Designing a dining room that wows often hinges on a dining table and chair combo that has just the right jolt of style. Why settle for a dining set when you could create your own unique and unexpected duo? Prepare to find your perfect dining table and chair match with these grouping ideas, plus score some useful advice for ensuring you and your guests are sitting pretty.
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CLASSICS REMIX
The simplicity of a modern pedestal table, such as the classic tulip-shape, makes the perfect backdrop for chairs with a bit of extra flourish or a curvaceous silhouette. A set of Queen Anne-style perches or something with some Chinoiserie flair would definitely fit the bill.
Useful Tip: When deciding how many chairs can fit around your table, be careful not to take your cues from event sources, which generally account for only super slim seating to maximize the number of guests. A 48” round table can fit four chairs comfortably, and a 60” can handle up to six. If you want to seat eight, size up to a 72”-96” oval.
INDUSTRIAL CHIC
Iconic molded chairs lend gravitas to an unassuming industrial table. Plus, the curved lines of the seats helps to soften a rough and tough steel table base.
FRENCH FLAIR
A set of upholstered Louis XVI chairs, especially when done up in Toile de Jouy, bring a graceful note to a table featuring rustic elements, be it a stone top beauty or something of the farmhouse variety.
Useful Tip: Most dining tables are 30″ high, but the table’s apron can sometimes cut into needed leg room. Make sure you have at least 12″ from the seat of your dining chair to the underside of the table.
BALANCED ACT
The heft of a substantial, clean-lined wood dining table can make lightweight or spindly chairs read as puny. Instead, opt for an upholstered style with some distinctive design details, think Bauhaus-style bases or eye-catching cut-outs, to create a balanced look that’s one-of-a-kind.
ENDGAME MIX-UP
If a matched dining set is more your vibe (or just what you’ve already got), a couple of surprise guests in the form of stylistically divergent end chairs can make that set really sing. Think of it as an opportunity to express a different side of your decorating personality.
