I love the metal patio chairs, don't like the vintage chairs at all. They are so far out of tune with your room, I just don't think they'd work. I like the X-back chairs and if they're comfortable, I would not worry about tone on tone wood color. Perhaps recover the seats with a pretty print to liven them up. I like your idea about having tall upholstered or slip-covered chairs at the end.

Option 1. Just be sure the new ones are comfortable.

I think the X backs are fine. I don't think the wood tones matter. I can't see if the seats are upholstered. If so you can redo the fabric and get 2 new nicer skirted chairs to coordinate.
I do love the metal chairs. If you were to buy new chairs, I would get metal.
Your kitchen is lovely.

Not any of the options you listed, but would you consider leaving the metal chairs and getting something else for the patio? I think the metal chairs really belong there and beautifully complement your curated and eclectic look. Sell the x back chairs if you don't need them. Sorry if I stepped out of the parameters of your question.

This post was edited by nutsaboutplants on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 16:04

I think in all your options, you are thinking about replacing your end chairs. If you do, I recommend Carrington Court Direct for Parson's chairs. They are a tremendous value, are made in the US and do COM. I have some done in a linen blend.

Your great room looks great. For my 2 cents, I really like the industrial element the patio chairs bring in but think the existing chairs work well too (painted or left alone).

Here is a link that might be useful: Parsons chairs

I was also going to suggest Carrington Court. I had purchased two of their Parsons chairs a few years ago, but had since relegated them to the MB closet, where they served to store DH's clean clothes until he put them away in the drawers.:(

I wanted to repurpose them for the lakehouse we built this year, so I ordered 2 slipcovers from Carrington, and they look and fit fantastic. I think they were about $70 each, and they have tons of fabric choices, so if you get tired of one, you can change it out at a minimal cost.

I, too, like the Tolix chairs in your room. I used French cafe chairs with my Carrington chairs.

Option 6: Tight upholster the Parson's chairs. That's the way they were originally designed & slipcovers seldom fit well on them. The shape & finish of their legs is a perfect match to the x-backs, something very hard to get right when mixing chairs. The x-backs are both handsome & comfortable, a winning combination. Put glides on the bottom of the legs to make them easy to shift on the carpet.

Really like the way the mellow wood tones in your dining area play with the flooring, the rug, the paler kitchen behind & the deeper colors in front. Artfully done & very inviting!

This post was edited by vasue on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 16:40

Thank you all for weighing in. Unfortunately DH and my sister( who attends weekly Sunday night dinners) have declared the metal chairs not as comfortable as the x-back. Also, the metal chairs are really perfect for the patio. I could always do wood in the summer and metal in the winter. I will look for new end chairs. Perhaps in the future, I can do painted metal chairs in a different style. The gray metal with the stainless makes the space feel a little cold. Especially since I have metal stools as well.

The x-back feel utilitarian to me. They are perfectly functional but don't make me happy. So much about the space makes me feel content. Oh well, decorating is a living process. One day I will find "the" chairs. In the meantime these will work.