Mayfair Chair: a 55cm square footprint and a 97cm back

The Mayfair Chair (Lion Knocker/Chrome Legs) is listed at 55 x 55 x 97cm: a square footprint and a back that stands high above most table tops. That combination is the whole character of the chair, and it is also the part people get wrong when they order by photograph. Here is what the figures do in a room, what the listing says about the velvet and the knocker, and what it leaves unanswered.

The figures, exactly as listed

Take 97cm as the overall height, because nothing else in a dining chair reaches it. The other two figures are both 55cm, which is convenient: whichever way round width and depth are meant, the footprint is square. The listing gives no seat height, so you cannot check knee clearance under your own table from the page. Ask for it.

What a 97cm back changes

Most dining tables sit somewhere around three quarters of a metre high, so a 97cm chair back stands well clear of the top. Three things follow from that.

• The chairs become the furniture. Pushed in, you see six upholstered backs rather than a table. That is usually the reason for buying this chair, but it is worth picturing with your own top.
• Check what sits behind them. A low window sill, a wall-mounted radiator, a dado rail or a run of pictures will all be met by the top of the back when the chair is pushed back.
• Check door swing. In a tight dining room, a tall back that is pushed in can still catch the arc of a door or a nearby drawer front.

How many fit along your table

At 55cm wide, allow a little air each side so a chair can be pulled out without shifting its neighbour.

Behind the table, allow about 55cm clear to push a chair back and stand, and nearer a metre where someone has to walk past an occupied seat.

The velvet, the finishes and the detailing

Dark grey or ivory

Dark grey is the forgiving choice round a table that gets used every day. Ivory is the reason to buy the chair and the reason to think twice: the listing gives no cleaning code, no fibre content for the velvet and no mention of removable covers, so there is nothing on the page that tells you how an ivory seat behaves after a spill. If the table takes children or red wine, ask the shop what cleaning the covering will take before you commit to the pale one.

The knocker and the stitched back

The lion knocker sits on the back, which means it only earns its keep where the backs are seen: a table standing away from the wall, or chairs that live in the room rather than tucked under. It is also a hard fitting, so if the chairs get pushed back against plaster, expect to want a little clearance. The listing describes the stitching as giving the back both structure and interest; that is the supplier's description rather than a specification, and no frame or filling detail is given to go with it.

What the listing does not state

• Seat height, seat width and seat depth.
• Frame material and filling.
• Velvet fibre content and any cleaning code.
• Any weight limit.
• Whether the chair arrives built, and whether it is supplied singly or in pairs.

What it sits with

The same lion knocker appears across several ranges, so the choice is really about the shape of the back and the leg finish. The Lewis Chair (Lion Knocker/Chrome Legs) and the Chelsea 01 Chair (Lion Knocker/Chrome Legs) keep the chrome leg; the G-Lewis Chair (Lion Knocker/Gold Legs) swaps it for gold, which is worth seeing against a warm top. Compare them on the Dining Chairs page. Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond.

Measure the table edge, the gap behind it and whatever sits at 97cm on the wall, then choose a finish on the Mayfair Chair page.