Sederica’s grey tulip chair brings a quieter kind of colour to the dining table. The light grey shell and matching padded seat sit on four legs of solid beech, so each chair looks soft rather than stark, and the pair blends into a room instead of dominating it.
It is the shade we suggest when white feels too clinical and black too heavy. Grey keeps the clean outline of the shell visible without making it the loudest thing in the room.
Grey tulip chair: shell, seat and legs
The shell is moulded polypropylene in a pale, cool grey. It is smooth enough to wipe down after every meal, and the colour runs right through the material, so there is no painted surface to chip.
The padded seat cushion is dyed to the same grey, which keeps the chair reading as one continuous shape. Behind you, the back curves to follow your spine, and at the front the seat edge falls away in a gentle waterfall, easing pressure behind your knees during a long dinner.
Underneath, four solid beech legs splay out from a cross frame. Beech is a dense, close-grained European hardwood, and its honey tone warms the grey above it. Each foot has a pad to protect the floor.
The tulip style dining chair and the story behind its shape
This chair belongs to the family of moulded shell seats that post-war designers made possible, when plastics let a seat and back be formed as a single curved piece. Adding a cushion and a base of plain timber legs turned that shell into an everyday kitchen chair, the version now common across European homes.
Its tulip name refers to the way the shell opens like a cupped flower. The name echoes the 1956 pedestal chair by Eero Saarinen, a separate design with a single central stem, whereas ours rests on four beech legs.
Why choose the grey tulip dining chair
Grey is the most forgiving middle ground. It hides dust and pale crumbs better than black, and it does not show everyday grubbiness the way a white shell does.
It works especially well in bright rooms: whitewashed walls, light oak floors, concrete or terrazzo, linen and stone tones. Against a dark wood table, grey lightens the whole setting.
It also mixes well. Many buyers pair grey chairs with a set of our black tulip chairs for a relaxed, deliberately mismatched table, and the matching beech legs hold the look together.
Measurements and setting up
- Chair: 85 × 48 × 50 cm (H × W × D)
- Seat height: 45 cm
- Sold as a set of 2
- Legs bolt on in minutes
- Floor pads on every foot
- Dispatched from our EU warehouse with a 2-year warranty
| Feature | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Overall Width | 48 cm |
| Overall Depth | 50 cm |
| Overall Height | 85 cm |
| Seat Height | 45 cm |
A 140 cm rectangular table seats six of these chairs, two along each side and one at each end. The chairs do not stack, so plan on leaving them at the table or storing them side by side.
Keeping your grey chairs clean
A light shade rewards cleaning little and often. Wipe the shell and seat with a soft damp cloth and mild soap, deal with coffee, wine or tomato splashes as soon as they happen, and dry afterwards.
Pale upholstery can pick up dye from new dark jeans, so a quick wipe now and then keeps the cushion even in colour. Keep the beech legs dry, dust them occasionally, and retighten the bolts once the chairs have settled in.
Why buy from Sederica
Our chairs leave from a warehouse inside the EU, which means no import duty and no surprise charges on delivery. We describe materials as they are, and when a piece is a style interpretation rather than a copy of one specific design, we say so.
Each set comes with a written 2-year warranty. If you have a question before ordering, write to hello@sederica.com and a member of our European team will reply within 24 to 48 hours.
This tulip style chair is designed and made independently and draws on mid-century shell seating. See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What shade of grey is this chair?
It is a light, cool grey, closer to pale stone than to charcoal, as you can see in our photographs. The seat cushion is dyed to match the shell. Screens show colour slightly differently, so if you are matching an exact paint or fabric, email us and we can describe the shade in more detail before you order.
Will the grey tulip chair show stains more than black?
It shows dark spills sooner, but hides dust, crumbs and light scuffs better. Coffee or red wine is easier to spot on grey than on black, which also means you notice it and wipe it away before it sets. The polypropylene shell cleans with a damp cloth. For the cushion, act quickly on spills and use mild soap only.
Can I mix grey and black tulip chairs at one table?
Yes, and it works well. Our grey and black tulip style chairs share the same shell shape, dimensions and solid beech legs, so a mixed table looks planned rather than random. A common approach is one colour along the sides and the other at the ends. Both colours are sold in sets of two.
Is this a Saarinen style tulip chair?
Only in name. Eero Saarinen’s 1956 Tulip chair stands on one pedestal stem, while this chair uses four splayed beech legs. The tulip name describes the rounded, cup-like shell rather than the base. It is a tulip style dining chair that Sederica designs and sells independently. See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
How much room does each chair need at the table?
Allow roughly 60 cm of table edge per chair, since each is 48 cm wide. The 45 cm seat height suits standard dining tables of 72 to 76 cm. Leave around 75 cm behind the chairs so people can pull out and sit down without knocking a wall or sideboard.
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