I got several comments on the seating choices in my dining room makeover for the One Room Challenge, so I thought I would make the idea of mixing dining room chairs my tips for Tuesday for this week.
In case you missed the many posts about the dining room makeover, here’s one last one along with the floorplan showing the seating choices
The Dining Room/Conference Room Floorplan for Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio
As you can see, I incorporated a bench, two slipcovered chairs and a small cane back chair around a round table. Far from expected. The result is a cozy and homey space in which to have an intimate dining experience. I chose these pieces along with a round table simply because the room is very small with a really bad traffic pattern. There are three doorways in and out of this room and so the whole layout is far from symmetrical. If I had used the traditional style of dining room furniture with a rectangular table and matching chairs, the asymmetry would have been more obvious and it would block traffic in and out of the room.
I mean, it does makes sense to mix your dining room seating, you wouldn’t have 6 or 8 identical chairs in your living room, right?
Discount furniture stores have dictated the way people buy furniture and decorate their homes for a long time. They encourage you to buy a whole set of matching furniture by offering it at a lower price per set, versus buying individual pieces. If you think about it the furniture store is really who benefits the most in this situation. They sell larger volumes of furniture. I have seen several times where people buy pieces that won’t fit their homes, or pieces that they don’t really like simply because it is a set.
Your dining room is one of the places where guests gather when they visit your home, shouldn’t it be more your personality? Shouldn’t it have a warm, cozy and inviting feeling and not look like it came straight out of a furniture showroom?
Mixing seating shows a bit more character and personality and gives a room a more timeless and collected over time feel. It provides some versatility that address the needs of your guests as far as comfort goes.
Here are some things to keep in mind when mixing seating
- Keep the seating comfortable by adding a couple of fully upholstered chairs. In this dining room I completed a few years ago, I used two fully upholstered custom wing back chairs with pillows for the host and hostess.
Source: Casa Vilora Interiors
- Use a couple backless benches or stools to help open up a small dining room. You can also use a cane back chair as well to open up the room
Source: Melissa G Moore Blog
- Use the same style chair frame in different colors or fabrics to add the fun factor
Source: bemz.typepad.com-
- Use different decorating styles and periods, but make sure they have something in common like the feeling or the color
Source: HGTV.com
- Use pieces with the proper scale
Source: www.decoist.com-
- Have fun with it. As long as it speaks to your personality and you love it then you’re doing it right
Source: www.ideashomeconcept.com-
I am a big believer in comfort at the dining room table. You want it to be a place where guests linger long after the food is gone. Even just switching out the host and hostess chairs to more comfortable options is a big step in the right direction.
Please don’t let your dining room be one of those formal, walk-by rooms that the kids aren’t allowed in, and only gets used twice a year! Make it inviting and fun! 
Would you try mixing dining room seating in your home? I would love to know!
Wishing you all a terrific Tuesday!
Be Inspired!
Veronica Solomon
www.VeronicaSolomon.com
I love the idea of having comfortable chairs at the dinning room table. I wouldn’t have thought of that because I generally think of just regular hard chairs but the recliner type chairs look awesome and I love all the pillows too, definitely looks more inviting.
I like the one with all the colorful chairs. I have a boring wood table with six matching boring chairs. I would love to change things up with some color in my dining room.
Oh I love the comfy seated dining area.. of course if my kids were adults.. but since they are little.. I would def take the colorful chairs.. so bright and beautiful.
I don’t know if I could mix my seating, but I love some of the ones you showed us. I am just from the old school where my dining chairs have to match.
Dining room is where I am comfortable when I get stress or not in the mood. Thank you for the designs of dining. I love it
I have noticed this lately and I’m starting to really like this. Especially in your dining room make-over, I think the chairs were awesome. Definitely something I might consider doing in the future. Thank you!
You always share such fun ideas – I love using different chairs in the dining room to enhance the space and make it inviting!
This works best with a square table. Some of my old timey chairs have about had it. Time for a bench!
I have a matching set that I bought when we bought our house, but I really do love the idea of mixing up the seating. It makes it look more cozy somehow.
I love the idea of mixing seats and the bench seats! I can’t wait to get our dining room back from the play room!
Those are interesting choices. I really like all of them.
Seeing all of these beautiful rooms makes me really think about changing up some of my own, seriously you’re very talented.
I love the look of all the colored wooden chairs around the table. I love an ecclectic look – gives a homey down to earth feeling!
The bench idea is brilliant. So cozy and inviting. Almost like eating on the couch!
I am so OCD- I could not handle the chairs being all different styles. Maybe I could do 2 different colors… as long as they were in even numbered groups!
How pretty! I have absolutely NO home decorating style whatsoever. I love your ideas and advice.
I love the bench that you used. The mixed of colors of chairs in that one is just my style!
I adore the table with the mismatched chairs. that is really cute.
I like the look you’ve come up with for your dining area a lot.
This is a really neat idea. I love the look it gives to a room.
I have to say the couches look really comfortable. Great idea.
I love the seating that you chose for your dining room. I would love to mix up my dining area with bench seating or some new chairs.
I love seeing the different style of seating. I would love to do a very comfortable chair in my formal dinning room (as soon as the kids are older).
I love the seating arrangement you have. Do two people fit comfortably on the small couch?
I like the best is image at bottom here. I could fall a sleep in your dining couch after good dinner
I love having a cozy dining room space where everyone is close to one another and able to converse. These are some amazing setups.
Doing this to your dining room really makes for a shnazzy eclectic look.
I agree with the comfy dining room seating too. I love these tips.
I always enjoy seeing your decorating ideas. I tend to lean toward a funky, quirky look and the idea of using different chairs seems really cool. I also like how you accessorized with throw cushions.
I can’t wait to own my own house so I can do my own style of decorating like this! I love, love, LOVE the mixture of seats and a dining room table. It really does give it a very cozy, intimate feeling which is what I think a lot of people strive to achieve
I love these ideas. I have such a tiny dining room that it is so hard to change anything.
I love this! Funny story, when I was growing we had mix matching dinning room chairs. Not for decor but because we usually got them second hand (since we didn’t have a lot of money). So to see that mix dinning room seating is “IN” makes me giggle!
That would be perfect for our dining area, it too is small and does not have a good flow to it. I need darker fabric though, my youngest is still quite a messy eater.
Respectfully, it looks nice but it isn’t my thing. I prefer a more uniform look in the dining room. Plus I don’t really feel comfortable eating in a chair that’s comfy, I prefer that in the living room.
Thanks Val. That’s what makes interior design great, you can be as individual as you want to be. Comfy chairs are great for some, but like you, there are folks that like the traditional arrangement. Nothing wrong with that at all. It is still quite beautiful.
How lovely that looks! It would depend on what pieces I had to know if I’d consider a look like that.
Wow I see many different options for different dining room sizes and shapes
I like the fabric chair choices that are black and white, but there are so many other gorgeous designs as well:) Great work!
I like those big wicker chairs and then the metal ones. What a change in texture!
i’ve been wanting a bench for a long time. i think it would save on space too
Thanks for these ideas. I am getting ready to purchase a new dinning room table and chairs and have been looking around. I am kind of taking my time and trying to figure it all out but I do want comfort. I like the idea of people staying at the table for awhile especially after you spend your time making a great meal.
I really wouldn’t have thought to do this, but from your examples, I totally love it. So glad you shared this.
This is new year and still did not updated the look of our dining room area. A mix of seats will definitely give it a huge dufference.
I love how they mix up the chairs. If one of mine breaks I’ll jsut paint the old ones and add them to the table. great idea!
My brother bought a long table that had a bench that seats 3 because he liked the look and it accommodated several people. Realized the hard way it’s hard to be the person sitting in the middle. I like the ‘bench’ you featured that is two separate stools.
We are guilty of buying a whole set because it was discount priced, and then not liking every piece. Smart thinking on the furniture store’s part, silly on ours.
I would have never thought of these combos. I’ve seen couches and chairs
We had all matching stuff at one point. Then one day I woke up and decided I hated it lol. Now it’s different pieces that work well with one another.
I love this. I really like the backless benches! So cute!
I love your mix and match look, and that bench is divine! We went with a table from one store, side chairs from another, and we are hunting down our head chairs, which I’d like to be similar to your cane back chair!
I love the idea of mixingi seating. It really gives it a whole new feel/look
This is a great idea and I love the first picture. However I would not want to sit on a couch and eat my dinner.
I understand Amanda. This look is certainly not for everyone. I have clients who would absolutely say no to this too, so you are certainly not alone.
So cozy—love your tips!
Thank you!
Oh my gosh, this would be the comfiest seating eveeeeer to eat dinner on. I love it. My personal favorite is the mix of white chairs!
I love this! Gone are the days of “formal” dining rooms. This help make them personal and fun!
I love this. I have been seeing more of this. I had been looking at getting a different style of chairs for the head of our table.
Oh my I love this. I really need to reorganize everything and create a dining room seating according to this.