My Review of the Restoration Hardware Vintage French Cane Back Chairs

I had been on the market for dining room chairs for years but never committed to a purchase. This was because none of our local shops carried chairs that I was truly excited about. I was hesitant to purchase online as I viewed this as a significant purchase. I wanted the chairs to be comfortable, stylish, and exactly the right colour. This post contains my review of the Restoration Hardware Vintage French Cane Back Chairs.

We are lucky to own a beautiful farmhouse table that could be paired with any number of different chair styles. Some of the styles I’ve considered over are white slipcovered Parsons chairs, distressed white metal industrial-style chairs, and French-style chairs. However, I kept coming back to the French style cane-back chairs and my Pinterest boards are there to prove it! I adore the elegant lines, the airiness and textural interest of the cane backs, and I love the white finish.

Please note, I am not affiliated with Restoration Hardware in any way and this review is completely unbiased.

The Restoration Hardware French Cane Back Chairs

This dining chair comes in two styles- armchairs and side chairs (counter/bar stools are also available). We purchased 6 side chairs and 2 armchairs. For the armchairs, I chose upholstered backs to add a little variety to the space. I adore having end chairs that are somehow distinguished from the side chairs. Note that these chairs also come in a square back version, which are a little more masculine and modern.

These chairs come in five wood finishes. They are burnt oak, weathered oak drifted, brown oak drifted, black oak drifted, and distressed white oak. There are numerous seat upholstery fabrics and fabric colour options. I chose the distressed white oak option with “sand” Belgian linen upholstery.

Chair dimensions: Overall: 19 ¾” W by 24” D by 40” H, Seat: 19 ¾” W by 18 ¾” D by 19 ¾” H

Restoration Hardware Money Saving Tips

• It’s almost always worth it to become a member for $100 because you save 25% on regularly-priced items and 20% on sale items.
• Buy when there’s a sale. Luckily, RH often has sales throughout the year and it’s definitely worth it to wait. Sometimes there will be department-wide sales (like the fall lighting sale). Also, they usually list sale items at the bottom of each home decor category. Sometimes these are items that they are planning to discontinue.
• Purchase in-stock finishes, which are often significantly less expensive than the custom-order fabrics. Additionally, these items are usually delivered much sooner. The white finish paired with the sand-coloured Belgian linen was the lowest-priced option. I was initially interested in another fabric, but it was 50% more expensive than the sand linen fabric.

History of the Cane Back Chair

Caned furniture is an ancient style of furniture, dating back thousands of years. For example, a cane bed from 1323 BC was found in an Egyptian tomb. Cane is sourced from the outer skin of the rattan stalk (a vine-line plant from the palm family), native to Asia and Africa. This material is durable and light and can withstand heat and humidity. Cane furniture reached Holland, England and France in the 1660’s and it became very popular in the 19th century. It remains an iconic staple of the British Colonial style. Caned furniture provides a classic, light and airy style that is reminiscent of tropical climates and a more genteel time.

Restoration Hardware provides this description of the chair on their website: “We’ve reproduced the classic Louis XVI dining chair with a light and airy caned back, a version of the chair popular during the French Colonial period. Updated in relaxed fabrics and casual finishes, our solid oak chair features a linear arm, nuanced carving and scrollwork, and tapered legs.”

Fun fact

I saw very similar chairs in an episode of Downton Abbey when Mary visits a very posh restaurant in London in the early 1920’s. This was shortly after I purchased these chairs and it somehow affirmed that buying these chairs was the right thing to do! If they’re good enough for Mary, they’re good enough for me (haha).

What Type of Table Should I Pair With the Restoration Hardware Vintage French Cane Back Chairs?

Restoration Hardware carries several tables that would coordinate beautifully with these chairs. You could either choose the same finish for the table and chairs or choose a contrasting finish. Generally, it’s best not to choose two different wood tones, rather, many wood tones look good paired with a painted finish. Since our table was dark wood and I didn’t want to add more dark wood to the space, I choose a white painted finish for the chairs. The contrast is striking and the combination of dark wood and white caning provides that British Colonial reference.

I like that I can change the look and give the space a more French look by covering the table with a linen tablecloth.

My Review of the Restoration Hardware Vintage French Cane Back Chairs

Ordering and Delivery

The online ordering process was very simple. The delivery was quite expensive within Canada but was timely (less than a week) and extremely professional. I was contacted by phone in advance of the delivery to set up a delivery time. The delivery crew arrived within the delivery window provided and were friendly and polite. They unpackaged the chairs, allowed me to examine them, and moved them into our dining room.

Style and Quality

I was worried that the white finish might not be the exact colour I was hoping for as some of the pictures on the RH website showed a slight yellow tinge to the finish. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful white tone of the chair finish when they arrived. The size of the chairs is exactly what I was expecting- generous in size, but not oversized. I find that the chairs are weighty (yet not too heavy) and very stable.

The painted wood finish is lovely, the carved detailing carefully done and the distressing tastefully done. I was also concerned that the sand-coloured linen might be too dark, but it was also exactly what I was hoping for. The Belgian linen is thick and tightly woven and the upholstery work is of high quality.

Comfort

I would say that these chairs are exactly the level of comfort you want in dining room chairs. That is to say, they are very comfortable for sitting in an upright position. They provide good support and a soft cushion to sit on. However, you don’t feel like you’ll get too comfortable and start slouching at the dinner table. The seats are firm but comfortable. I like that the cane backs are curved and have a little give to them, so they are surprisingly comfortable. The only negative I noticed in terms of comfort was that the cane back can catch a little on fine fabric like chiffon. However, we haven’t had a problem with it.

Our two end chairs have upholstered backs and they are even more comfortable. The armrests also have just the right amount of upholstery for comfort. I sit in one of these armchairs to teach piano and help my boys with their violin practice. This totals about 20 hours per week and I have never felt at all uncomfortable.

Durability

We have had these chairs for 6 months now with weekly use and, aside from one issue, they are in pristine condition. There is no sagging of the upholstery, no wear on the upholstery fabric, and no damage to the cane backs. I was worried that that cane backs could be easily damaged, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The one issue we’ve had is some slight cracking of the paint finish. I noticed this at a couple of the wood joints on two of the eight chairs. It doesn’t bother me too much because I think it adds to the weathered look of the chairs. The paint has probably cracked there because of differences in humidity between the manufacturing location and our home. Our home tends to be a little dry especially with our long winters and indoor heating. The cracking occurred after about 2 months and I haven’t seen any additional cracking since then. Therefore, I don’t think there will be further cracking. However, if there is, I will update this post. I don’t think this would happen with any of their stained finishes because stains penetrate the wood, whereas paint sits on the surface.

Value

We purchased these chairs for $300 CAD each (less expensive in the US), so definitely an investment when you multiply by 8. However, this wasn’t as expensive as I thought they might be considering the quality Restoration Hardware is known for. We plan to have these chairs for many years and I’m in love with the style and quality. Most new, high-quality dining chairs will be in this price range anyway. I have to admit I smile every time I see them and can’t quite believe they’re mine! I like having a few splurge pieces in our home, as the majority of our furniture is hand-me-downs or thrifted finds that I have fixed up with a little paint and upholstery.

Although I did look into purchasing an antique version of these chairs, I found that to purchase a set of eight chairs with intact caning was significantly more expensive than the RH chairs.

I hope you have found my review of the Restoration Hardware Vintage French Cane Back Chairs useful. If you are interested in some of my other furniture reviews, please check out My Top 10 Ikea Finds and My Ikea Sofa Review- The New Froslov Sofa.