I’m continuing to work on kitchen eat-in area (so far I’ve gotten a new kitchen bench seat and I spruced up our kitchen table with a few coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) and am on the hunt for two Kubu grey rattan chairs for the other side of our table. Not familiar with Kubu? Kubu furniture is created with a woven rattan material that has a gorgeous natural grey color. Kubu chairs bring texture and interest into a dining space and their classic shape and natural color allow them to work beautifully with almost any type of table. They are also very sturdy (a must in our house with a dog and kids!) and can withstand lots of wear and tear. While you might think that rattan chairs would be uncomfortable, most of them are sold with cushions and the backs are shaped in a way that makes them much more comfortable than you’d expect. The look of a dining table with rattan chairs is one that I love:
The World Market Kooboo Chair is no longer available online, but according to the “Kubu Queen”, Joni of Cote de Texas, at least some World Market stores still get them in but they sell so quickly that they no longer advertise them. Another great option at a very reasonable price is IKEA’s BYHOLMA chair. I saw this chair on a recent visit to IKEA and really like the look of it:
If you’re looking for Kubu chairs for outdoor use, Restoration Hardware has a similar all-weather wicker chair named the Provence Side Chair that is made to withstand the elements but it’s a bit on the pricey side.
Another option for simple Kubu chairs is Wayfair’s Boca Kubu Chair (affiliate link),
Which chairs did I decide on? The Handwoven Rattan Side Chairs from Restoration Hardware. They are the perfect size for our space and I like how the rattan continues down to within a few inches of the bottom of the legs, giving the chairs a bit more visual weight. My chairs arrived last week and I’m loving how their texture and natural grey color (they are definitely more grey than they appear online) add decorative interest to what used to be a pretty boring space.
Sandy says
August 7, 2012 at 9:08 amHi! I recently purchases the restoration hardware kubu chairs also. I love the look of them in my kitchen but my husband finds them uncomfortable and keeps banging his heels into the base of the chair. Just wondering how you were finding the chairs?
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
August 7, 2012 at 11:13 pmHi Sandy,
My husband is picky about the comfort of chairs so I dragged him to Restoration Hardware before purchasing them to make sure he was on board – he thought they were comfortable enough and still thinks so after having had them for a few weeks now. When we are at the table, we both tend to stretch out our feet in front of us so neither of us has had an issue with banging out feet into the base of the chair. I never thought about it before, but I could see how someone who is used to tucking their feet under the chair or resting them on a rung under the chair could find the low base annoying… Hopefully your husband will come around because they sure are pretty! 🙂
Sandy says
August 9, 2012 at 3:15 pmI went to look at the Pier1 chairs and they were not as well made as the Restoration Hardware chairs. Thought they might work, since the skirt is higher on the chair. Have you seen Wayfair’s Boca chair in person?
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
August 13, 2012 at 5:22 pmI totally agree – the RH chairs seemed more well made than the Pier1 so I thought it was worth it to spend a few more bucks to get chairs that will last. I haven’t seen the Wayfair chairs in person – since I was happy with the RH chairs and the Wayfair chairs were much more expensive, I didn’t seek them out!
Anonymous says
September 14, 2012 at 8:58 pmHi – I was just wondering if all Kubu wicker is eventually grey in color?? I have seen them both at a high end furniture store and they are on line right now on One Kings Lane and I am ready to buy but they look light brown- not grey at all! If you have the time, I would love to hear from you!
Thanks!
Lisa W
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
September 14, 2012 at 9:25 pmHi Lisa,
The color of the Kubu chairs may fade a bit with time but I wouldn’t buy ones that look light brown thinking that they will eventually turn grey in color. There’s simply a lot of variation in the color of Kubu chairs with some being more brown and others being more grey. I would be hesitant to buy Kubu chairs without seeing them in person if the color tone is important to you. Hope that helps!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
November 3, 2013 at 11:08 pmRestoration Hardware doesn’t have a larger Kubu end chair that matches their side chairs and I don’t know if there are side chairs to match the end chairs in the other photo. I love the look of mixed dining room seating so my recommendation would be to use Kubu side chairs with something different such as upholstered end chairs. Good luck with your project!
Molly Clark says
December 10, 2013 at 8:20 pmCan you please tell me where the white table is from in the pottery barn picture?
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
December 10, 2013 at 9:26 pmMolly, that’s a Pottery Barn table but they no longer carry it. Sorry!
Unknown says
February 1, 2014 at 1:08 pmI purchased 4 Kubu chairs at Pier One and love them but my friend finds them uncomfortable and they didn’t carry pads. Where can I buy the pads that either tie or have a velcro closure as pictured above?
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
February 3, 2014 at 1:18 pmPottery Barn has them but I don’t know if they fit the Pier One chairs or not – you’d have to check the size. Here’s the link: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/jacqueleyne-woven-rattan-dining-chair-cushion
Another option is to add ties to the ones from Pier One – that’s beyond my sewing capabilities but it shouldn’t be that expensive to have someone do that. Good luck!
Cathy B says
March 8, 2014 at 7:40 pmI have the Kubu counter stools from Pier One and they are literally falling apart. They started doing so after just a few months of use. I am also looking for a cushion, not for comfort, but to cover up the holes that have formed from the rattan pieces breaking off. I was wondering if anyone has tried the Pottery Barn cushions or any other that fit the Pier 1 chairs?
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
March 10, 2014 at 9:01 amThanks for giving us some info on the Pier One chairs – that’s so disappointing. Even though you’ve had them longer than the return period, I would try taking them back. It’s ridiculous for chairs to be falling apart after only having them a few months. I’ve had my RH chairs for a year and a half now and they are still holding up really well.
Anonymous says
May 18, 2014 at 9:31 amHi Chris, just wondering – are yiur RH chairs at all scratchy or apt to snag clothing. I had to return pier 1 for that reason after just a few days!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
May 18, 2014 at 11:23 pmI haven’t had any issues with the weave on my RH chairs breaking/cracking and causing issues with scratching or snagging clothing. You’re not alone in having problems with the Pier One chairs – several other people have commented on the same issues!
Anonymous says
June 9, 2014 at 4:21 pmI too have the Kubu chairs from pier one and they are falling apart as well. Just from regular usage. It is upsetting. I am planning to take them back.
Jen C. says
July 14, 2014 at 8:57 amCan you please update this post with a picture of your chairs w/ cushions? I’m thinking of purchasing these same RH chairs but am afraid they won’t be grey enough to match my current rattan host chairs!
Anonymous says
July 20, 2014 at 10:13 pmHi Kris, I see this post was started some time ago, but I could really use your help. I have the RH chairs and am having a cushion made for the built in bench. I want to have matching cushions for the chairs. Did you have the cushions taper from front to back or are they square? Also, did you add ties or will they stay put? I so appreciate any info you can give me!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
July 23, 2014 at 8:43 pmThe cushions do taper a bit from back to front ( they are about 1 1/2″ more narrow at the back of the chair than the front) and have a pretty straight edge in the front and curved edge at the back. I didn’t have any ties put on mine because I wanted a clean look on the back of the chair (without any ties around the back) but they do end up shifting around some. Hope that helps!
Judith cook says
November 5, 2014 at 11:45 pmI love the look of my Kubu chairs. However they snag clothing. Is there a remedy for this
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
November 8, 2014 at 9:06 amSorry Judith – I don’t have a great answer for you on this because I haven’t had any problems with my RH chairs causing snags. A thought that comes to mind (but I haven’t tried) is using a file to file down the rough spots and then coating them with a little bit of polyurethane.
Sophie says
September 19, 2016 at 9:00 pmKris,
I was thinking of buying Kubu Counter stools from RH and wanted to know how your Kubu chairs have held up over the years.
Kris Jarrett says
September 22, 2016 at 10:28 pmSophie – I’ve been really happy with them. Mine are still going strong with no issues at all!
Kris Jarrett says
October 9, 2016 at 10:04 pmUnfortunately I don’t – sorry!
Irene K. says
November 7, 2016 at 1:57 pmI pray that there are more favorable experiences in recent post concerning the Kubu Chair from Pier One. I just purchased the regular dining chairs and they are sooooooooo beautiful. Every time I walk through the house, I peek at them as I am so in love.
Sam says
March 29, 2017 at 5:30 pmIrene – Any update on your Kubu Chairs from Pier One? I love the look of them, but worried about the bad reviews from years past. Hoping they have indeed improved in quality in recent past!
Anonymous says
April 18, 2017 at 8:17 pmI just bought the kudu bar stools from Pier One . Seats have broken in two of them after less than 1 week ! Returning them asap!
lisa aceves says
May 23, 2017 at 7:11 pmI just bought my Kubu dining chairs and I’m returning two of them tomorrow. Not sure if I should keep all 4 because they are falling apart. I just ordered the bar stools. They haven’t arrived yet, but already thinking about returning them. So upset!
Kris Jarrett says
June 2, 2017 at 6:35 pmLisa, where did you order yours from? Are these the ones from Pier 1 that are falling apart?
Janice Rodriguez says
April 6, 2018 at 7:27 pmWilliams Sonoma Home has the kubu chair, called the Manchester Dining Chair. I got a pair when they were 20% off. They are very beautiful and very well made. Love them!
Kris Jarrett says
April 14, 2018 at 1:31 pmThanks for the tip Janice!