Why Vintage Dining Chairs Are One Of The Smartest Things To Thrift

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you live in an area with loads of thrift stores, you know how tempting they are. I personally could (and often do) spend entire days roaming from one to another, browsing and scooping up treasures at a fraction of the original prices. And there's an even more valuable level of thrifting that goes beyond bargain hunting — the subtle art of spotting genuine period furniture, including vintage dining chairs. Sometimes the "value" lies in it being an antique, vintage, or collectible chair, yet it goes beyond that. Sure, you could restore and resell ones with monetary value, but it's even more thrilling to bring these treasures into your own home.   

Vintage dining chairs are far more than just secondhand furniture. They're a chance to embrace core components of design — quality craftsmanship, individual style, earth-friendly sustainability, and value — while creating a charming aesthetic unavailable at mainstream stores. Furniture from earlier periods is more likely to feature sturdy, high-quality materials like solid hardwoods. Often, they come with beautifully hard-carved details, brass accents, tapered legs, or other touches elusive to mass production. And the thrilling hunt alone can unleash creativity while saving those dining chair gems from landfills.

Unlike other thrift-store treasures, like affordable kitchen decor, you'll need a bit of luck to find true vintage dining chairs. You'll also be developing an eye for high-quality finds and honing your own personal sense of style. Here are a few ideas for finding and maximizing your vintage dining chair pursuits. 

Vintage dining chairs can be one of the smartest things to thrift, but only if they're structurally sound. If you find something that creaks, wobbles, or feels unstable, it's likely poorly constructed or has excessive wear and tear. Check the joinery components, which are the areas where wood pieces connect. Instead of nails, glue, or staples, true vintage pieces often have what's known as mortise-and-tenon connections with carved slots and tabs. They create strong binding with clean aesthetic appeal. 

Hardwoods such as maple, oak, walnut, or teak last much longer than particle board, MDF, or plywood. Also, inspect the chairs for signs of laminate and veneer surface coverings, which can have scratching, warping, or peeling in the corners. Flip each one sideways or peek underneath the seat — you may be able to spot unfinished areas revealing the materials. 

As long as the dining chair has "good bones," as the saying goes, upholstery doesn't matter quite as much. Many retro chairs have fabric seat-backs or cushions or even vinyl coverings, as was common in homes and restaurant design seating of the 1950s and '60s (such as these replica mid-century modern dining chair designs available from Amazon). Whatever the fabric, it's tempting to retain or patch up original upholstery, but remember that having it reupholstered is relatively easy and affordable. If you've fallen in love with the original vintage fabric and do plan to keep it, check for rips, stains, odors, or sun damage. And be sure to feel the cushioned areas to determine whether the padding underneath needs replacing.

So you've snagged the perfect vintage dining chairs, structurally sound with retro design features. But maybe it needs a decorative boost for visual appeal and pizzazz. Here's where it gets really fun. Over the years, I've carted many a thrifted dining chair into my 100-year-old home, knowing each one had great potential for complementing period architecture and nostalgia of days gone by. With that said, they needed some help.

Fortunately, vintage dining chairs allow DIY experimenting without major time or money investments — just some simple, affordable supplies from local home-improvement stores. As long as the chair frame is solid, you can sand, stain, paint, or decoupage for throwback or modern appeal. Color is the most straightforward and transformative tool you can utilize. Go bold, textured, glossy, multi-toned, or soft-and-sweet. And unlike other kitchen trends, changing your mind doesn't break the bank. 

Just sand down all the wood portions of the chairs and paint or stain them to your preference. Then leave them as is, paint/stencil artsy patterns, or consider the timeless throwback art of decoupage. This crafty "everyman's art" form existed centuries ago but found a niche in 1960s Americana. It's much simpler than it sounds, since there are no set design rules. Pick up some decoupage glues at a craft store and collect interesting strips or cutouts from magazine pages, greeting cards, fabrics, wrapping paper, wallpaper, or even book pages. Strategically place them on wooden chair parts, and be sure to follow standard decoupaging procedures. You'll end up with showcase-worthy dining art like no other.