How to match your table and chairs?
Wondering whether your dining table and chairs should match? The answer is simple: a dining table and its chairs don't have to match. If dining tables are often sold with chairs as part of a matching set, it's more for reasons of decorating convenience. There's nothing to stop you choosing chairs in a different style to suit your own taste.
Read on to find out more about how to choose the right chairs to match your table, how to create an aesthetically pleasing design between the chairs and the dining table, and more generally, how to combine all the elements in your dining room.
Why don't you have to match your table and chairs?
A dining table and its chairs don't necessarily have to match, but they should be coordinated if they don't.
In matching style, everything matches. Exactly the same, like twins. It's not hard to imagine what "matching" looks like. On the other hand, in the coordinated design style, nothing has to match. You'll find common elements in all the elements of your decor so that, in the end, all the elements of the final design come together to create an original decoration.
For example, the dining table and chairs can be made from the same wood. This is the common factor. The chair legs are painted white. The sideboard is also white. Although it doesn't match, it coordinates. All these elements seem coherent when brought together in a set, because they all have something in common with another element in the room.
It's up to you to choose the style you prefer; however, if the rest of the house is focused on a matching style, it's usually best to continue. If the rest of your decor is more relaxed, a coordinated style will work just fine.
How do you mix dining room tables and chairs?
There are practical and aesthetic aspects to consider when mixing and matching your dining table and chairs. These include :
Chair height
Choose chairs that can be pushed under the table. Choose chairs of the right height that offer sufficient legroom when seated. The seat of the chair should be about 30 cm lower than the bottom of the table.
Coordinating elements with similar materials
The same rules for coordinated design apply here. It's okay if the chairs don't match, but find something in common between the table and the chairs. This creates a certain cohesion between them. Here are some examples of elements you might choose to coordinate:
- Color
- Wood shade
- Furniture legs
How to mix dining room chairs
Mixing chairs instead of using an identical set brings visual interest that is often much appreciated. Here are a few ways to try this style:
- Use one style as end chairs and a different style as matching side chairs.
- An eclectic style, where none of the chairs match.
- Have one different chair as the focal point. The other chairs match.
Again, even if you choose to avoid matching anything, you'll still want to make sure the different elements coordinate. Otherwise, you won't have a well-decorated dining room.
Should the dining table and sideboard match? matching?
Of course, the dining table and sideboard can be coordinated or matched, just like any other design element in your dining room. The most important question to ask yourself is to what extent you want one or other of these elements to come to the fore.
Anything that matches the other elements in the room tends to blend into the decor. If you want the table or sideboard to take center stage, you'll need to make sure they don't match - either with each other or with anything else in your dining room. Use contrast rather than matching. The more unique the piece of furniture in question, the more it contrasts with everything else in the room and stands out. For example, if the sideboard, chairs and curtains are all black and the table is white, the table is bound to catch the eye.
What colors of chairs go with a black table?
A black table can go with chairs of any color; however, the real question is what other colors are already present in your decor. The easiest way to decorate with good results is to always start with a fixed color palette. Choose two main colors and one accent color.
If black is already part of your color palette, is it a dominant (main) color or an accent color? If the table is a dominant color, you'll want to choose another dominant or accent color. If your black dining table is an accent color, you'll want to use one or both of your dominant colors for your dining chairs.
Can I mix wooden furniture in different colors?
You can mix different colors in your wood furniture, but you'll need to identify the shade of wood to do it right. Wood comes in three tones: warm, cool and neutral. In general, it's best to stick to the same tone in the same room. So, while you can mix colors, you don't want to mix warm wood tones with cool wood tones.
- Neutral undertones are beige, like birch and walnut.
- Cool undertones are a bit gray. They can be green, blue or violet. Ash, maple, poplar and pine are examples.
- Warm undertones are red, pink, yellow or orange. Cherry, mahogany or hickory are warm-toned woods.
In summary
Dining room tables and chairs don't have to match. A coordinated decorating style can create a stylish dining room, even if nothing matches. You can choose to mix and match tables, chairs, wood and other furniture, such as sideboards. By following these few basic guidelines, such as coordinating and working from a palette of three colors, you're well on your way to creating your dining room decor.