Dining Room Chair Tips

Mix and Match Chairs

• Mix chair colors and styles to create a dynamic, playful table. A selection of retro office chairs add a humorous "working lunch" angle to a 1950s-inspired decor. Paint a variety of open-backed wood chairs white to unify their disparate designs. Or paint them red, then upholster padded seats in light blue velvet for a clean and contemporary but unfussy look.

Benches and Stools

• Benches and stools evoke an informal mood. Stools work best with tall tables; find chrome and vinyl styles at vintage stores for a diner atmosphere or dark wood versions for a pub mood. Benches can be quirky, handmade from split tree-trunks and highlighted beside a table built from salvaged wood, or elegant, such as iron versions intended for outdoor use. Offer comfortable cushions for benches when you are hosting a long dinner.

Upholstery and Slipcovers

• Reupholster blemished chairs, or hide them temporarily with slipcovers. Find premade slipcovers for standard-size chairs at home furnishing outlets. Elegant silk versions with delicate ties are appropriate for a formal event; cotton prints with button closures are cute for a summer decor shift. Reupholstering is a permanent technique that requires an investment of money and time; consider options carefully, taking home fabric samples and looking at them in your dining room under both daytime and evening natural and artificial lights before making a decision.

Proportion

• Test your potential chairs with your table to ensure an ergonomically correct fit. Your elbows should be at about a 90-degree angle when you set your arms on the table top from a seated position. If you love your dining chairs but your table feels too high, hire a professional woodworker to shorten it.