Cheshire Chair: black hardware and a 55 x 55cm footprint

Most of the knocker-back chairs in this range sit on bright metal legs. The Cheshire does not: the ring knocker is black and so are the legs, against a dark grey velvet back. The result is a chair with no bright metal on it, which is the version to look at if your kitchen already has black taps, black handles or a black-framed window. It is listed at 55 x 55 x 95cm, and the photographs are on the Cheshire Chair (Black Ring Knocker/Black Legs) page.

A square 55 x 55cm plan, and why that helps

The Cheshire sits between the two, and the 55cm plan figure is the useful one: it is narrower than the Chelsea, so it is easier to get six round a table, and shallower than either at 55cm front to back, which earns back space in a narrow room. The listing gives the figures unlabelled, with 95cm the overall height, and because the two plan figures are identical here you cannot get the width and depth the wrong way round, which is a small mercy.

For numbers, work to about 60cm of clear table edge per place: four round a 1.4m table, six along the long sides of a 1.8m table. Behind each chair keep around 90cm of clear floor so somebody can push back and stand up.

One colour, which makes it a simpler decision

The listing offers dark grey only. There is no finish choice to make, so the question is whether dark grey velvet is right for the room rather than which of three shades to pick. Velvet has a pile, so expect the chair to read lighter where a window hits it and almost black in a corner. That is normal. What the listing does not give you is any fibre composition, cleaning code or rub figure, so if the chairs are going round a table in daily use, ask us what the fabric is before you order a set of six.

Black-on-black, and the practical side of it

Black legs read as a deliberate line against a pale floor and disappear against a dark one, which is the reverse of chrome. They also hide fingermarks and water spots that show on polished metal, which is worth something in a kitchen-diner. The knocker is described as a black ring, and the listing does not say what it is made of or how it is finished, so if it needs to match black ironmongery elsewhere in the room ask us for a close photograph rather than judging it from the main image.

One practical note on any knocker-back chair: the listing does not say how far the detail stands out from the back, so if the chairs get pushed hard against a painted wall between meals, ask us and leave a gap.

What the listing does not state

• Seat height. Only the 95cm overall height is given, and seat height is what decides whether the chair slides under your table apron. Measure floor to table underside and ask us.
• Leg material. Described as black and sturdy, with no material named.
• Floor pads and assembly. Neither is mentioned; both are quick for us to confirm.

What it sits with

For the same dark grey velvet with black legs and no knocker named in its listing, the Bentley Dark Grey Chair (Black Legs) is the plainer sibling at 48 x 60 x 93cm. If you want the ring but in bright metal, the Chelsea Chair (Ring Knocker/Chrome Legs) is wider at 62 x 60 x 96cm and offers three finishes. And if a wipeable face matters more than velvet, the Marbella PU Chair (Black Legs) keeps the black legs and changes the surface. All of them are in Dining Chairs.

Before you order

• Divide your table length by 60cm to settle the number of chairs.
• Measure floor to table underside and ask about seat height.
• Ask what the velvet is and how it should be cleaned.
• Order the set together so the velvet comes from one batch, and check each chair before you sign.

Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond. The photographs are on the Cheshire Chair page, and we will answer anything the listing leaves out.