Are the chair seats the type that pop out with four screws or are they more complicated?

The chairs are gorgeous!! I would use leather.

apple_pie, they pop out with four screws. I covered one several years ago as a test and then never finished. And, it was the WORST fabric!

halfpint2 - thank you for the suggestion! My husband wants me to use leather, too. Seriously, I don't even know where to begin looking for that.

I agree with apple pie...use a pleather type fabric until your son grows a little older, you can then cover with leather.

Just read a article on houzz. How to Bulletproof Your Home (I think) it was about what fabric is kid proof, it was full of great ideas.

Has anyone used Sunbrella fabric on their dining room chairs? It could be interesting?

@shakejaebs - Never used on dining chairs but did use it on patio chair cusions and it was fabulous...stayed clean forever with very heavy use. Still looks brand new except or the odd wine stain that I think adds character. ;o)

Leather is sooo boring! There are so many beautiful, stain resistant fabrics that are inexpensive enough that when they are dirty or stained, just redo them...you'll be bored with them by then anyhow.

how about a burnished black leather?

There's a reason the leather lasted 80+ years-- it's the best choice! You can get so many colors, etc that s what I would do. Nothing else will look so good for a long time!

Beautiful BTW!

My vote is fabric. My sister just upholstered her kitchen and dining room chairs with various Sumbrella type fabrics. Her dining room used to seem quite formal and with the fun, vibrant color she selected, it's really updated the room. She wipes up spills from them and thinks the fabric is amazing. They are also fade resistant and now come in so many choices. For the cost to change fabric, plus the time it takes....in 5 years you may be tired of it and want to change it anyway. If you do recover, be sure to speak to someone about the correct padding to use...you want them to look nice and feel full and be comfortable. The attached website has a section on outdoor fabrics just to give you an idea. https://secure.designerfabrics.ca/shop/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=94

You've received some good suggestions; I have nothing to add except that I love your table and chairs. and applaud you for using them everyday. You can't find that sort of quality and charm in today's furniture.

Thanks for all of these responses! I still haven't recovered the chairs. But your renewed interest and input may get me moving again on this project.

Thank you, rainy morning. I'm a big fan of vintage furniture.

The only issue with leather is getting a good grade that will stand up to the sliding off and on without stretching or tearing. I have been so disappointed in shopping for leather, that I actually went to a Harley shop where they had a rack of used leather jackets that have been cleaned for sale...all are suitable for having Harley designs embroidered on the backs, so I just bought a few that were complimentary and cut them up and used them to reupholster some bar stools for a friend. When she heard how I obtained the leather, she actually called the shop, had the seats taken apart and had different Harley emblems embroidered on each stool top. Really looks cool.

This is a beautiful set! If you don't want to go with leather or vinyl, we agree with Reilly, you may want to try an indoor-outdoor fabric. They're super durable. We have a few that may fit in with your design:
http://fabricseen.com/?s=indoor+outdoor&post_type=product&paged=1&post_type=product

If you'd like you can give us a call at 866-475-6907 and we can discuss and send you free samples of any fabrics that may work for you so you can make sure it matches your design. (You can order free samples on the site as well). We have a few vinyls that we can send you samples of too.

i think you should just visit a fabric store and pick out a few samples of fabrics and vinyls, bring them home and go from there....maybe you could try a vinyl for the 4 side chairs (where kids will likely sit) and a coordinating, patterned, durable fabric on the head chairs? the best of both worlds. i am just wondering.....are you looking to play up the antique feel of the chair? or the more modern, fun, bright colored rug? if the rug, I'd consider a wall color change and adding some more modern, elements and wall art to help it to fit in better.

With kids I'd do pleather or Sunbrella and do the leather later.

I like the idea of a tapestry...

The wall color is pulled from the rug and because of the heavily textured plaster and the stained original oak trim, we keep the wall color simple. My house is a mix of antiques and transitional pieces. We're not formal at all. The house itself is an antique - built in 1925. I'm going to start looking into fabric next week. Thank you everyone for your input.

They need to be built up with more padding, leather or vinyl have pro. Do it.

Tapestry would add some color an where well an not show spills have a pro. Upholster do it you won't how much better they will look with thicker rubber on them.

The chairs are really beautiful, and you are so fortunate to have them. I would suggest you contact an upholstery shop and have commercial-grade leather coverings put on the chair seats. It is up to you whether you want to match the original brown leather or go for something more daring like black or cranberry, either of which would look great on the chairs.