Sometimes a no-brainer is nice. Like my fit-and-flare navy cotton frock with its matching skinny belt. Or if I’m going to get the fries with my protein-style burger at In-N-Out (one glance through the window at the hypnotic potato-julienning aerobics, and it’s a given).
And even a set of matching bed linens can be just fine. Or NOT.
Maybe it’s the drummer in my head, but I think home decor is a splendid place to twirl out of one’s matchy-matchy comfort zone.
Consider seating for meals, for example. In my generation (no calculations, please) you grew up eating three squares around a sturdy wooden oval, soldiered by its chair clones. Your parents pinched pennies for said solid maple, and for its casual (and I reckon more FABULOUS) cousin—the dinette set—clad in laminate and thigh-grabbing vinyl.
Sets surrounded us. The kitchen. The dining room. All the bedrooms. Bath towels and fuzzy toilet-enveloping creatures. And then there were the matching outfits my sisters and I sported. (But that’s another tale.)
It was all perfectly coordinated for us. A no-brainer and no surprise. And while beautiful, quality sets surely still have their place, I think that’s why now, I tend to avoid the MATCHIES.
I was chatting with my friends over at Chairish, and they challenged me to put together some dining spaces that mix it up a bit. Where you can delight not only in your latest farmer’s market creation, but in the curated color and life where you sit.
And colorholic that I am, I went for it. Of course I tossed in a couple of my pillow designs. Enjoy my Style Boards below and let me know what you think in this post’s comments!
Here’s an Eclectic Dining Room that mixes the colorful fun of Mid-Century, with the cushy comfort of proper armchairs. Wood and pottery for warmth, original art and pillows for POP and life.
(Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Anthony Armchairs – Pair, My Bicoastal Sari Waves Pillow, Sculptural Leg Dining Table, Mid-Century Tangerine Chairs, Aldo Londi Bitossi Black And Gold Pottery Bowl, My Bicoastal Denim Trellis Pillow, 5-Foot Ficus Tree from ArtificialPlantsAndTrees.com, Moon Rising Painting by Bryan Boomershine, Vintage Oval Gold-Leaf Mirror, Zen, Blue/Lilac I. 2016 Original Oil Pastel.)
Next, I couldn’t resist this Palm Beach Look, that admittedly isn’t as much of a stretch with mixing up the furniture (same manufacturer). But it demonstrates how two chair-pairs add instant interest! Glitzy warmth in the artwork, a fun paint color, statement lighting and plants! Would Dorothy Draper approve?
(Ficks Reed Colony White Rattan Armchairs, Ficks Reed Green Rattan Armchairs, Early Saarinen Knoll Round Tulip Table, Large gold rounde succulent planter from InGaConcrete on Etsy, Jo Mattison “Orange Beach” Painting, Sirmos Tropical Leaf Chandelier, Banana Plant from ArtificialPlantsAndTrees.com, Pottery Urn.)
Finally, I hope some unexpected elements in this Artsy Chic Dining Room. (And clearly I still love my chartreuse!)
(Poul Volther J110 Chair, 16-Piece Vintage Napkin & Placemat Set, Metal Dining Table With Sculptural Legs, 1960s Milo Baughman Style Upholstered Bench, Mid Century Lime Dining Chairs, Green and Black Abstract Vase, 5.5 foot Column Artificial Cactus, Sleeping Women Pastel Drawing Signed W. Gray, Dorothy Draper Style Glam Mirror.)
Many of these pieces are still available over at Chairish. Just click the links below the photos.
Chairish is a designer’s (and a design-junkie’s) dream really. An exclusive, curator-approved online marketplace for beautifully designed items, many of which are rare or one-of-a-kind. So if a piece I link to here is sold out, click to Chairish’s main page or its dining chairs, tables or artwork pages.
(And FYI, I get no compensation for Chairish items sales. Same on the artificial plants.)
So, what are your thoughts on these or your own dining spaces? How do you Mix it Up??
Or share about the coolest “mixed-up” dining space you’ve visited! Chime in with a comment.
