The Case for Mismatched Dining Room Chairs

Say what you will, but the "matchy-matchy" look of furniture does not always apply to every decor. Think about your dining room. Most of us did what was easiest: simply go to the furniture store, find a dining room set with matching chairs, sideboard, cabinet, etc. and there is nothing wrong with this approach. However, I think that some of the most interesting dining rooms, like all rooms in a home, are a collection of things (or at least they appear to be so). Take your dining room chairs, for instance. How much more character could be infused in the room with mis- matched chairs? Now you can really make a mess out of this idea if not carefully planned, but if you take your time, you can really achieve an eclectic mix of chairs that blend well. Below, I have found some design inspirations of other mis-matched dining room chairs; in them, you will see how to best get this look in your own home. Some things to consider: keep the size of the chairs in proportion (ie don't place three large chairs on one side and three small on the other-perhaps, vary every other chair), think about an element in each chair that blends them all (maybe a similar shape or a design in the back of the chair, or even simply changing the seat cushions in different chairs to the same coordinating fabric), don't buy chairs too small to reach the table comfortably (sounds simple, but is very easy to forget without measuring). This list could go on and on, but you get the idea. So take some time and see what you come up with, then sell half of your current matchy matchy chairs on craigslist! :)