Bentley Beige Chair: the plain-back option, and oak leg matching

Many of the chairs in this range carry a knocker on the back. The Bentley is one of the few whose listing says outright that it has none, and that is the reason to buy it. A plain back in a neutral fabric is the chair you choose when the table, the floor or the light fitting is already the thing you look at. It is listed at 48 x 60 x 93cm on oak legs, and the photographs are on the Bentley Beige Chair (Oak Legs) page.

48 x 60 x 93cm, read properly

The listing gives the three figures as one unlabelled string. On a chair of this shape 93cm is the overall height, and the sensible reading is 48cm across the front with 60cm of depth, but the listing does not say so. If you are measuring for a narrow table or a bench seat opposite, ask us to confirm which figure is which.

How many go round your table

We work to about 60cm of clear table edge per place, which is comfort rather than geometry: at 48cm wide these chairs will physically sit closer than that, and in a dining room that gets used every day you will regret it. On that basis a 1.4m table takes four, a 1.8m table takes six along the long sides without using the ends, and a 2m table takes the same six with more room between places. Behind each chair, keep around 90cm clear so a diner can push back and stand without moving the table.

Why the plain back earns its place

A knocker is a decorative ring or lion head on the back of the chair, and it is a commitment: you see it from the room rather than from the table, and it is the first thing to date if your taste moves on. The Bentley's back is described as plain and upholstered, which also means there is nothing standing proud when the chairs are pushed against a wall, and nothing to work round when you wipe them down. In a kitchen-diner where the chairs live pushed back out of the way, that is worth more than the detail.

Oak legs, and the questions to ask about them

The legs are described as oak. The listing does not say whether that is solid timber or an oak finish, and it names no stain or tone, so there is no way to tell from the page whether the colour will sit with an existing oak table or fight it. Wood legs are less forgiving than metal in that respect: a chrome leg reads as neutral against almost anything, while two different oaks in one room look like a mistake. Ask us for a daylight photograph, or bring a photograph of your table. Two further gaps:

• Seat height. Only the 93cm overall figure is given. Measure the clear height from your floor to the underside of the table apron and ask us to confirm the chair will slide under.
• Fabric. The upholstery is described only as a neutral fabric, in a listing whose language is practical design and refined simplicity rather than figures. No fibre composition, cleaning code or rub test appears anywhere on the page, so ask us before you order for a room where the chairs will take daily use.

The rest of the Bentley line

The same name appears in dark grey with a velvet back and seat, on two different leg finishes: Bentley Dark Grey Chair (Black Legs) and Bentley Dark Grey Chair (Chrome Legs), both listed at the same 48 x 60 x 93cm, so you can change the colour and the leg without changing the fit. If you want oak legs with a much taller back, the Berry Fabric Chair (Oak Legs) is listed at 47 x 65 x 106cm, which is deeper and considerably higher. The full set is in Dining Chairs.

Before you order

• Measure your table length and divide by 60cm to settle the number of chairs.
• Measure floor to table underside and ask us about seat height.
• Send us a photograph of your table if the oak has to match.
• Order the set in one go, and check each chair for transit marks before you sign.

Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond. When you have the table measured, the photographs are on the Bentley Beige Chair page.