These chairs were a great purchase.  We use them everyday!  We have stained them with a light white wash and then a couple of clear top coats.  A little work on our end but we knew it going in and this way we were able to achieve the look we wanted without having to find something pre-stained that we could live with from a store.  The quality and construction are very sturdy.  I know we will have these chairs for a very long time!