Recently I was asked if your dining chairs need to match your dining table. The function, look and feel of dining chairs is important. Not only do they need to be aesthetically appealing but also comfortable for long amounts of time especially when sitting and enjoying a meal with family and friends. The answer is no. You can choose dining chairs that match your table or pick a set of chairs that match each other but not necessarily perfectly match the dining table. Another choice is a very eclectic mix of chairs. I chose several of my personal favorites that cover various styles. Enjoy!


Ballard Designs Winged Chair








Eames Molded Plastic Chairs



Ralph Lauren Boulogne Banquet







Williams Sonoma Home Baxter Chair





Candace Olsen Dining Chair




Horchow Crewel Blue




Ralph Lauren Jamaica Chair





William Sonoma Home Hickory Chairs

Have a piece of furniture that you use but want to give it a little umph? A coat of paint and/or stain will do the job. Here's an example of a kitchen cart that has been a favorite in this kitchen functionally but needed some refreshing. Before you throw it away...is there anything that could be done to give the piece a lift and become a favorite again?

Mixing patterns

Mixing patterns and colors can be intimidating when faced with a huge selection of fabrics. Start with a color and from there branch out. For instance, this pattern has a beautiful mix of reds, pinks, blues, greens and golds.

You can take this fabric selection and pull from its colors what you would like to highlight and what you would like to be more of an accent color. In the selections made below the red would be the main highlighted color. The key in mixing patterns is to balance out the differing designs. A bold busier pattern would work as accent pillows and drapes. Stripes, checks or softer more neutral patterns would be used on larger pieces such as furnishings. The key to all of the selections is to make sure they make a statement that defines the people who live there. So basically have fun with it and pick out what you really enjoy being surrounded by.