Choosing your dining room chairs can be a daunting task, from figuring out how many chairs will fit at your table to choosing a dining chair that best fits your design style. Today, we’ve decided to highlight one of our favorite chairs—the Tenly Mid Century Modern Black Oak Barrel Back Dining Chair—and share why we love it and how it can be used in several diverse looks. With its clean lines and matte black finish, the Tenly offers maximum versatility:
From casual cool to urban sophisticate to fresh bohemia, this mid-century style chair, inspired by the enduring designs of Paul McCobb, transforms dining spaces. Let’s take a look.
#1. Masculine Rustic Industrial
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The bowed, sculptural build of the Tenly dining chair makes it perfect for sleek, masculine spaces (like the dining room above) with a focus on shape and form.
Notice how you can blend the black wood of the Tenly with warm wood tones and natural elements like greenery or a hide rug. Shop below to complete your look.
#2. Picturesque Summer Dining
Elle Decor
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Whether you’re dining alfresco or you’re designing an area to eat at in a light-filled sunroom, barreled back chairs (like our Tenly) feature smooth contours that are easy on your back and look striking as a silhouette.
They’re super comfortable for spending lots of time at the dinner table eating, drinking, and laughing with friends during a summer dinner party. Like in the photo above, we love pairing our Tenly dining chairs with a reclaimed wood dining table.
#3. Chic Modern Boho
The soft black finish of the Tenly chair adds movement to the wood by highlighting the natural grain of weathered oak and makes this piece a versatile pick that works just as well in a bohemian, global look as it does in an industrial look.
Above, we love how the crisp black-and-whites pieces (like the Tenly) contrast with the washed-out, restrained elegance of the artwork and rug. Is anyone else reminded of our Bohemian Rhapsody lookbook? Need a rug to go perfectly with your Tenly chairs? Shop below!
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#4. Simple Country Getaway
Country Living Magazine
The minimal silhouette and straight, clean lines make the Tenly chair a match for an updated countryside look that cherishes modernity and simplicity while achieving a cozy and comfortable appeal.
Because these chairs truly hold their own, consider using them in an open concept dining space as well. Notice how, in the photo featured above, the black looks sharp and complements the custom cherry wood dining table.
#5. Crisp, Colorful Brownstone
House Beautiful
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When we think of black, barreled-back chairs like the Tenly, it can be easy for the design-driven mind to immediately think industrial. It works, but it’s also expected. Try incorporating the Tenly into a contemporary look instead, and you can achieve something similar to the image above.
We love how the white cabinetry, bold cast-iron table, and opalescent backsplash pop in contrast to the matte black finish of the chairs. Need more ideas to go along with this look? Check out our Harlem Brownstone lookbook.
#6. Kid-Friendly Industrial
The New York Times
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If you read our article on kid-friendly interior design, you may recall that rounded edges and a supportive seat backing are two great features to look out for on chair options. Unsurprisingly, we’re mentioning this here because our Tenly chair, featured above, has these exact attributes.
This factory-inspired dining room looks great but also checks off all the boxes when “functionality is just as important as appearance,” as home owner Brian Faherty said of his dining room shown above in an interview with the New York Times.
