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From weddings and corporate parties to children’s parties, seating drives the design. Events are hosting larger numbers of guests, and for both large and small gatherings, there is a trend toward more seating options. Seating charts are changing, too—all to deliver a superb guest experience.
Coast-to-coast trends
With new options and approaches, one timeless chair—the Chiavari—is still popular, and possibly overdone. Any Occasion™ Tents & Events in Houston, Texas, and Vivant Rentals of Tampa, Fla., continue to see clients reach for the Chiavari.
Lynne Brace, co-owner with Kelley Walters of Any Occasion, says, “It’s a classic look for weddings and a safe default to choose.”
“I’d like to see the Chiavari with a fresh look that has a more elevated feel,” says Lindsay Seel, owner and designer of Vivant Rentals. “It is a classic chair that deserves an updated, high-end look.”
On the West Coast, however, interest in the Chiavari is “muted,” says Phil Heidt, group vice president of CORT Party Rental in Everett, Wash.
Seating made from steel has become a popular choice because it is “Earth’s most recyclable material,” according to Barbara Starler, president and CEO, Chameleon Chair Collection® in Los Angeles, Calif. She adds, “But rather than chairs being all gold—although this is still on trend—we now see silver, black or soft bronze included in the design.”
From coast to coast, a natural look and clustered conversational seating areas are trending. Brace and Walters attribute it in part to a lingering influence from the COVID-19 pandemic. As people gathered outdoors, then in comfortable seating, events (small as they were) had a relaxed feel.
“All that influenced a new style,” says Brace. “People want that natural look with a vibe of sitting in a backyard that’s also eclectic, reflects your own personality and is comfortable.”
Chameleon Chair Collection sees another trend to invite conversation: mixing up the seating chart. “Breaking the mold of seating family, friends or company groups together creates enthusiasm and encourages interaction,” says Starler.
Vivant Rentals is seeing a strong interest in supper-club-style seating, which lends itself to intimate conversation. “With supper-club style, imagine cozy seating with a restaurant-style look,” says Seel. “Dining booths and banquettes with curved backs are on trend now.”
She adds, “People may have fallen in love with a restaurant, bar or hotel. Through their event, they hope to create a pop-up experience for their guests that is reminiscent of that place.”
Personalized design elements such as a bow, a metallic ribbon, brooch or a personal memento that reflects the hosts’ personalities also add to the guest experience. “For example, a couple may have met on an island, and they can adorn seating at their wedding with a small reminder of that island to share their memory with guests,” Starler says.
Lounge in luxury
Keeping it neutral provides a subdued backdrop for personality to come through. Pops of color through accent pieces such as pillows and linens pair well with seating’s neutral materials and fabric colors.
“We are seeing black chairs and naturals in chairs more often,” says Heidt. “Natural fiber, light wood, rattan or rope in unique shapes are popular now. We also see brushed gold that mixes well with woods.”
Heidt sees flax, jute and bouclé as trending fabrics. CORT Party Rental calls its bouclé collection the Coco line in homage to Coco Chanel, who made bouclé famous, according to Heidt.
Chameleon Chair Collection sees fabric trends that include patent leather, rich velvets and brocades, and silk and chiffon. Starler says, “Colors range from ivory, black and white for a more traditional aesthetic, while others select vivid colors and floral patterns to integrate their individuality.”
People want small groupings around the dance floor and cocktail areas and an after-party space to relax and talk. It’s a wedding trend that Heidt sees as guests now expect “vignette seating.” “We see loveseats or settees, accent chairs and small side tables that hold a couple drinks,” says Heidt. “They don’t take a lot of space and still allow guests to comfortably feel part of the event.”
Lounge areas provide guests a place for conversation away from the music while maintaining the feel of being at the party. At some weddings, Any Occasion has seen event designers plan a lounge or play area for young guests. “For some weddings, there is a kids’ table for dining, just like at Grandma’s for a holiday dinner,” says Brace.
“Or tables and chairs with coloring books or other activities to occupy children,” adds Walters.
Brace and Walters agree that children’s birthday parties have become as luxe as adult events, with seating that mimics adult chairs. Think miniature Chiavari in pink, blue, red and more.
Momentous and meaningful
The seating drives the design of the whole event, concur Heidt and Seel. “Everything has become more lavish, more high-end home style,” says Heidt. “Rental quality furnishings now are what you’d see in home furnishings.”
Less uniformity builds greater visual interest and creates depth within the event space. It also adds opportunity for event hosts to incorporate more of their personalities.
Mixing the seating design to achieve less uniformity is a trend Any Occasion expects to continue. “For example, at a wedding, the head table may be a long rectangle with one style of seats,” says Brace. “The rest of the event may use a mix of round and rectangular tables, with a different chair style from the head table.”
Starler says, “We see events including two complementary chair-back designs or a mix of covered and uncovered chair backs.”
Statement bars or decorative bar-back shelving, plus bar stools, are becoming more of a focal point at events. “This has shifted seating placement to accommodate more of a lounge area instead of just grabbing a drink and returning to your table,” says Brace.
Unanimously, the experts’ advice is to use event seating to reflect the hosts’ personalities and create the experience hosts want their guests to have.
“I remind clients that the chair they choose will show up in nearly every photo from the event, whether a room shot, a shot of their tablescape or of the first dance,” says Seel. “A lot of visual real estate includes chairs, so it’s important that they’ll be happy with them long after the event.”
Linda McDonald is a freelance writer based in Minneapolis, Minn.
SIDEBAR: Growing inventory, shrinking warehouse space
Twenty years ago, event rental companies carried approximately six different chair styles. Today, demand and design expectations that can stem from Pinterest and other social media sites dictate that their catalogs have an almost unlimited number of options, requiring rental companies to carry a broader selection of inventory than before.
Phil Heidt, group vice president at CORT Party Rental, says, “We watch our turns in inventory against demand and how much warehouse space the seating options take. We have never carried so many chairs as we do now.”
Today, rental companies may add up to eight new chair styles a year, instead of just one or two as in the past. Demand for trending dining items, such as skirted banquettes, elevated dining-chair options and sofas to also use as dining benches, pushed Vivant Rentals into a larger warehouse.
“Couples are trusting our designers to find dining options that look like they come from a high-end furniture store, not a rental company,” says Lindsay Seel, owner and designer of Vivant Rentals.