How Do You Match Kitchen Tables And Chairs?

To match or not to match, that is the question. And if you choose to match, then how do you match kitchen tables and chairs?

When it comes to luxury dining tables and dining chairs, we know a thing or two. We've been working with some of the best brands in the world for almost 40 years and we have designed many beautiful dining rooms.

To help you find the perfect furniture combination, we asked our interior designers for their advice on matching dining sets and the style tips that you should know.

Your Table and Chairs Should be Different Materials

FCI senior designer, Cristina Chirila, has a great way of explaining the matching conundrum.  "Think of your kitchen table and dining chairs as sisters, not twins," she says. "That matchy-matchy look is several decades out of date. What you want is a curated look where it's evident that you've chosen the pieces to complement one another and bring visual interest to the room."

As this can be a hard art to master, Cristina has a few basic tips to get you started.

• Avoid purchasing a package deal where the dining table comes with chairs. "Furniture stores invented this combo to help relieve the stress of decision-making for their agitated customers, but in the process, it also removed any real flair for interior design and kicked off an age of one-dimensional furniture that is as boring as it is cheap."
• Avoid dining sets in the same material. "Search online for images of matching dining sets and you'll instantly see why different materials are a must. Oak dining tables are stunning, but add some oak dining chairs in the exact same shade and you'll see a very clear, very expensive example of too much of a good thing."
• Do style graze. "Style grazing is like your grandmother's favourite home-cooking recipe. Take a dash of one design aesthetic and add it to a drop of another, then splash in a hint of another style and mix it all up to create something that is uniquely yours."

Start With The Dining Table

This is a fairly obvious point, but it's still worth noting. "Your dining table is the centrepiece of the room," says Cristina. "Luxury, bespoke dining tables own the space they're in. Think of them as the string section of an orchestra - the melody around which the rest of your space is built. Your dining chairs are the woodwinds, the harmonious accompaniments that enhance the overall effect."

Once you've chosen the size style and material for your dining table, you can choose dining chairs that add to your design flavour based not only on style, but also comfort and functionality."

If you’re confident with your decor capabilities, you can go a step further and mix styles from different eras such as combining contemporary with traditional. To avoid creating an eyesore, use the colour wheel to see which shades work well together then build a cohesive palette around them. If you plan to have different colour chairs, ensure that they are the same shape for a balanced yet dynamic look.

Mix and Match Your Colours

If this sets your teeth on edge, we get it. We know that some of our customers really like their furniture to be the same, or at least very similar, colours. If you're in that category, Cristina has some good advice for you. 

"Your dining table and chairs can be the same colour, but only if they have different textures. This breaks up the monotony and adds depth to your overall look. Pair a smooth wooden table with chairs that have weaving detail on the seat, for example. This gives a layered feel to your room which is a key element in modern interior design."

"If you're set on having your table and chairs in the same colour, pick a design style to follow throughout the room so you know this aesthetic will work. Scandi or Japandi, for example, are all about minimalism. As long as your other furnishing and accessories follow the concept, you can use matching colours to create a very specific look."

Don’t Forget Your Flooring

Before you rush out armed with your newly inspired dining set ideas, there's one more key aspect to consider. Regardless of what colours and styles you choose, your flooring will play an important role in the aesthetic of your dining room. Since your floor is the one thing you either can't - or you're very unlikely to - change, it makes sense to look into what colours and textures will best enhance your existing dining room colour palette.

"You want to make sure that your flooring, dining table and dining chairs are all complementary and don't match too closely," says Cristina. "If everything is very similar in colour, your room is going to feel very bland. The key is variety. Different shapes, textures, colours, materials - all of these come into play when designing a space that is both inviting and interesting."

In Conclusion

The key thing to remember when matching your kitchen table and chairs is that you want your dining table and dining chairs to be like sisters, not identical twins. Choose different colours, materials, styles and textures to create a layered look that is the epitome of contemporary interior design and will create a gorgeous dining room aesthetic.

Browse our collection of luxury dining tables and modern dining chairs. We've been selling luxury furniture for nearly 40 years and we are intimately familiar with all the options offered by our many designer brands. We can help you select the perfect combination of materials and styles to create a bespoke dining set that will bring joy and tranquillity to your home. 

Pop into our showroom where we'll gladly show you some of our samples and talk you through mixing and matching your kitchen table and chairs in more detail.  You can also whatsapp us with your questions or take a look at our interior design project portfolio, where we have many completed dining rooms to inspire you. We look forward to helping you find your perfect dining table and chair set.