might want to accentuate. Grey, cream, white and beige are trending – and there’s good reason why.

These colours work well with the minimalist design many contemporary dining chairs are adopting. But their neutral tones also mean they adapt well to any table style or setting. They’re designed to last since you won’t need to switch them out for a newer style to match décor later down the line.

Found something you like in the modern dining chair? Whether you like the minimalism, the curves, the textures or the contrasts, browse our full range online today to find the very piece for you.