Mixing It Up at the Dining Room Table

Wingback Chairs used as Hostess Chairs at Dining Table (images on my pinterest board with sources associated) - link

I have noticed that there is a decorating trend to mix and match seating options at the dining room table.  It is not just about using 4-8 of the same chairs. Often there are upholstered pieces at the ends; settees and benches on the sides; and, variations in basic chairs. Although my photographs did not particularly capture it well, this was the strategy used at the Southern Living House in Senoia, Georgia last fall - link to my posting on my visit. I also am working with a client to find just the right settee/loveseat to use at her square dining room table in upstate New York.

One of the tricks to this approach is look for pieces that work with the height of the table. It is most comfortable for diners to be sitting at the right height for the table and this measurement is perhaps the most critical for choosing non-conventional pieces.  Here is a guide for seating height.

Standard-height dining tables and chairs are the most common. The measurement for a standard dining chair is between 16 and 17 inches for a 26-1/2-inch table and 18 inches for a table 28 to 30 inches tall.

Read more: The Standard Height for a Dining Room Chair | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6784692_standard-height-dining-room-chair.html#ixzz2NEidPeN6

Great Looking Settee Sofa at this Table (although the seating height looks a little low to me) -  source

Two Wing Back Chairs Work Perfectly at this Small Table source. 

Matching but Unconventional Wing Backs at the Table - source 

Love the Look - Not so Sure About Comfort - source 

Colorful and Cheerful - source

 I have a number of pieces in my inventory that I think might work very well for this type of mixed seating approach. I do not tend to have benches but do carry wing back chairs, hostess chairs, and settees that might all work with a dining room table. All are available on eBay or Etsy (and some may be on One King's Lane soon).

What do you think of this decorating trend - love it or not?