Christina Hall's Dining Room Chairs Are Stunning, But Are They Actually Practical?

Oh, the conundrum of stark white furniture. It looks so sharp, classy, and sophisticated, but it poses so many risks for regular people who don't live within the pages of interior design magazines. A perfect example of white furniture that looks gorgeous but brings up major questions of practicality was recently posted by HGTV's Christina Hall on Instagram. The post featured photos from an episode of "Christina on the Coast" in which Hall transformed the home of her parents, incorporating fully upholstered white dining chairs. Is this a realistic choice for an eat-in kitchen? We asked interior designer Erika Dale. Her answer? It depends. Individual factors ranging from lifestyle to design style to fabric quality can all weigh in.

If you've ever thought about taking a risk on upholstered white furniture to get that magazine-ready look — especially in a food-centered area of your home — consider this expert take on the matter first. Dale didn't hold back when exclusively sharing her opinion of Hall's dining chair choices with House Digest, along with an abundance of helpful tips and tricks for choosing the right chairs for your own dining room. Have your heart set on white (although all-white home decor may be going out of style)? She's got practical advice for that too. 

When it comes to upholstered white chairs in a dining space, Erika Dale's stance is that details and context matter. "Christina Hall's selection of fully upholstered white dining chairs are certainly gorgeous ..." she conceded in her exclusive interview with House Digest. "However, unless these are made of a stain-resistant performance fabric, they could be a risky choice for what looks like the main eating area." 

If this weren't the home's daily go-to dining area, Dale suggested, her assessment might be different. "If this was a formal dining room that barely got used," Dale explained, "you might be able to get away with this look for the occasional dinner party, but for the main dining hub of the home, you are risking spills and stains." Of course, formal dining rooms are a thing of the past in most circles.  

The expert also shared her opinion on the high-armed barrel shape of the chairs Hall chose, referring to them as "fantastic for a dining room" and "very comfortable for your guests." The full upholstery, however, is a red flag for this designer, even aside from the white color. "Anything fully upholstered is at risk for wear and tear, especially for families with children," she cautioned. The same, of course, goes for pets, many of which tend to be known for hopping up on your most delicate piece of furniture immediately after running through the mud or visiting the litter box. 

When it comes to colors that are stylish but can also effectively hide stains, Erika Dale recommends salt-and-pepper, charcoal, dark greens, and navy blues. However, this expert understands that in some cases, practicality just isn't your first concern when you have a vision that you love for your living space. "Sometimes the heart just wants what the heart wants," in her words. In this case, Dale suggests spending the extra money on a stain-resistant performance fabric to ensure that your fabulous, pricey white (or light-colored) chairs won't end up going to waste when stains won't come out.

"Opt for chairs upholstered in a hydrophobic performance fabric," she advised House Digest readers exclusively, "which will repel liquid and give you time to clean up inevitable spills." Basically, it's easier to prevent stains than it is to remove them from full upholstery. Dale also pointed out that high-armed chairs, like the ones Christina Hall chose for her parents' dining room, may rub against your tabletop, leaving visible signs of wear on upholstery. "Double-check the arm height with the clearance height of your tabletop to ensure the arms are not rubbing on the underside," she advised. Of course, if you're really in love with the chairs, you could always replace the table instead. 

With this expert advice guiding you, choosing the best type of dining room chairs for you should be a cinch — whether they are inspired by Christina Hall's design choices or not.