Kitchen Dining Chairs Update

I have this not-so-pretty dining room in my kitchen that I have been trying to change up. The first thing on my mind is to replace those upholstered dining rooms that I once liked. They were from InVu Drapery, stylish and super comfortable, but they have too much of a presence. By the way, they are up for sale if anyone is interested. At this time I would prefer dining chairs with a see-through backrest to give the space a more airy look - mostly importantly, I would like to have a straight line of sight from my kitchen island through the French doors into my backyard greenery.

So I have been searching for the right dining chairs. I came across a lot of chairs in vintage style - I love the sturdy construction of the new chairs but they just don't have the same vintage flair I am after. A few weeks ago I came across these gorgeous 1930s antique shield-back chairs from Creighton House Antiques. They are made of mahogany, solid and sturdy as new in mint condition.

Creighton House Antiques is located in a pretty and quaint town called Jordan in the southeast Ontario. Owners are a lovely couple Pauline and Joe who have been in antique business for over 30 years. They have a ton of knowledge to share with their customers and help them with the right purchase decisions.

At the end of the visit I took home four of these babies.

They are now with Paint-it-Like-New! for a few coats of creamy white makeover. 

I am still debating which upholstery fabric to use but I think they have the "real potential" to look like this.

At Home in Arkansas via Decorpad

Or this.

The Every Girl Erin Gates Interiors

Or how about the fun faux ostrich leather vinyl? I am really digging it for some reason these days. Vinyl upholstery seems to be appropriate for a busy kitchen dining room. All the mess we make could likely be gone with an easy wipe away. I am however a bit skeptical about the comfort and the look of vinyl - after all, the last time vinyl was popular was in the dreadful décor era of the 80's.

Another option is to also upholster the shield back. Samantha Pynn made over the same chairs in a similar fashion. I really like how it turns out, but I love the shield back detail too much to cover it up. 

1stdibs

A simple seat upholstery in a high-contrast fabric like this is probably what I will do.   

His and Hers blog

So how do you like the shield back chairs for my kitchen dining room? Are you like me who often prefer upcycling antique furniture to buying new?