How to mix and match your dining chairs like a designer
A dining table in a New York apartment has two different but coordinated sets of chairs. Design: Time & Place Interiors
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I love decorating with chairs. When selecting seating for your dining room, why limit yourself to just one style when there are so many fabulous chair options to pick from?
Mismatched dining chairs are a great way to add personality to your space while showcasing your love for design. It’s a bit rebellious and delightfully chic.
Mixing and matching chairs can help round out a dining set when you have only one or two of a chair you love. It can also be an intentional way to give loads of character to your kitchen or dining room’s design.
So, how do you mix and match dining chairs like a pro?
1) Don’t be afraid to mix styles. A juxtaposition of antique and modern can be insouciantly elegant. To weave in a unifying element, consider keeping colors or materials consistent while changing up the shapes.
2) Mix high and low design. It’s perfectly okay to pair a fancy designer chair with a flea market find. It shows your ability to appreciate beauty at varying levels of sophistication.
3) Keep the chairs’ height consistent. This helps keep the design visually balanced.
Take a look at the gorgeous designs below for inspiration on how to style with mismatched dining chairs for traditional, modern, or eclectic settings. For more ideas on mix-and-match interior design possibilities, check out our post, 4 fun ways to mix + match lamp pairs.
The neutral palette unifies this bold mix of modern and 1970s vintage chairs in this designer’s eclectic apartment. Design: Hollie Bowden / Photo: Helenio Barbetta/Living Inside
A historic countryside mansion’s formal dining room gets a playful uplift through an assortment antique chairs. Design: Arthur’s / Photo: Zio and Sons Creative
Two different modern chairs, including the iconic Cassina Cab chair, give a jolt of nuance to a simple Brooklyn kitchen. Design: Joshua Itiola / Photo: Max Burkhalter
The antique high chair isn’t the only one-off seat at this Scandinavian table. Design & photo: Femte Til Venstre
An assortment of 20th Century iconic chair styles makes this all-black communal dining ensemble more interesting. Design: Nicole Hollis / Photo: Laure Joliet
Spot the difference: three mismatched vintage chairs lend personality to a sparse industrial loft. Design: Hagar Abiri / Photo: Diana Adam
Iconic is the name of the game in this modernist Manhattan space, where an Alvar Aalto table is accompanied by a Sof-Tec chair by David Rowland for Thonet, and a René Herbst Sandows chair. They’re both chrome modernist styles, but with slight variations to keep things interesting. Design: Taylor Fimbrez / Photo: Ori Harpaz
A mix of 20th Century vintage chairs creates a nuanced design in a stylish Paris apartment. Design: Tonale / Photo: Élise Helm
As if the stunning architecture wasn’t impressive enough… all the slat chairs are slightly different in this transformed Hudson Valley country house. Design and photo: Tom Givone Home
Inspired to create an eclectic look for your home?
Time & Place Interiors specializes in decorating and styling for personalized spaces, with a mix of the eclectic and the refined. Use the link below to schedule a 20-minute free information call with founder Ksenya Malina to discuss your home’s design needs:
