| Commercial interior space is at a premium, more | | | | furniture market and is not usually suitable for |
| nowadays than ever before. The cost of a hotel | | | | contract use. Therefore, if buying stacking chairs |
| or restaurant property has risen to the point that | | | | that have been upholstered abroad make |
| every square foot must be utilised to the | | | | absolutely sure you have sight of the FR |
| maximum, bringing in as much revenue as | | | | certification first. |
| possible. One way of helping this process is to be | | | | In recent years many of the most stylish |
| thoughtful in the kind of furniture purchased. Big | | | | wooden chairs have been designed to be |
| items of upholstered furniture like sofas or tub | | | | stackable. Traditional gilt wooden decorative |
| chairs are very comfortable and fine for keeping | | | | backed wedding style chairs can now be |
| customers seated a long time but do not allow | | | | purchased that are stackable to 8 or 10 high. |
| the proprietor to be flexible in the use of his or | | | | Again these usually have an upholstered seat |
| her interior space as they are heavy and | | | | which can be specified to be removable so by |
| cumbersome making them difficult to move. With | | | | buying chairs with extra seats in other colours, |
| a more considered choice of restaurant chairs or | | | | one chair can be offered with different seat |
| hotel chairs and tables one room can serve more | | | | colours to blend in with the bride and groom's |
| than one function and can make the process of | | | | choice of wedding decorations. Another stacking |
| cleaning the room much easier for the staff. For | | | | chair that can perform the function of a wedding |
| example the room can be used for dining during | | | | or restaurant chair are the aluminium framed |
| the week with one type of stacking chair and if, | | | | stacking chairs which while being very similar in |
| for example a customer wants to rent the room | | | | construction to the steel stacking chairs, have a |
| for a wedding or private party then those chairs | | | | visual advantage that come from the way the |
| can be stacked away in a small space and the | | | | tubular aluminium is made. While tubular steel |
| room can be left clear for dancing or other more | | | | starts as flat steel and then is bent longitudinally |
| suitable chairs can be brought in. A good choice is | | | | and welded along the seam resulting in a plain |
| to use stacking chairs combined with either fixed | | | | square tube, the aluminium tube is made by the |
| leg or folding tables. Only a few years ago the | | | | extrusion process where the aluminium, in a semi |
| choice of stacking chairs was very limited, and | | | | molten state, is forced through a shaped form |
| nearly all of the choices comprised steel frames | | | | that means that the tube can be made with a |
| with either a steel or plastic seat and back. The | | | | decorative design running along it's length. When |
| 'Polyprop' chair, designed in the early 1960's by | | | | this type of tube is made into a stacking chair |
| Robin Day for Hille International is the most | | | | frame and painted bright gold it really looks very |
| famous of these early stacking chairs and was a | | | | attractive indeed. These aluminium stacking chairs |
| very attractive simple design that had the main | | | | also have upholstered seats and backs and again |
| benefit of being extremely space efficient, being | | | | it is wise to choose a chair supplier that upholsters |
| stackable vertically up to 15 high without a | | | | them in their own factory premises. |
| problem. These stacking chairs have sold in millions | | | | Many bar and hotel furniture suppliers offer copies |
| since their inception and many halls, conference | | | | of famous 1950's and 60's stacking chair designs |
| centres and cafes still rely on them for their | | | | with simple formed plywood back and seat units |
| customer's daily use. However, as a restaurant | | | | on chrome round tubular steel frames. The |
| chair or hotel chair their plain style make them an | | | | famous Danish designer Arne Jackobsen's series 7 |
| unsuitable choice. Thankfully in recent years hotel | | | | chair is widely produced now in the Far East and |
| and restaurant furniture suppliers have realised | | | | can be purchased in quantity from under £20. |
| that many of their customers need to use their | | | | These chairs are light and attractive although |
| rooms for different purposes at different times | | | | without upholstery they are only comfortable for |
| and so have incorporated many modern designs | | | | sitting a limited time. Other stacking chairs |
| of stacking chairs and stacking tables into their | | | | manufactured in very modern designs are made |
| programme. One of the most economical of | | | | by the injection moulding process where molten |
| these designs uses a steel frame in square | | | | plastic is fired under great pressure into a steel |
| section steel with welded frame and a choice of | | | | mould to form the design. The cost of making |
| back designs in either square or rounded shape. | | | | the original mould is huge and is a serious |
| These chairs are predominantly coated with either | | | | investment to a manufacturer but once the |
| a gold, black or silver painted finish and have | | | | mould has been created many tens of thousands |
| upholstered seat and backrest. Previously these | | | | of chairs can be made at little cost. With a |
| chair frames were manufactured in the UK but in | | | | worldwide market available, factories in China are |
| the last decade imported frames have become | | | | now using their own or sometimes European |
| available very cheaply and with better and better | | | | designers to create truly beautiful stacking chair |
| quality. | | | | designs that can be marketed cheaply because of |
| Some UK suppliers still upholster the chairs in | | | | the huge sales they can achieve. If you decide to |
| house though, which means that they can offer a | | | | choose one of these injection moulded stacking |
| much wider range of upholstery colours and | | | | chairs it is imperative to ask the supplier for |
| patterns and can use UK manufactured foam | | | | certification as to its suitability in a contract |
| fillings which tend to be of a higher quality than | | | | environment because if it is to be used as a |
| imported ones. Another reason to buy stacking | | | | restaurant chair or hotel chair it will receive far |
| chairs that have been upholstered in the UK is | | | | tougher treatment than in a home environment. |
| that the UK has the most stringent fire | | | | The best certification comes from U.K. testing |
| retardancy regulation for foam and fillings of | | | | laboratories for example FIRA (The Furniture |
| upholstered chairs. A manufacturer in China or | | | | Industry Research Association). These people |
| Malaysia will supply chairs worldwide and while the | | | | have specialist machinery that give the chairs the |
| buyer can specify that the foam and fabric are | | | | kind of stresses and pressures that they would |
| treated to be fire retardant, their foam filling's fire | | | | receive in a commercial setting and test the chairs |
| resistance is made to a lower level than British | | | | to destruction so that a real understanding of |
| made foam, being targeted at the U.S. home | | | | their suitability for contract used can be achieved. |