Commercial Solid-Wood Chairs for Restaurants, Hotels and Aged Care: Joints, Timber and Finishes

A solid-wood frame chair for a restaurant, hotel or aged care project should be quoted as a complete construction, not chosen by appearance alone. The timber, the joints, the seat, the finish and the test evidence all belong to the chair the project approves, and each should be written down before a factory prices it.

FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers. Send the schedule, drawings or reference images, quantities, finish and seat requirements and the project location, so we can compare the same specification line by line.

Product scope

• Dining chairs and side chairs with a solid-wood frame for restaurants, cafés and hotel dining rooms
• Armchairs and carver chairs with a solid-wood frame for dining and day rooms
• Chairs with a timber seat, a woven or cane seat, or an upholstered seat
• Stackable and non-stackable timber-frame chairs, where the design allows
• Chairs for aged care dining and common rooms, where the operator sets the seat and arm needs

Chairs, tables, booths and upholstered seating come from different production lines. We place each product with a factory that runs the relevant line and keep the approved construction tied to that model.

What to specify before requesting quotes

Schedule field	What to record
Item code and quantity	One code per chair type, with the quantity per site or per phase.
Timber	The species the design requires, written the same way on every drawing, and an approved sample showing the grain and colour range accepted.
Joints and frame	How legs, rails, back posts and seat frame are joined, and any reinforcement. Ask the factory to describe it in writing for the model quoted.
Seat	Timber, woven, cane or upholstered; for an upholstered seat, the foam and covering references.
Finish	Stain, lacquer or oil with a sample and a finish code; the cleaning method the operator will use.
Dimensions	Overall width, depth and height, seat height, seat depth and arm height where fitted, drawn against the tables or furniture the chair will sit with.
Floor protection	Glide or foot type for the floor finish at the venue.
Evidence required	The test report or declaration the project specification asks for, with its edition, for the model offered and the destination named.
Packing	Whether chairs ship assembled, knocked down or flat-packed, how many chairs go in a carton and how cartons are marked by item code.

The table is a checklist. Add a line for anything your project needs that is not listed, such as a fixing detail or a spare allowance.

Joints decide how a chair behaves in service

In a venue where a chair is used all day, joints and frame construction matter more than the surface. Two chairs that look the same in a photograph can be built differently inside. Ask each factory to describe the joint construction for the exact model, to show the corner and joint area on the sample, and to state in the quotation any reinforcement used. Compare the answers line by line, not by the headline price.

Timber and finish: approve the range, not a single piece

Solid timber varies in grain and colour from piece to piece. Agree the range of variation the project accepts and approve a finished sample in the finish proposed, because a stain or lacquer looks different on a finished chair from a small colour card. Record who approved the sample and when, and refer to the sample code in the order. If the designer changes the timber later, treat it as a new item and approve a new sample.

Seats: timber, woven or upholstered

The seat is where most of the cost and most of the wear sit. For an upholstered seat, state the foam and covering references and who supplies the fabric; our guide to commercial sofas and upholstered lounge chairs explains the upholstery fields. For a woven or cane seat, ask the factory to show the weave and edge finishing on a sample. For aged care, ask the operator how the seat will be cleaned before the covering is chosen.

Name the rules in the specification

The rules that apply to a chair depend on the destination, the building and the item. Timber, finishes, upholstered seats and fire requirements can each fall under different requirements in different markets. Name the requirement in the specification and ask each factory what evidence it can provide for the exact model offered. Our United States, Australia and New Zealand and United Kingdom and European Union compliance pages explain how we approach the main rules. Your specifier decides what applies to your project.

What to request from the factory

• A drawing or product sheet for each item code that matches the schedule.
• A written description of the joint construction and any reinforcement.
• The timber, seat and finish references, with sample codes.
• Evidence the specification asks for, issued for the model offered and the destination named.
• A packing description, including whether chairs arrive assembled, knocked down or flat-packed, and how cartons are marked.
• A statement of any proposed substitution, so that the designer can approve it before production.

Send the schedule, drawings and quantities together using our FF&E schedule checklist, and read our guide to samples, finishes and approvals for the approval sequence. For the wider restaurant package, see public area and restaurant furniture and, for care settings, aged care and healthcare furniture. Our case studies show projects we have managed.

FBM Furniture is the furniture-focused team of FBM Sourcing, which manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. FBM Sourcing’s guide to commercial dining chair sourcing routes sets out the wider supply side. Our minimum order is a full container; items from several factories can share one container.

Frequently asked questions

What should a commercial solid-wood chair specification include?

Name the timber species the design requires, the joint construction, the seat type, the finish with an approved sample, the dimensions, the quantity and the destination. Add the test report the project requires, with its edition, so every factory quotes the same chair.

Which joints should we ask the factory to describe?

Ask for the joints between legs, rails, back posts and seat frame, and for any reinforcement such as corner blocks or metal fixings. Joints carry the load in a chair that is used all day, so they belong in the written quotation, not only in a catalogue photograph.

Can the same chair be made in a different timber?

A change of timber changes appearance, weight, finish absorption and sometimes the structure. Treat it as a new item: ask for a new finished sample and a new approval before production.

Do solid-wood chairs for aged care differ from restaurant chairs?

The use differs. An aged care chair may need arms, a seat height and a cleaning method set by the operator. State those needs on the schedule and ask the factory to confirm each one on the sample.

How does FBM Furniture charge for chairs?

For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and your team is welcome to attend.