Colonial dining chairs — solid-wood heritage seating, built for export.
Turned legs, tall caned or carved backs and honest solid-wood joinery — the British- and Dutch-colonial look manufactured in sheesham, mango and teak, to your design or ours, and shipped import-ready from a single container up.
A heritage profile that was born in Indian rosewood workshops.
The colonial dining chair is defined by its details: turned or gently tapered legs, a tall back of slats, spindles or hand-woven cane, a stretcher-braced frame, and a solid, squared seat. It is the look the British and Dutch trading eras carried out of India — and it has always been cut from the dense tropical hardwoods those workshops worked in. Building it in Jodhpur, on genuine solid-wood credibility, means the style is made the way it was meant to be: real sheesham, real joinery, no veneer over panel.
Sheesham — the authentic wood
Dense, close-grained Indian rosewood holds a turned leg and a caned back the way the colonial style demands.
Explore sheesham wood
Mango — the value alternative
Lighter, open-grained and fast-growing — a cost-advantaged colonial chair for high-rotation retail ranges.
Explore mango wood
Caned, carved or upholstered
Hand-woven cane backs and seats, carved crest rails, or a drop-in fabric or leather pad — your spec.
See all dining-chair stylesSolid hardwood, kiln-dried for the voyage and the shelf.
A colonial chair lives or dies on its legs and back — the parts under the most load and the most visible. We cut them from solid wood, never panel or veneer, and kiln-dry to export moisture levels so joints stay tight through a sea voyage and a dry retail floor. Pair the chairs with a matching dining table in the same wood for a complete colonial set in one load.
Sheesham
Indian rosewood — dense, hard-wearing, deeply figured. The traditional colonial choice; CITES-compliant handling of Dalbergia sissoo as standard.
Mango
Open-grained and lighter, with a warm honey tone. A cost-advantaged option for large, price-sensitive retail programmes.
Acacia
Rich tonal variation and strong grain movement — characterful for premium colonial ranges and distressed finishes.
Teak
Naturally oily and stable — the premium wood for heritage ranges and chairs destined for conservatories or covered patios.
Standard colonial dining-chair dimensions and build options.
Indicative guidance for planning covers and container loads. Every dimension, wood, finish and seat type is made to order — share your drawings for an exact OEM specification.
| Attribute | Typical range / options |
|---|---|
| Seat height | 45–48 cm (18–19 in) dining height |
| Overall height | 95–105 cm — tall colonial back is characteristic |
| Seat width / depth | 44–50 cm wide · 42–48 cm deep |
| Woods | Sheesham · mango · acacia · teak |
| Legs | Turned or tapered solid wood, stretcher-braced |
| Back style | Slatted · spindle · hand-caned · carved crest rail |
| Seat type | Solid wood · hand-woven cane · drop-in upholstered pad (fabric / leather) |
| Finishes | Natural · honey · walnut / dark stain · distressed · lacquer (CARB / TSCA-compliant) |
| Assembly | Fully assembled or knockdown / flat-pack (RTA) |
| Customisation | ODM catalogue designs · OEM to your drawings · private label |
Dimensions are indicative for export planning; confirmed specs are issued per order. Chairs can be flat-packed to raise the piece count per 20ft / 40ft container.
The style that works from farmhouse retail to heritage hotels.
The colonial dining chair carries across channels. It anchors warm, traditional retail assortments and farmhouse ranges; it suits heritage hotels, colonial-themed restaurants and clubs that want authentic solid-wood seating; and its recognisable profile photographs well for online sellers. We build to the use: a boxed pair for e-commerce, a repeat retail programme, or a full hospitality fit-out with matched tables and benches.
Care & after-sale
Colonial chairs ship with a care note for buyers: wipe with a dry or barely-damp cloth, keep away from standing water and direct heat, and re-oil or wax natural finishes periodically to feed the wood. On knockdown builds, check and re-tighten the leg and stretcher fixings after the first few weeks of use. Hand-caned seats and backs benefit from occasional ambient humidity to stay taut, and upholstered drop-in pads are spot-cleaned per the fabric specification. We supply replacement hardware and finish details on request to support your own warranty terms.
Import-ready paperwork on every colonial chair.
We document FSC chain-of-custody, Vriksh timber-legality and CITES-compliant sheesham handling, and we build our due diligence around the EU Deforestation Regulation — geolocated and deforestation-free — so your container clears while others' wait. US Lacey Act support, UK Timber Regulation, CARB / TSCA finishes and ISPM-15 packing are covered as standard.
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | Trial / sample LCL · then 1× 20ft FCL for best pricing |
| Lead time | 30–45 days typical · urgent at premium |
| Incoterms | FOB / CIF · ex Mundra / Nhava Sheva |
| Consolidation | Mixed with colonial tables, benches & other furniture |
| Packing | ISPM-15 heat-treated · flat-pack to maximise density |
| Design | ODM catalogue · OEM to drawings · private label |
What importers and hospitality buyers ask us.
What is a colonial dining chair?
A colonial dining chair is a solid-wood heritage seat defined by turned or tapered legs, a tall slatted, spindle or hand-caned back, and a stretcher-braced frame — the British- and Dutch-colonial look that originated in Indian rosewood (sheesham) workshops. We build it in sheesham, mango, acacia and teak, with carved or plain detailing, as ODM catalogue designs or OEM to your drawings.
Which wood is best for colonial dining chairs?
Sheesham (Indian rosewood, Dalbergia sissoo) is the traditional and most authentic choice — dense, close-grained and strong enough for the turned legs and caned backs the style demands. Mango offers a lighter, more affordable alternative with open grain, acacia gives rich tonal variation, and teak suits premium and indoor-outdoor ranges. All are solid wood, kiln-dried and CITES-compliant where sheesham is used.
Can colonial dining chairs ship flat-pack to cut freight?
Yes. We engineer colonial chairs as knockdown / flat-pack (RTA) with bolt-together legs and stretchers, which lowers freight cost and transit breakage and raises the piece count per container — ideal for importers and online sellers. Fully assembled builds with glued-and-pegged joinery are also available.
Are your colonial dining chairs suitable for hotel and restaurant use?
Yes. For contract projects we reinforce joinery with corner blocks and through-tenons, specify commercial-grade finishes, and match seat caning or upholstery to heavy-traffic ratings. Build spec, wood, finish and seat type can be held consistent across a full restaurant, café or hotel fit-out.
Are your colonial dining chairs compliant for import into the US and EU?
Yes. We document FSC chain-of-custody, Vriksh timber-legality and CITES-compliant sheesham handling, and we are EUDR-ready with geolocation and deforestation-free due diligence. We support US Lacey Act declarations, UK Timber Regulation, CARB / TSCA formaldehyde-compliant finishes and ISPM-15 heat-treated export packing.
Can you make matching colonial dining tables and benches?
Yes. Colonial dining chairs can be ordered as a coordinated range — matching dining tables, benches and sideboards in the same wood, finish and turned-leg profile — so a complete colonial dining set ships in one consolidated, compliant container.
Send your designs or shortlist ours — we'll quote FOB/CIF with MOQs and lead times.
Request a sample to approve the wood, finish and caning before you commit to a container, or download the catalogue to brief your buying team.