The dining room table and chairs are a long-term investment. You need a high-quality, durable, and comfortable dining set to enjoy most of your meals and family time.
According to statistics, kitchen and dining furniture are one of the most significant furniture segments, with a revenue of US$81 billion in 2021. On average, a dining chair can cost between $100-$400. Some luxury brands like Theodore Alexander also sell a single chair for 1000$.
If comfort and luxury are your priority, there is no end to spending on a piece of furniture. But the question is, what features make dining chairs so expensive? Factors like high-quality wood, functional design, intricate woodwork, and upholstery make a dining chair worth spending.
So if you want to know more about high-quality dining room chairs, read further. This article will give you an insight into why dining chairs are so expensive. We will also discuss factors you must consider before buying one for yourself.
JUMP TO: Reasons Why Dining Chairs Are Expensive | Buying Guide | Machine Made Vs. Homemade Furniture | Bottomline
Key Takeaway
- The high-quality material and labor can increase the cost of dining chairs.
- Covid 19 has impacted the furniture industry and the manufacturing of furniture.
- Designer furniture is more comfortable, practical, and functional, but it is also expensive.
- Woodworking and its tools also play a significant role in raising the prices of dining chairs.
- You can look thrift stores and auctions for high-quality, budget-friendly dining chairs.
Reasons Why Dining Chairs are so Expensive
Material
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The most common materials for manufacturing high-quality dining chairs are Teak or Cedarwood. These materials provide a charming appearance and durability to the furniture. However, it also increases the overall price of the chair.
In addition to this, another critical factor is the overall increase in the cost of lumber. According to fortune, the price of lumber per thousand board feet has remarkably increased to $1,188. It is an extremely high price that has shot up 232% since covid-19.
If you do not wish to spend a fortune buying dining chairs, you can also opt for engineered wood like particle board and MDF. These materials are lower in cost and quality than hardwood furniture.
Similarly, chairs made from maple or beech wood are also a good option. These chairs can work well for a while, but they will lack the durability and sturdiness of good material.
Fact: You can get a Cedar wood decking board from $4-$9 per linear foot compared to Australian cypress in $2 board feet.
Functional Design
Designer furniture is way more expensive than machine-made furniture available in the market. It is because the designer brand is selling its patent designs created after a lot of hard work and consideration of several factors.
You will find designer furniture more comfortable, practical, and durable. In contrast, factory-made furniture lacks functionality, comfort, uniqueness, and creativity.
Designer furniture is custom-made and handcrafted, making it more valuable than machine-made mass-produced furniture. In a nutshell, the more effort and time you put into creating a piece of furniture, the more expensive it gets.
Woodwork
Dining room chairs take more time to manufacture than cabinets or drawers. It is because they don’t involve right angles and require more carving. In addition, a high-quality chair uses mortise and tenon joints to keep the chair legs sturdy and stable. The carving of this joint requires an intermediate-to-advanced level of craftsmanship, resulting in a higher price.
Did you know?
The Mortise and Tenon joints are one of the strongest and oldest types of joints in woodworking, dating back to 7,000 years.
Woodworking Tools
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Building handmade furniture is impossible without the right set of woodworking tools. Essential instruments like hand saw power saws, routers, sanders, and planes are necessary to build the basic structure of a dining chair.
It would help if you also had other high-end tools for adding upholstery and giving the finishing touch to the chair and dining table.
Undoubtedly, high-quality furniture requires the most sophisticated woodworking machinery on the market. These tools are high in price and efficiency and provide the ultimate luxurious feel to the dining room furniture.
Inflation
You must live under a rock if you haven’t been infected by inflation. Supply shortages, Covid 19, and higher costs of raw materials have spiked the prices of everything in the world.
It has also affected the home remodeling and designing industry. According to the latest consumer price index, the prices of household furnishing have spiked up 1.6% from month to month. Inflation has affected the cost of material, labor, fabric, and overall furniture price.
Picture Courtesy: fred.stlouisfed.org
Impact of Covid 19
Covid 19 is a global pandemic that has affected every industry. Social distancing and lockdowns have also affected business sales. People also opt for more online shopping as it is flexible rather than physically buying products.
The furniture manufacturers also faced various difficulties, like the high shipping cost of containers and materials for manufacturing. The production is also affected by the unavailability of staff and social distancing.
Subsequently, consumers buying budget-friendly machine-made furniture has also affected the designer furniture market.
Interesting Fact: During the initial days of covid 19, over 7.9 million people were left unemployed due to business closure or downsizing.
Quality of fabric for upholstery chairs
The fabric of your dining chairs determines their overall class and sophistication. High-quality dining chairs use fine fabric for upholstery like silk or perigold.
These fabric emits class and provides incredible comfort while sitting. However, you can also use other low-cost materials like cotton, acrylic, and polyester.
The fabric for upholstered chairs can drastically impact their price and, subsequently, their overall look.
Fun fact: Due to its beauty and luxurious look, silk was a favorite material among Romans, and they associated it with being noble and wealthy.
Transportation and Storage
High-quality furniture needs more protection and a suitable storage facility. To keep its appearance and woodwork intact, the dining room furniture such as dining tables and chairs requires special conditions and high-quality wrapping.
The storage and transportation of the furniture also make its price go high.
Foam Quality
The foam quality is another factor that determines the cost of the dining chairs. In most chairs, the foam density is somewhere between 1.5 – 2.5.
Opting for higher quality and density polyurethane foam will also add up to the overall price of the dining chair.
Overall Expenditure
Luxury brands determine their furniture prices by calculating their overall expenditure.
It is mostly five times more than the manufacturing cost.
Factors like inventory, showroom, warehouse space, employee sales commissions, delivery vehicles, and freight costs also play a part. Even if they sell the furniture at 50% off, they still like to keep 2.5% above the manufacturing cost to meet all other expenses.
These additional factors also raise the price of dining chairs.
Picture courtesy: Pakmail.com
Factors to Keep in Mind for Buying Budget-Friendly Dining Chairs?
As a buyer, you must know clever tips and tricks to buy high-quality furniture at relatively lower prices. Honestly speaking, you should consider purchasing superior-quality dining chairs as a long-term investment. It is because they will last for a lifetime.
Cheap dining chairs or low-quality furniture seems like a budget-friendly idea, but it is not a feasible option for a long time.
Look for Alternate Materials.
You can find dining chairs of different materials and choose the one that suits your budget the most. If you cannot afford an expensive material, go for medium-quality material with a good finish.
You can also go for plywood, MDF, wood plastic composite, or bamboo chairs. You can even mix and match different materials in the dining set to create a complete out-of-the-box look.
Do Not Opt for Designer Furniture.
Designer furniture is expensive for a reason. It involves professional expertise, careful inspection, and delicate craftsmanship.
If you cannot afford an expensive piece of dining chair, do not go for designer furniture. You can opt for standard Machine made furniture and decorate your home accordingly.
Picture Courtesy: drivenbydecor.com
Go for Machine Made Furniture.
Handmade furniture is custom-made and requires more effort and labor than Machine made furniture. The carvings, cuts, and intricacy of handcrafted furniture are unmatchable.
You can choose the dining chairs according to your budget. The right kind of Machine made furniture can also make your dining area look elite and classy.
Related Read: Stool Vs Chair-Explained With 6 Key Differences
Search for Second-hand Furniture
If you love designer furniture but cannot afford its hefty price, go for second-hand furniture. It is a cheaper way to buy high-quality furniture. Furthermore, you can get good deals on other furniture items and save time and money.
You can try marketplaces like next door, Facebook marketplace, estate sales, Craigslist, thrift stores, and auctions to get the best items at the most affordable prices.
Difference between Machine Made and Handmade Furniture
Machine-made vs. handmade furniture is a never-ending debate. Indeed handmade furniture is far superior and high in quality, but the hefty price tag makes it an unsuitable option for most buyers.
Here is a quick overview of the difference between the two types of furniture.
| Handmade furniture | Machine made furniture |
| Uses High-quality wood | Usually made out of MDF and engineered wood. |
| Often requires more skill and time for woodworking | Machines mostly do the work and don’t require much human effort. |
| More durable and long-lasting | MDF can swell up by moisture exposure; similarly, you can expect mild wear and tear within a few years of use. |
| Easy to repair | The engineered wood is hard to repair and often needs replacement. |
| Unique and one-of-a-kind | The factory-produced furniture is mass-produced. |
Bottomline
Several factors add up to the price of dining chairs. Honestly, designer furniture’s classy appearance and unmatchable comfort make it all worth it.
If you can spend on a good piece of furniture, go for it; otherwise, there are several other least expensive options available in the market to make a choice easier for you.
