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  • formal-dining-room-chair-hooker-furniture

    Even in a formal dining room, the chairs don’t all have to be the same. Photo: Hooker Furniture

  • bistro-set-palecek

    Instead of pairing wooden chairs with your casual wood table, try using a couple of rattan chairs to add an earthy and natural element to your casual dining area. Photo: Palecek 

  • dining-table-universal-furniture

    You should love every piece of furniture you buy, so don’t be afraid to mix and match the pieces you like to get the look you want. Photo: Universal Furniture


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You should love every piece of furniture you buy, so don’t be afraid to mix and match the pieces you like to get the look you want. Photo: Universal Furniture

 

Double Your Dining Room Style

If you have a round pedestal table with four chairs, place two leather armchairs across from each other and two upholstered chairs opposite each other. This will give your dining room a unique, modern look.

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  • Create a Daring Dining Room

    Mix and match dining room pieces for an eclectic look.

    by Trisha Kemerly

    Gone are the days when furniture buying meant you had to purchase “sets.” Today’s homes are all about reflecting individual personalities, and there’s no rule that says everything in a room has to match!

    “We are finding that eclectic style is becoming more and more popular, and dining rooms are a great place to start,” says Robert Kimbrell, vice president of merchandising furniture retailer RoomStore in Richmond, Va.

    You should love every piece of furniture you buy, so don’t be afraid to mix and match the pieces you like to get the look you want. Consider these helpful hints for finding your eclectic style and creating a dining room that is uniquely you:

     

    Table Types

    First consider how you are using the room. Do you want the room to feel more formal or use it as an everyday, casual dining area? Dark wood finishes tend to add more formality to a dining group, while light finishes, painted finishes and glass tabletops create a more casual feel.

    For more casual dining spaces, you might also consider “gathering height” tables, which are tall tables that use barstools or counter-height chairs.

     

    Cool Chair Configurations

    Even in a formal dining room, the chairs don’t all have to be the same.

    “There are many dining groups with mixed chairs—some groups offer different types of chairs (wooden vs. upholstered) and some offer different color options. Many customers want four different colored chairs, or a mix of wooden chairs and upholstered chairs,” says Kimbrell.

    For example, if you have a rectangle table with eight chairs, consider different styles for the two end chairs, three side chairs in an  X-back style, and the last three in a simple micro-suede fabric—then stagger the styles around the table.

    Or, if you have a round pedestal table with four chairs, you might place two leather armchairs across from each other and two upholstered chairs opposite each other.

    Casual spaces allow even more freedom. Instead of pairing wooden chairs with your casual wood table, try using a couple of rattan chairs to add an earthy and natural element to the room. Or scout out some flea markets or antique shops for a few vintage chairs. You might even add a bench to one side of the table and have chairs on the other for a fun, outdoorsy feel.

    If you’re mixing chairs, don’t forget to measure the height of the seat—you’ll want all your chairs to sit at the same height as each other, as well as be the correct height for the table you have.

     

    Accent on Serving Pieces

    Kimbrell also suggests selecting a completely different material and style for sideboards, china cabinets and buffet tables to add an interesting accent to your dining room space.

    “Instead of a traditional matching buffet, try a unique painted piece,” he says. “This craving for eclectic and unique styles has led us to offer more one-of-a-kind pieces and correlating pieces instead of matching pieces.”

    To pull the room together, consider adding a colorful area rug underneath your table, and then pick up some of those colors in your curtains, accessories and table décor.