Im not much help with chairs, but i need a close up of the dog. So cute.

love the curtain fabric too!

I adore that print-- but I get a little twitchy when everything in the room matches. If it doesn't bother you, i would say go ahead and cover all the chairs in the lovely curtain fabric.

I think having all chairs in the same print would bring together the 3 diff styles. Am i understanding that the green damask to recover the 2 side chairs is the same that is on the other chairs? If so, I think that is a great plan too. It should help bring the 3 styles together.

If it were my room I would like to see the center chairs either at the table ends, or on either side of the breakfront. I personally do not like to have upholstered pieces same as drapes. Bear in mind that is just my preference!

That's a Jack Russell mix named Maddie, local. She'll do anything for a dog treat!

Funky, do you mean upholster ALL the chairs in the curtain fabric? I have enough fabric to do that. I also have enough green damask to upholster my Mom's chairs so they are all green. My thought was to lighten up the room as the green is really intense, by upholstering Mom's chairs in the lighter curtain linen and perhaps the Outliers too while I am at it. Or maybe just the back of the backs of those outliers?

Tina, I never really thought about having the curtains in a fabric not used anywhere else, but in fact I have never used curtain fabric on any other chair or sofa or bench. So, hmmmm. Do we not do that because it would look weird? Or like we ordered too much curtain fabric, why not use it to cover a few chairs? Those chairs in the middle of each side are my existing outliers, the two i bought to make up 8 for the table. They normally do sit on either side of the breakfront, and could again if Mother's chairs end up at the table as the middle chairs on the side. However, that is also an upholstered back, so....

There are already arm chairs at the ends of the table and they have to stay there because they are BIG.

I love your fabrics. Personally, I would cover them in the green, play around with placement and then decide whether to leave them in the room or store for when I needed 2 extra chairs.

Boy, I really misunderstood. My apologies. I would love to see your mom's chairs in the curtain fabric. I think the pretty pattern perfectly suits the chair style I think recovering just the backs of the Outliers is a great idea!

I thought the main question was whether or not there were too many chairs. That’s one of the reasons I would go with the green so they would blend in. The second reason is the green is more neutral when you decorate for the hloidays.

@Kswl it's just my preference. For me it is leading into the land of "matchy-matchy". But it really doesn't matter what I like/think, it should be what you want for your room. I was just playing along LOL. Covering the backs of the Outliers might just work though!

Me too...your mom's chairs in the curtain fabric....it's gorgeous fabric!

I used to have shield back chairs....10 that matched! My set was pretty French country. They were pretty rough. :0) Your set is very pretty....in great shape. ♥ Matchy matchy is back in....BTW Too much hodge podge and it's not an expensive look, it's casual. YOU my dear....have an expensive-formal look going on....

Yes my questions are myriad… I wasn’t very clear. If you can stand it, please answer:

1. too many chairs overall?

2. Which would you prefer?

a. all green

b. all white linen print (curtain)

c. Six original and my two outliers in green and mom’s chairs in linen curtain fabric (8 + 2)

d. Six original chairs in green, my two all upholstered chairs in linen curtain fabric and mom’s chairs in linen curtain fabric (6 + 4)

e. six original chairs in green, mom’s chairs in linen curtain fabric and my two outliers in green with just the back aspect of the chair back in linen curtain fabric (the front side of the back would still be green) (6 + 2 + 2hybrid)

3. Seek therapy for chair fetish!

Do you have 2 of your Mom’s armless chairs handy that you could switch with your 2 with the upholstered backs and put those back against the wall again? ‘Just want to see what that looks like.

What a lovely dining room. Yes, it's formal, but very inviting at the same time, beautiful and elegant in the best way. So, I think that three chair styles wearing two different fabrics may leave the room feeling a little too "busy" and casual.

Would you consider moving the BIG armchairs (presently at the table ends) to the sides of the breakfront, then upholstering your Mom's chairs in the green damask, and substituting them at the ends. You would end up with all ten chairs unified in green damask, and the strong lines of the wooden shield backs would carry from the table sides over to the breakfront. I think it's possible that your two outliers, and your Mom's two chairs could occur as quiet support.

It's so pretty the way your floral white linen print curtain lives as an honorable and respectable "neighbor" to that warm and reciprocating rug. That sweet balance might not look the same if you pull the curtain fabric out onto four chairs in the middle of the room. It could look too busy and lose the calm elegance you've established so well.

I'd choose 2 a from among your options.

Chickadee, the chairs on either side of the china cab ARE my mom’s; they are armchairs (too big) the first ones i tried.

Here is a picture with my mom’s side chairs on eother side of the china cab; it looks the same bc the arms weren’t that visible in the first picture.

I also flipped the runner over to the solid tomato-y coral side. Flowers for V day, lilies from my BFF.

Smiling, will move chairs as you suggest and take a picture. All are pretty easy to move.

I like this concept:

d. Six original chairs in green, my two all upholstered chairs in linen curtain fabric and mom’s chairs in linen curtain fabric (6 + 4) Your room can totally carry it off and I think it is a lovely combination of fabrics.

I love your DR. I would go with the all chairs in green.

by the way your curtains are very pretty and i love that urn/flower pot that is a great match.

Right. I understood they were Mom’s armchairs in the first picture, but you mentioned you had side chairs without arms. Those are the ones you have up in your last pic. They’re the ones I suggested switching with the upholstered chairs but I didn’t know if you had them in the house or in storage.

Are you going to be using patterned table linens?

Okay, thanks to Chickadee —and Tina, earlier—for the genius suggestion to move the armchairs to the wall and put Mother’s chairs or my outliers at the head and foot of the table. I was worried about having the upholstered chairs at the table all together all the time but it actually looks better.

I can still swap the side chairs of Mom’s out for armchairs. But then i would have four armchairs. 1. Yes or No?

Also, I could just

2. keep it as the above photo with all upholstery green (re-covering my moms chairs) OR I could

3. reupholster mom’s chairs green and reupholster the seats of those armchairs in the curtain fabric, which makes more sense for the host and hostess chairs. When in use they would go back to the head and foot of the table. Or I could

4. upholster all chairs in green and have them all re-piped (or welted, depending upon usage in your part of the country) in the curtain fabric. It would not show the pattern but would lighten allthat solid color., especially if it was a double welt. Or do that on all the side chairs and recover the armchairs in curtain fabric.

edited for revision… also, Chickadee, i use mostly white tablecloths and napkins, except at holidays.

I like this last arrangement style/placement wise. I personally prefer all chairs be green-#2. I think there is enough pattern with the curtains, rug, artwork and the table cloth and decor you use for dinners. But I tend to like a calmer feeling, YMMV

I’d still do all green with a self welt on your Mom’s chairs. Then move them around until you’re satisfied. The arm chairs look nice in front of the wall because the width of the back fills out the space better than your Mom’s chairs. Are the backs of your Mother’s chairs higher than the wooden chairs? See what they look like in the center of the table and put the upholstered chairs at the ends. I couldn’t tell for sure if they had arms. I’d think about getting a Chinese foot bath on a stand for the center of the table, because it’s so easy to stuff with small potted plants in bloom and bring in more color. Put something in the bottom of the foot bath if you need to elevate the pots and hide the tops of the plasric pots with moss.

#1--how can it be too many when you need them all?

#2--to unify them I would put the green damask on your mom's newest additions and call it a day.

BUT given they are inherited and it is obvious they are add ons I doubt anyone who is invited to your lovely home will notice or care that they are new additions. All in all still much more elegant than pulling in the mess of chairs from all over the house that I am accustomed to. For everyday I would have the two fully upholstered at the head and foot of the table with the arms flanking the china cabinet...BUT that assumes you have a place for all the extra chairs...you might just have to stick with the leaf in and leave your space ready for guests!!

I don't think your mother's two chairs are strong eough to be end chairs. Try replacing the two upholstered shield chairs at their center of the table location (in the OP) with your mother's chairs. Put the upholstered shield chairs on either side of the cabinet. I think the set of six needs to be at the table, otherwise, it does become a chair convention to my eye.

As far as fabric goes, does the current fabric on your mom's chairs go with your current color palette? If so, I would leave as is. If not, reupholster just those two with the curtain fabric.

Oh yes. I think the latest iteration is brilliant-- i don't mind your mom's chairs at end. In fact, I like the shape of them at the ends. I especially like the arm chairs on either side of the breakfront.

1. No, i don't think you need 4 armchairs... unless you feel you need more weight at the head/foot of the table. Based on the photo, I don't think you need the extra wood-- but you see the room from a different angle in person.

2 or 3 - I could see all damask-- it would make the combination of chairs look intentional. I would also like to see you use that lovely fabric -- either on the top of your mom's chairs (vs seat) and/or on the back of the shield chairs. Do you have remnants of the fabric that you could tack on to see how they look in person?

4. no, not a fan of using the curtain fabric for piping. With all green, the white background would be primary and I think it would lose the effect of carrying the fabric into the room.

as i would love to have ten chairs right there for the frequent times we have both leaves in the table

Since you don't need ten chairs every day, I would remove 2 of them. I might also take out the leaf so you have a little more breathing room. To my eye, all of the fabrics work nicely but the real issue is visual weight and scale. I think the green upholstered chairs would work better at the head of the table; right now they dominate but are in the middle, which feels a little off to me. By default, then, that would leave your armchairs on either side of the sideboard and your Mom's chairs (which I think are too delicate for the head of the table) out of the room.

In essence I am taking you right back to where you were, but swapping out the damask shields and your armchairs. I like upholstered heads because it is a little relief from all the wood, and also that way you can better appreciate the sculptural beauty of the armchairs against the wall.

When you need 10 chairs, your arrangement is more than fine. For everyday, I don't think it shows the room at its best.

So much to think about! Arcy, I almost spit out my coffee at your excellent common sense: ”#1--how can it be too many when you need them all?” Lol, point taken!!

1. Will def try the two all-upholstered chairs at the ends and see how that looks.

2. No to the white piping of chairs (does that sound like the poetic naming of parts to anyone else? The GW version?)

3. Still on the fence about using all green and no other fabric. i could find a solid coral like the runner or a solid yellow from the curtain fabric or even a lighter green. Any thoughts on that?

4. Unfortunately i don’t have anywhere to store the extra chairs on this floor of the house. We would have to put them in the basement’s storsge area and bring them up every time. That’s a no go for me; I want them easily accessible.

5. The pictures in this thread only show the table with one leaf. I *frequently* have both leaves in when we have ten. Last Easter we had twelve adults and a baby at the table (i had a green cushion made for his high chair for such occasions!). That’s really as many as we can accomodate comfortably. And for 12 we still have to use two ladderbacks :(

So, anyway, the picture is the way it is always configured. I’ve never used the table with no leaves— I don’t actually know what it would look like, but for sure with that many chairs it would look like a chair graveyard! Maybe I should put the second leaf in and scare everybody!

I had 2 leaves and 10 chairs at this table before we were sure my two nephews were coming for Easter (they were in college waiting for vax). See one of the painted ladder backs at far end of left side. To me it looks awful, but not to everyone. Am I going to a lot of trouble for the (non covid) 10 to 12 times a year when we have 10 to 12 people for a sit down meal? Am I still just fighting downsizing? OTOH, we chose this house in part bc it has a generous formal dining room. I like it and we use it. But am I junking it up??? Truth, please.

Edited to add… I don’t consider the table setting junky, just the painted chairs!

New Question: leave things as they originally were with six chairs at the dining table with ibe leaf and the two with upholstered backs on either side of the china cabinet and just use the four painted ladder backs when i need them (often) wearing slipcovers I can have made from the curtain fabric. Too Scarlett O’Hara? It would involve no new chairs but make the extras look like uh.. intentional extras?

I don’t think you’re junking it up, I love your style. That looks beautiful and charming, welcoming and festive. The great food, beautiful decor, and lovingly visiting each other will always be in everyone’s memories. :)

Please. It does not look awful. It looks warm and inviting and I would love to be one of the 10 at that table.

Yes, I understood it was one leaf; eg

Since you don't need ten chairs every day, I would remove 2 of them. I might also take out the leaf so you have a little more breathing room.

To me it looks awful, but not to everyone.

When entertaining a group, a bit of a mix is totally fine in my book. It always seems no matter how many formal chairs I have or place settings, there are always events with just a few more! But the more the merrier.

I'm loving your room and Kewl's photo is lovely, cheery, and simply wonderful.

I’m picking Bunny up and we’re claiming one of those chairs. Anyone else wants a ride, come on!

Okay, last choice— I promise!

This

or this

I may just keep the stripes upholstery for now, it is beautiful shades of green and coral, perfect for the room. But one of the chair seats was recently stained with ketchup and I will have to be able to get it out for the chair to stay even temporarily.

Just use the four painted ladder backs when i need them (often) wearing slipcovers I can have made from the curtain fabric. Too Scarlett O’Hara?

Nope. To me, when entertaining a group, a little bit of ...improvisation for a large group is truly part of the charm. I consider myself fortunate if I can figure out how to expand capacity without things clashing horribly!

I’m no help, I like them both equally. For looks, the second holds a very slight edge to me. For comfort, the first one.

For me, these are the best choices. The first is my favorite since it connects the green fabric at the table and away from it. I also like the stripe at the table better than against the wall. You could just change them up weekly - musical chairs. :D

More stuffy, for lack of a better word at the moment, since the fabric is not mixed at the table.

My head is spinning. 😵

What do we get to "fix" next?!

I have another bedroom that has been the recipient of some more of my mother’s furniture. I’m having more hydrangeas dried and framed for the walls and will need help with hanging those. Also whether to repaint from a blue inlike to a blue i LOVE, found it when looking for paint for my mom’s new house. I’ll keep those with the fortitude to keep opening my threads very busy 😁