I want to share some amazing dining room chair fabric ideas that can completely transform your dining space without breaking your budget.
When we moved into our home five years ago, the dining room was the first space I wanted to tackle.
The old chairs were these worn-out things with faded fabric that had seen better days about twenty years ago! After staring at them through countless family dinners, I finally got dining room chair fabric ideas and decided it was time for a change.
I spent weeks researching different fabric options, even dragging my kids to every fabric store within a 30-mile radius. But all that research paid off
These are options I’ve either used in my own home or recommended to friends who have been thrilled with the results.
13 Dining Room Chair Fabric Ideas For Your Dining Rooms
Your dining chairs might not seem like the most exciting part of your home decor, but trust me, they can make or break your entire dining space.
The right fabric doesn’t just look good, it sets the mood for all those family dinners, holiday gatherings, and late-night conversations that happen around your table.
When my friend asked me to help update her dining room last year, we kept the same table and chairs but recovered the seats in a gorgeous fabric, which totally transformed her dining room.
Use Cotton Blends for a Versatile Look
Cotton blends were my gateway into the world of reupholstering.
When I first tried my hand at recovering our old dining chairs, I went with a cotton blend because it felt less intimidating. It turns out, it was the perfect choice!
Cotton blends are super forgiving for DIY projects, and they come in literally thousands of patterns and colours.
The best part about cotton blends is that they’re easy to clean.
I accidentally spilt an entire glass of red wine during a dinner party last month, and after a quick treatment, you’d never know it happened.
For busy families like ours, that’s practically a requirement.
Try Two-Toned Upholstery
Last summer, I got a bit fancy with my brother’s formal dining set and went for two-toned upholstery.
I was honestly nervous about how it would turn out, but wow, what a difference it made!
Guests always ask if he hired a professional, and I just smile and think about how I did it while binge-watching my favourite shows.
Two-toned upholstery works wonderfully if you’re trying to tie together different elements in your dining room.
In my case, it helped connect the dark wood of the table with the lighter tones in our curtains. According to a designer friend, this technique is becoming increasingly popular, with about 40% of her clients now requesting this look.
Leather for a Durable and Rustic Look
When we redid my dad’s dining room, we needed something practically indestructible.
My father spills coffee every single morning without fail! Leather was the obvious choice.
We went with a cognac-colored genuine leather that has developed this gorgeous patina over the past three years.
What I love about leather is that it actually looks better as it ages. Every scratch and mark tells a story, and in a dining room, there are plenty of stories to be told!
Leather chairs work especially well if you have a rustic theme or industrial style dining table.
Add that Unique Texture with Chenille
Chenille fabric is like the cosy sweater of the upholstery world.
When I added chenille dining chairs to a client’s mountain cabin, the whole room instantly felt warmer and more inviting.
The soft, slightly raised texture adds depth to your dining space without being overwhelming.
My client chose a beautiful orange-colored chenille that complemented the natural stone fireplace in her living room with open concept dining area.
One thing to keep in mind with chenille is that it can show wear patterns over time. But honestly, I think that just adds character.
Use Natural Fibers to Create an Earthy Tone
For one of my clients, we painted the dining room walls white, everything felt a bit stark and cold. The solution? Natural fiber chair upholstery, which brings warmth and texture back in the space.
We chose a jute-blend fabric for the chair seats that transformed the entire room.
There’s something about natural fibres that grounds a space and makes it feel more connected to the outdoors.
This is especially true if you have houseplants or natural wood elements in your dining area. And mostly natural wood complement the color scheme cream and brown in living room.
Natural fibers can be a bit rough, so they might not be ideal for everyday chairs where comfort is key.
Wool for Naturally Resilient
When my sister moved to Minnesota, she needed dining chairs that could stand up to heavy use and still keep her dining room looking polished. I immediately suggested wool upholstery.
Wool is incredibly resilient and naturally stain-resistant, making it perfect for dining chairs.
It’s also wonderfully insulating, which matters when you live somewhere that hits negative temperatures regularly.
Her charcoal grey wool chairs look as good today as they did when she bought them four years ago.
According to home safety statistics, dining areas are one of the top spots for home candle fires, so this is no small consideration!
Use Linen for an Organic Look
I went through a major coastal grandmother phase last year and decided linen dining chairs were absolutely essential to achieving the look.
My husband thought I was crazy to choose white linen with three kids in the house, but I was determined.
Guess what? They’ve actually held up amazingly well! Linen has this wonderful, casual elegance that instantly makes a dining space feel more relaxed.
Yes, it wrinkles a bit, but that’s part of its charm.
The natural texture catches the light beautifully, especially during our Sunday morning brunches when the sun streams through our east-facing windows.
Use Boucle Fabric for Style and Comfort
Boucle fabric has been everywhere in the design world lately, and for good reason
For my client, I added two boucle host chairs to the ends of the dining table, they instantly became everyone’s preferred seats.
The loopy, nubby texture of boucle adds wonderful visual interest and feels amazing to touch.
We chose a creamy white boucle that contrasts beautifully with the darker side chairs. The different textures play off each other and create depth in the dining space.
What surprised me most about boucle is how forgiving it is with stains.
The textured surface actually helps hide little marks and spots much better than smoother fabrics.
Incorporate Bold Patterns with Fabric
When the dining room started feeling a bit boring, you didn’t have the budget for new furniture. The solution?
Recover the existing chairs in a bold geometric pattern that completely transforms the space.
Patterned fabrics are like artwork for your dining chairs and tapestries can also be used as a fabric. They can incorporate colours from elsewhere in your room and tie everything together.
In the case of my client, I chose a pattern that pulled in the blue from the walls and the yellow from the curtains, creating this cohesive look that I absolutely love.
If you’re nervous about going too bold, try using patterned fabric on just a couple of accent chairs rather than the whole set.
Add a Touch of Luxury with Velvet
For our anniversary last year, I surprised my husband by upgrading our dining chairs with deep blue velvet upholstery.
The look on his face when he saw them was priceless.
Velvet instantly adds this sense of luxury and warmth to a dining space.
The way it catches and reflects light makes it especially beautiful for evening dinner parties when the lighting is lower.
Our blue velvet chairs practically glow during our monthly dinner club gatherings. One thing to know about velvet is that it shows pressure marks.
Make a Statement with Floral Prints
Last spring I helped my aunt update her dining room, and we went with these gorgeous oversized floral print chairs that completely transformed her space.
She wanted something that would brighten up the room and reflect her love of gardening
We chose a larger-scale print with watercolour-style flowers that felt modern rather than stuffy. The chairs became the focal point of her dining room, allowing the rest of the decor to be more subdued.
Now the inside and outside spaces feel like extensions of each other, which is exactly what she wanted.
Opt Colour Blocking Pattern for a Modern Feel
After seeing colour blocking everywhere in fashion, I decided to try it on the dining chairs when my friend moved into her first apartment.
We chose a simple design with black and blush pink backs that looked absolutely stunning against her white dining table.
Colour blocking gives dining chairs a decidedly modern edge while still being approachable.
It’s a great way to incorporate multiple colours from your decor scheme without committing to a busy pattern.
My friend’s sister has apparently been so impressed that she has asked me to help with her chairs, too.
Go for Striped Fabric for a Classic Vibe
When we redid my neighbour’s lakehouse dining area.
My neighbour wanted something that felt classic but not boring. Striped fabric turned out to be the perfect solution.
We chose a blue and white ticking stripe that gives this wonderful coastal vibe without being too themey.
Stripes are truly timeless. They’ve never gone out of style, and they probably never will.
What I love most about striped dining chairs is how they create this sense of order and repetition that’s very calming in a dining space.
There’s something about those clean lines that just feels right.
Conclusion
Dining chair fabric ideas are one of those small tweaks that can completely transform how your dining room looks and feels.
After trying basically every fabric option out there over the years, I’ve learned that the best choice is always the one that makes you happy every time you walk into the room.
Whether you go bold with patterns or keep it simple with a durable solid, the right fabric creates the backdrop for countless family meals and gatherings with friends.
Our dining rooms are where some of life’s most important conversations happen, so they deserve fabrics that make the space feel special.
The best part? You don’t need to buy all new furniture. Most dining chairs can be recovered with basic DIY skills and some patience.
Trust me, if I can do it while simultaneously helping with homework and cooking dinner, you absolutely can too!
