Good Questions: Unique Chairs for our Table?

We bought a modern table (white and chrome) that came with matching chairs. I would like to replace the current chairs and have 4 unique chairs instead. What is the secret to getting this look right? I've seem some do it and have it look amazing, while others fall short. Every other bit of furniture in our living/dining area is white (and modern), with the exception of an old leather club chair (in brown) and the walls are painted a very pale silver with dark charcoal gray in the dormers. We do have bright primary colors in small doses via pop art, pillows, etc.

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Comments (13)

is that picture your table/chairs?
if so, i LOVE the light, and the table and chairs (i think) work together!
if your goal is just more color, i would actually just suggest getting or making a piece of large wall art that is some sort of bright color (your choice, but with that grey wall, i'd try tangerine), and i'd try to use only that same color in my floral arrangement in the center.

Can't go wrong with Eames chairs in walnut or oak. The wood would warm things up. That table is very similar to a Piet Hein table which I have but unfortunately its in the closet.

i know what you mean, I've seen some great mixtures of modern tables with retro chairs or farmhouse type styles mixed with modern, but when i try it it never seems to work.
sorry, that's no help, but interested to see what shows up.
I'm thinking a yellow or red upholstered chair for some reason.

i would stay away from white or the color of the table for the simple reason that they might "fall short". if you choose the same color as the tale and a different style, it may look like you were trying to match instead of contrast. i would take a few pics of the table and the colors in surrounding areas when i go shopping. i think metal chairs would be cool, but it depends on the size of the room

also consider the size of the room. if the chairs are too big or the backs are too tall, might make the room look smaller and the table insignificant.

lol go to the chair store in dedham :)

I always say mix and match your chairs and table! I currently have those exact chairs (got mine from Crate & Barrel) paired with my late 1960's dark wood pedestal table and it looks awesome!

I think you should go for something in a fun color or in a darker wood. I would try and stay with a visually light chair (no huge, bulky or chunky ones) but play with color.

Am I understanding correctly? By "4 unique chairs" you mean all different from each other, correct?
If it was me, I'd also want to mix up the chairs a bit. Right now its pretty but kinda "box set" looking. I think your challenge is finding options that all compliment the very distinct table. That's going to be difficult and don't really have any suggestions other than making sure you repeat the white and chrome in the replacement seats. Or you might consider making seat cushions for the current chairs in co-ordinating but not matching fabrics. - or maybe matching bottom panels and mis-matched top panels.
My friend had those chairs and the seats got so scratched up from the rivets on her jeans back pockets, it might be a nice way to prolong their life anyway?

You could paint the current chairs, each a slightly different color. Possibly try out the look with slipcovers first, just to see how the colors work together. Get some cheap fabric for this, if you want you can simply drape those over the back to get a feel for the color scheme...

I think it will be hard to find another type of chairs that will go well with this table...

I'm not sure what's wrong with the existing chairs - it's a clean and classic style...

...but if you must, why not choose identical upholstered chairs with a solid color on the seat and inside surfaces - and a pattern on the outside surfaces (or vice versa)?

what color grey is that on the walls, i am having the hardest time getting the perfect grey!!!

i think that wood chairs (spindle back or ladder back) painted black would look beautiful with that table.

yes, I guess I didn't make myself too clear. I meant 4 mismatched chairs.

The reasons we want to replace the current chairs are: bolt holding legs together comes lose all the time, and they are scratched from jeans (as someone pointed out). We are not trying to use the idea to introduce color.

The grey on the walls is "Anis". It's a Swedish brand of paint (alcro).

If I am understanding your question correctly, you want to replace your current "set" of identical chairs with a "set" of four different chairs. I've been trying to do just that thing with our dining area, as we were given a dining table but no chairs. It helps if the chairs that you select are "friends" with one another. They can be all similar styles and the same color, or all the same style with different colors. I figured out the "similar styles or era" thing when we added a fourth chair that was from a very different era and it just looked wrong. Like you could do four MCM chairs, or four historical chairs, but mixing them up is really really hard to have look good.

The problem with mixing-matching is that lots of people leave out the 'matching' part. There needs to be some THING that unifies the group.

So - if you get 4 chairs from different eras try painting them all the exact same color. Or have them be the same wood tones (all walnut)

Conversely you could do what I have around my kitchen table: 4 Eames shell chairs, each in a different color. Then they are unified by the form, but visually different.

You could also do some sort of wood & upholstered chairs, in which the woods are the same, and you mix up the upholstery. Danish chairs are great for that (see link)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_-yqjvviIsG4/RtiI1JB3iUI/AAAAAAAABB0/oOv5ISPm6WY/DSCF4468.JPG