Mr. & Mrs. Howard: Traditional American Furniture, Relaxed
Mr. & Mrs. Howard is a traditional American furniture house whose pieces carry the relaxed, layered feel of a room gathered over years rather than bought in an afternoon. Sutter & Vale carries the full collection, and every chair, sofa, and bench is made to order, finished and upholstered to your specification.
What Is Mr. & Mrs. Howard, and What Makes Its Furniture Distinct?
The house works in traditional American style with proportions that read as approachable and collected. Frames tend toward clean, honest lines. Cushion arrangements vary by piece, from tight seats and tight backs to loose pillow backs, so the look can shift from tailored to relaxed depending on what the room calls for. Leathers, woven naturals, and printed fabrics all fit the vocabulary. The goal, across every piece, is a room that looks like it has always been that way.
Browse the full Mr. & Mrs. Howard collection at Sutter & Vale to see what is currently available.
How Do You Choose the Right Chair for Your Room?
Start with the footprint, then the seat height, then the cushion construction. Here is a quick reference across the chairs in the collection:
| Chair | Width | Depth | Overall Height | Seat Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhian Armless Chair | 29" | 34" | 32" | 20" |
| Armand Chair | 24" | 21" | 35" | 19" |
| Laguna Chair | 29" | 34" | 39" | 21" |
| Inese Chair | 25" | 28" | 33" | 18" |
| Miles Chair | 29" | 36" | 41" | 19" |
| Corby Chair | 31" | 33" | 34" | 20" |
| Tilly Armless Chair | 21" | 22" | 35" | 21" |
| Victoria Chair | 28" | 34" | 38" | 20" |
| Perriand Chair | 26" | 28" | 34" | 19" |
| Chambon Chair | 29" | 36" | 32" | 19" |
A seat height between 18" and 21" works for most adults in a living room setting. For a side chair at a reading table, 20" to 21" gives a comfortable posture. For a desk or writing chair, 18" to 19" sits slightly below standard table height and keeps the body in a natural position.
Arm height matters when chairs will flank a sofa. The Laguna Chair has an arm height of 27", the Corby Chair sits at 24", and the Miles Chair at 22". Keeping arm heights within a few inches of one another reads as intentional rather than accidental.
How Does Customization Work on Made-to-Order Pieces?
Every Mr. & Mrs. Howard piece at Sutter & Vale is made to order, so you choose the fabric and, in most cases, the frame finish. Standard finishes listed across the collection include Walnut, Modern Walnut, Soho, and Earth Grey. The real expression, though, comes through the upholstery.
A few construction details worth knowing:
- Nailhead trim, standard on the Inese Chair, shifts a frame from casual to more formal without changing its silhouette.
- Loose pillow backs, as on the Victoria Chair and the Chambon Chair, add softness and a gathered, lived-in quality.
- Tight backs and tight seats, as on the Armand Chair and the Perriand Chair, read as cleaner and work well when other pieces in the room carry more visual weight.
How Do You Mix Mr. & Mrs. Howard Pieces in One Room?
The collection is built for layering, so pieces do not need to match. A room might combine a tightly upholstered armchair with a loose-pillow sofa and a bench at the foot of a bed, all in different fabrics, and the result reads as assembled over time. Repeating a finish across two or three frames, even in different silhouettes, pulls a room together without making it feel coordinated to the point of stiffness. The range is wide enough that you can move from a narrow, structured side chair to a deep, cushioned lounge chair and have the two feel at home in the same space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Mr. & Mrs. Howard pieces available in custom fabrics?
Every piece in the collection is made to order, which means you specify the fabric from the available options at the time of your order. Your Sutter & Vale contact can walk you through current fabric availability and lead times before you commit.
How long does a made-to-order chair typically take?
Lead times for made-to-order upholstery vary depending on the piece and the fabric selected. Confirm the current production schedule at the time of purchase rather than rely on a general estimate.
Can Mr. & Mrs. Howard chairs work in a dining room?
Several frames in the collection, particularly armless options like the Rhian and the Tilly, have seat heights and depths that suit a dining table. Confirm your table height before ordering, since a seat-to-table clearance of roughly 10" to 12" is the standard target for comfortable dining seating.
The Sutter & Vale Team
