Need help with chairs and mixing styles and wood tones in dining room

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

My dilemma...we are having a natural, medium character walnut dining table being built for dining room. Currently my table, chairs and china hutch are traditional Mission style. Our floors are Maple #3, 4 inch plank. I have an oriental rug to break up the woods. The new table will be in a Coastal style. It is a dining/game table so it will have planks across the top. Now I have a mish mash of styles. I'm okay with that, because that's kind of our style. I love the hutch and it contains precious pieces given to me that I want out, even if it's the style now or not. Please help. I want to honor the beauty of our new table but also keep things that mean something to me. new table will be similar in color to the second photo (this is not my table), but in a Coastal style-legs somewhat tapered with some gentle rounding to the legs and arc to the table sides. The color of the new table is more neutral, it does not have the red tones of the hutch in it. The third picture shows the tone in my chairs and hutch, the new table tones, and our floor. The example I have for our table wood does not have the final clear finish on it, so it will have a little more richness to it, but no added color. I also have changed the curtains to open, floor length white linen curtains. I need ideas of dining chairs to blend the different looks harmoniously and am also wondering, will my hutch still be able to stay in this space without the style clashing too much? The shape of the hutch does tie in with the shape of my cabinets in the kitchen to the right.

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PRO

Inside Out Staging and Design

4 years ago

Instead of a wood chair maybe consider a fabric chair? There is a lot of “hard” surfaces. A fabric chair will soften things as well as the new curtains you mentioned.
After you get the actual table and new chairs, see how the hutch “feels” with the new pieces. Sometimes just changing out what’s inside them can completely change the entire look.

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Comments (12)

la_la Girl
4 years ago
Lovely room! I would definitely keep the hutch - what about cutting foam board pieces to size and attaching a favorite coastal-inspired wallpaper or fabric for the back walls of the hutch? It would lighten it up a bit but not change it permanently -

Would you consider short cotton/duck slip covers on your chairs? It would cut the formality of them a bit and lighten the dark wood
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threers
4 years ago
In order to update my cherry hutch, I added silk fabric in a color to match my BM Balboa Mist paint to the back of my hutch. I also removed everything from the buffet and then added about a third of the stuff back in....not all 8 crystal wine glass just one, not all Mom's china coffee cups, just one, etc....it looks much more up to date, simple and you really "see" what is in there.
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Ann Arnold
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you for the comments! I will use these ideas. Question about fabric chairs-would a sand/taupe color work in this space? I'm afraid of the lightest colors, even though I like them. We will be sitting at this table a lot playing games in addition to dining.
PRO
Inside Out Staging and Design
4 years ago
Absolutely those colors would work. Look into an indoor/outdoor fabric like Sunbrella. It will be easier to keep clean as it’s treated and made to withstand dirt. You could also put slipcovers on that could be easily removed to wash.
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BeverlyFLADeziner
4 years ago

You have such a really lovely room! Many people would do anything to have such a great dining room set for their home.

IMO I would not proceed with the walnut table. I fear it's going to stick out in the room as the one item that doesn't really fit.

I just make a few changes to pull your room together. A collection of tall coordinated ceramic items on top of the china cabinet would add interest to the room, and I think drapery panels are a better choice for your windows.
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Ann Arnold
Original Author
4 years ago
I have changed to drapery panels and I really think it looks nice. Thank you for the compliment and these ideas-I love them.
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BeverlyFLADeziner
4 years ago
We'd like to see the finished product.
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Suzi Marman Hanks
4 years ago
How about this?
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Suzi Marman Hanks
4 years ago
Natural rope or rattan with walnut
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COCo
4 years ago
Life takes time to find what you love. If you love these chairs you have options
Sand and stain or paint
I cannot see more but black never fails
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COCo
4 years ago
My second comment is everything is priced high right now. I would wait. There is a lot of furniture for sale in every state as the largest move is taking place in the USA Homes are selling with furniture, people are selling what they do not want to move. Ebay Craig's list Next door Neighbor Chairrish 1st dibs and local shops have a large assortment. Look around you might find something or work with what you have. Prices are starting to settle back down. I think your room is lovely A dining room is where the family will never notice what the colors are, only the day. The fun, the silliness and Mom's favorite dish being served.
Enjoy it all
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