Dining room chairs dilemma!

For the longest time, I have been searching for a set of dining chairs. I first had my heart set on Louis XVI chairs like these below:



I love these chairs. I searched high and low- ebay, craigslist, you name it. Sadly, in London I cannot find them at an affordable price. I have found a few antique ones here and there, but never a set of six or even four. I found some great reproductions at Restoration Hardware in the U.S., but I cannot get them shipped to London. So, after about a year (yes, almost a year) of searching, I've had to give up on the Louis XVI's and move on. (photos above from "The Well-Dressed Home" by Annette Tatum and Cottage Living Magazine, now out of print)

(photo from Traditional Home)

I'm now getting used to the idea and the practicality of slipcovered upholstered chairs (like these above). I love the slightly rumpled linen look above, and think I could stand them if they were comfortable. Would love to find some. Anyone know where something like these could be found?

And I am quite liking low-backed padded armchairs too. It all started when I sat in some low-backed upholstered chairs at a restaurant recently and found they were just sooo comfortable.
photos above from Decorpad.com. Anyone know the original source?

I'm thinking of adding an upholstered bench to one side of the table, with low-backed chairs, for the ends and the other side. (photo from Cottage Living)




I like these button-back slipper chairs too, however the ones I find are in the pretty high price range (about 600 GBP each). (two photos from Domino and House Beautiful)

(photo: Cottage Living)

I simply threw in this photo because I love this table scene and the rustic upholstered French armchair pictured here. I'd add this armchair to any simple set of chairs because I just like it.

Anyone know of sources in the UK to find chairs like these above (the low-backed armchair style or the slipcovered ones pictured above)? I though it would be simple, but am having the hardest time. Basically I've found that London doesn't have anything like the mid-price yet decent quality furniture sources like Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn or Williams Sonoma (love their dining chairs, though a bit pricey). Sure you can find great European antique chairs here but not in my price range for the types of chairs I would like. I've looked at places like Graham and Green, Oka Home and Sweetpea and Willow and haven't come up w/the look I'm going for. Would love to know of any London furniture sources I'm missing!

I'd also be up for buying in the US from one of the places I've mentioned and having them shipped here - if anyone has a tip on how to do that, I'd be grateful.

Dining room chairs

I've been looking for dining room chairs for the longest time. My table is a very old weathered "farmhouse-type" table of light-colored wood. Currently I have mismatched chairs of darker wood but the look isn't working at all- probably because I don't like the chairs individually.
I love some of the classic Thonet bentwood chairs I've seen recently (those in the 2nd photo of this group are my favorite), however they are so expensive. (photos from domino and the Provence home of this blogger's grandmother)



I've just aquired a set of 4 chairs that look like Tolix chairs- kind of like these above, but with a steel finish, and I'm thinking of painting them. (this photo from coco+kelly)

living etc.

from viva terra

photo from diana vinoly interiors

living etc.

The colorful Eames chairs seem a great match for almost any dining table, but it is a look that has been done to death, I'm afraid! I'm still tempted to use black and white ones. (photos from the home of AB Chao via apartmenttherapy.com; the home of Heather Frazier on apartmenttherapy.com)




These white Bertoia chairs look lovely with this white weathered wood table, especially in such a sunny room! (photo from Jed Johnson)

I like the mismatched look here, but to make it work, I think either everything else in the room needs to be sparse and serene (like this one) or the room should be really spacious. (living etc.)

I also think that the dining chairs matter very little if the kitchen / dining space is this great. (photos: nadia tolstoy's home on apt therapy; domino magazine)