I would just cover the seats, and then if you feel it dosn't work for you it can be painted later.That said I would not paint that wood. That is just me and I don't paint well, but what ever you do I am sure it will look as nice as the rest of your home.

Can you post a photo of the space they will go in (post table & chairs you currently have in the space) so we can see context? Love your kitchen, one thing that came to mind was staining the chairs the same colour as your dark cabinets, if possible. I think the dark chairs will pop against your lighter floor. Not sure about the table, hard to tell without looking at the whole space but if you do post another pic it will be easier to make a choice.

"Should I just stick with recovering the seats in fun colors and leave it alone?"
Yes! Your instints are right. It's a great set and it would be a shame to paint it. Though I will add that before a final on that I'd like to see close ups.

You have a lovely home by the way. Awesome kitchen!

here is a whole kitchen photo - the colors are **REALLY OFF** though (camera flash)... And the light is way high, waiting to be fixed once we get the table placed! :)

I don't think I'd paint the table top - the set is darker than it appears in the CL photo but I might darken the top further.

I think your CL set is cute. It fits your kitchen well too. I wondered if you painted your cabinets yourself? It can be kind of a big job painting furniture, so that has to be taken into consideration. What color were you thinking of painting the set?

My thoughts are, to consider very carefully what you really want to see in your kitchen. While I like the look of mis-matched colors in some settings, that look doesn't work in everyone's home. But as for painting the set, why not? It's a good set but not a fine antique right? So paint if you like the look. I think that people forget sometimes that wood furniture gets painted all the time. Just look through the pages of Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrell or any of the other venues for buying dining room stuff. We see distressed white and distressed black and sage green and red and brown, etc. I think painting can be a waste if you have fine wood but not so much with just the 'average joe' piece of furniture. And how often do you see someone pick up a Pottery Barn catalog and say "Oh my gosh!! Why did they ruin that nice sideboard by painting it?" Well, never. People seem to only object when they hear the term "Painting wood".

Anyway, go looking at fabric and paint and get all your ducks in a row to see what you really want to do in there. Perhaps just use some RAF on the chairs and lay out your fabric on the seats to see how that would look first.

Red

I am one of those that dive head first into projects and then second guess myself a million times. :) I was thinking that as long as I have the seats off, if I was going to paint, why not do it now? But I agree I need to take a step back and focus on the seats for now. One thing at a time.

themommy1- That's what I needed to hear. ;)

fillagirl- I did post a more overall photo with my old table in the shot. Now you can see why we've been looking! Altho, the old table was a wedding gift and I do hate to get rid of it. Crayon cleaned off of that tile in a heartbeat!

justgotabme- trusting my instincts is not my fine point!

Red- I love painted furniture, but it wasn't ME that did the sin, you know? which makes it ok. ;)
Thanks for reminding me about RAF. THAT is what I need to pick up.
And the dark cabs are gel stained - they were SO ugly that I didn't hesitate at all to cover up that wood!

You all are so kind to offer compliments on my space. It's truly appreciated as I do hesitate to post photos of our humble diy home amid all of the beauties here on GW!

I'm not sure I would love mismatched chairs in your space - but that's just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. I would consider RAF or gel staining to match the cabinets or painting it black. Good luck whatever you decide!

I don't think I would paint the chairs, I second metromom's idea to RAF or gel stain to match the cabinets. Get a fabric that you love that matches your curtain and a centrepiece the colour of the vase beside your sink and you're good to go. Will look great, the dark will match your cabinets and stand out against the floor.

Pretty kitchen anew dining set! I would put the new table and chairs in the space first before deciding to paint if you have any hesitation.

That being said, if it were mine I would paint it one color - black or cream - and leave the tabletop stained. It will look great with your other painted and stained finishes and will be a more cohesive look than unmatched chairs.

Can you show a close-up of the wood on the CL set? From the picture, it looks like a good candidate for Restore-A-Finish. You might try that first, it is not a time consuming project. That stuff can sure "richen" up old wood. Then if you don't like it, consider painting base and redo the top. And of course, cover the chair bottoms.

Good potential there.

Tuesday