BH | Studio Saint-Germain Cross-Back Dining Armchairs, Set of 4

Adding arms to the café chair turned a quick perch into a seat for a long lunch. The cross-back bistro chair took shape in late nineteenth-century Europe, when steam-bent wood allowed backs and arms to curve while staying light and strong, and from the cafés of Saint-Germain in Paris to country kitchens across France, the armed version has long been the natural choice for the ends of a table.

Each of the four armchairs has a warm chestnut finish, a woven rattan seat and an open back of two crossed splats under a shaped top rail. The arms sweep forward in an open curve, set at an easy height for resting an elbow through a long meal, and the tapered, splayed legs are braced by arched hoops for a firm stance. The seats sit at a standard dining height, and the chairs arrive fully assembled.

Four armchairs round a big farmhouse table make long dinners more comfortable, with room to lean back between courses and linger over tea. They look handsome mixed with plain side chairs along the table's length, the armchairs taking the ends, and one can borrow a place at a desk. Chestnut, straw and curved arms suit a traditional dining room with a tiled floor, a long linen cloth, pewter jugs and candlelight. This listing is for a set of four armchairs.