How To Choose Dining Room Chairs To Match Your Table

The right table may not come with chairs you love—or any chairs at all—but don’t let that stop you. You don’t need a showroom set to create the perfect space to gather loved ones and make memories. If you’re not sure how to choose dining room chairs to match your table, a few guidelines can give you plenty of possibilities.

Lap Room

Measure the distance from the top of the table to the floor; a common height is 30 inches. Most people find it’s comfortable to have about 10 inches between the seat and the underside of the table. The next time you go out to eat, bring along a small tape measure to check your preference or test a variety of options at the furniture store.

Relation To Table

Chairs should slide smoothly under the table without bumping into legs (furniture or people). Make sure the arms of the chair don’t brush underneath. Before you decide how many to buy, make sure you can allow at least 24 inches between the center of one chair and the next; six inches between each chair should be enough for elbow room.

Style

Chairs from the same design period as the table will work, as will chairs with consistent styling details like similar legs and feet carving. There’s a lot of leeway here, and there’s no need to search for something identical. The chairs just need to harmonize with the table—in spirit and in form—and Midwest Clearance Center can show you how. If necessary, there are ways to change a chair’s level of formality, such as upholstering it with a different fabric.

Finish

As long as a wood finish is within a shade or two of the table, you’re safe. The wood’s tone is more important than the depth of color. You can have more contrast if you tie it all together with an accent color, like upholstery that coordinates with the centerpiece or placemats.

Comfort

Test a few chairs, and give bonus points to the ones you can imagine staying comfortable all the way through Thanksgiving dinner. You want family members and guests to stay, course after course, and beyond—and if you prefer your guests to leave early, maybe skimp on cushioning.

Mismatching With Purpose

It sounds tricky, but it’s not difficult to show your style with different pieces, as long as something unites them. You can choose chairs in various shades of the same color if they have the same shape. Or play with chair shapes if they have the same color. The two chairs at each end of a dining table are usually different in some way, such as having armrests, so that’s a natural spot to mix it up and still retain symmetry.

At Midwest Clearance Center, we have endless combinations to try. If you’re looking for dining room furniture in St. Louis, you can experiment with tables and chairs at one of our six showrooms or contact us for assistance.