It used to be that people bought "suites" of furniture. If you were shopping for, say, dining room furniture, you would go to the furniture store and choose a dining room suite that included the table, the chairs, the china cabinet, and the buffet. (sigh).
Garanimals for furniture. In theory, I can see why this is attractive to a lot of people. It eliminates the anxiety that comes with making thoughtful decisions for each design element, and it eliminates the fear of getting it "wrong".
But at what cost? Where's the personality? Where's the joy?
Are you struggling with mixing furniture styles? It's okay, we're going to break it down in baby steps! If you're in the matching furniture rut, here are a few things you can do to change up your look and add a little pizzazz.
1. Paint those chairs! It will brighten and refresh the entire room. Can you imagine how different the room below would feel if the chairs were the same brown wood as the table?
Add a pair of upholstered or slipcovered host chairs. If your chairs are all wood, this is a great opportunity to add some texture in a room that normally doesn't have much. Bonus: Upholstered chairs create a feeling of luxury, too!
Swap out a few of your dining chairs for a bench. This will lend a more casual feel to your dining room.
4. Add an small upholstered sofa or settee. Talk about luxury - and comfort! This move alone could transform your dining room from a once a year meal destination to a frequently used, multi-purpose space.
5. Replace a few of your dining room chairs with chairs in a completely different style. Next, sit back and enjoy your new role as trendsetter.
But you don't have to stop at one of these changes. You can incorporate a few or all of my suggestions. The payoff will be big!
See? Mixed trumps matched. Every time.
