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Chairs have evolved over thousands of years. There is evidence that the Stone Age people used chairs. The Egyptians were routinely using chairs as early as 650 AD. By the 1600s, chairs had become part of interior design. Upholstery on chairs began to appear in the 1700s. Upholstered chairs are common today, but you need to do your homework before buying one.

First, think about what type of chair you want. Galen Cranz, author of The Chair, groups chairs into five categories: handmade, mass-produced, artisan, designer, and artist. Artist chairs are unique chairs and can be expensive. These tips will help you find the right chair for your home.

1. Measure the room. You should measure the maximum width and height available. A chair that is too high will make your room look smaller.

2. Determine the style. Your new chair doesn’t have to match your interior. Many interior designers these days mix modern furniture and antiques. Some decorators think every home should have a distinctive chair – one that doesn’t match.

3. Check the frame. According to Upholstered Furniture, an article at http://www.homefurnish.com, kiln-dried hardwood works best for hair frames. Some manufacturers frame chairs and sofas with steel.

4. Check the wood species. The Carrington Court Direct website recommends maple, poplar and ash. (Ash is so strong that it’s used in baseball bats.) The Grand Rapids Chair Company uses European beech, “an ‘A’ grade hardwood that is in every way stronger than oak or maple,” according to the site.

5. Examine the corner blocks. Corner blocks give the chair extra support. These blocks should be glued and screwed to the frame.

6. Check the joints. Joints should be glued and also connected with dowels or L-brackets.

7. Check the springs. Manufacturers have two systems, eightfold hand-tied springs and coiled springs. The website http://www.homefurnish.com describes coiled springs as two-dimensional, S-shaped wires attached to the front rail of the chair. These springs run from front to back.

8. Feel the padding. The seller should be able to answer your questions and may have a brochure showing the upholstery. According to http://www.grandrapidschair.com, high resilience foam is “the Cadillac of upholstery”.

9. Ask about upholstery options. Upholstery fabrics are sorted according to content and durability. Swatches are grouped into color categories. If the color you want is not available, you cannot purchase the chair.

10. Look at the patterns. Big stores will lend you swatches for a few days. You pay a small fee and this fee is refunded when you return the samples. See how the patterns look in daylight, at dusk, and at night.

11. Get time information. Is the chair you like in stock? How long does it take to make a chair to order? Does the company have a reputation for delivering on time?

12. Get information about the return policy. If you bring the chair home and find after a week that it’s getting your back, can you return it? Buying a new chair is fun when you do your homework first.

Copyright 2008 by Harriet Hodgson

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