High vs. Low: Shaker Style Chairs

Design Within Reach and IKEA offer Shaker-style chairs at two price points.

Design Within Reach's Salt Chair is an attractive, compact dining chair that fits in with the space, no-nonsense Shaker aesthetic. The simple, spindle-backed chair would be at home in either a traditional or a contemporary environment, and as DWR notes on its site, the compact footprint makes this chair an ideal choice for those pressed for space. At $98, it's one of DWR's least expensive seating options.

While the Salt Chair is a relatively good deal, cheap-chic Ikea offers a simple simple dining chair for a mere $40. Like the Salt chair, the OLLE chair is made from beech and painted with a lacquer finish. However, IKEA's spin on this classic style is available in three colors (black, red and white). With fewer spindles and a wider backrest rail, the OLLE has a more modern feel and a less elegant silhouette than the Salt Chair.

Salt Chair, $98, Design Within Reach
OLLE chair, $40, IKEA

Read more posts about high vs. low furnishings:
- A $300 blanket for $20
- Red and white upholstered arm chairs.