How to Match a Table and Chairs

How to match chairs to a table? Should all of the chairs be in the same style or different? Can you pair an antique table with modern chairs? When matching a table and chairs, your personal taste plays a large part and shouldn’t be reduced to a series of rules. However, in order to design a harmonious space, there are certain guidelines used by interior designers which you can follow too. These guidelines are intended for creating links between materials, colours or shapes.

In this guide, you will find a wide range of tips and examples, including:

• - size and proportions
• - different environments: kitchen, living room, dining room
• - colours: one colour, two-tone, different chairs
• - styles: modern, design & others
• - materials: glass, wood, metal and iron, marble
• - unique designs
• - overview...

HEIGHT

On each product page, we always indicate the height of the tabletop and how thick it is, the height of the seat, the height of the backrest and, where relevant, the height of the armrests. Thanks to these measurements, you can then calculate: whether there is a sufficient distance between the seat and the tabletop (at least 25cm, so as to allow people to cross their legs); whether the backrest is tall enough for those using the chairs; whether the armrests allow for the chairs to be pushed under the table when not in use.

WIDTH

The total width of each chair influences how much of the table can be used, as well as the comfort and ease of movement for those using them (each guest should be able to feel relaxed, without touching the person on either side). The minimum space for each guest should be 60cm. This measurement allows you to calculate how many chairs to place around the table, based also on the width of each chair (including armrests). Bear in mind that you should also be able to push the chairs under the table without any overlap.

DEPTH

If you don’t have a lot of available space, the depth of the seats will also be an important factor in your decision. In this case, you will need to opt for models which don’t take up too much space and subsequently block people from walking past the table, both when the chairs are in use and when they are pushed under the table. The style of the chair legs may also affect this decision. Bear this in mind when choosing your chairs, particularly if you are looking at models with spokes or sled bases, which may or may not be compatible with the table you have chosen.

A table and chairs in the kitchen

The table and chairs in a kitchen must be functional and hygienic. There is a wide range of tables to choose from, including some featuring ultra-resistant resin and ceramic tabletops. The best chairs are light and can be moved easily for cleaning, which happens every day in a kitchen. The best materials to choose are coloured or neutral plastics (easy to clean), metal, and wood (though not untreated wood as it may be porous). The backrests shouldn’t be too high, as otherwise they could get in the way of the hustle and bustle usually found in a kitchen environment.

A table and chairs in the dining room

For a dining room which is separate from both the kitchen and the living room, the focus is usually put on aesthetics and comfort. If you are furnishing a dining room which isn’t used on a daily basis and only when you have guests, the best chairs to choose are those upholstered in leather, fabric or faux-leather. These materials add a level of comfort which is vital when hosting guests for an event such as a dinner party. For the same reason, you may also opt for chairs with tall backrests and/or armrests.

A table and chairs in the living room

If you have a living room which is separate from the kitchen, you can play around with matching your table and chairs with the furniture in the living room: maybe to the colour of the sofa or a sideboard, or to the material of the TV stand, or bookcase. If your living room is an open space which is visible from the kitchen, you can: create 3 distinct zones by selecting a table and chairs with their own style; match the table and chairs to the kitchen furniture to create 2 defined spaces instead of 3; or create an aesthetic link between the table and chairs and the living room space, in order to take the attention away from the kitchen.

One colour

A white table and chairs, a black or grey table and chairs, all red, all brown, all wood. You can never go wrong with a ‘complete look’, though it’s also important to consider the rest of the furniture in the room so as to avoid excessive similarity which may make the room look ‘flat’. Another piece of advice: if the table and chairs are coloured, it’s best if they come from the same manufacturer so that they are the same shade.

A table and chairs in two different colours

There are several options for a bi-colour combination. You can create two distinct colour blocks by choosing a table in one colour and chairs in another (white and black is always a great choice, a dark table with light chairs or vice versa). Alternatively: you can match the legs of the table with the legs of the chairs, and then match the seat with the tabletop; you can choose a two-tone table with mono-colour chairs which match either the base or the tabletop; or you can alternate the colours by matching the legs of the chair with the top of the table, and the seat of the chair with the base of the table.

A table with different chairs

If you really want to stand out, you can put multiple different models of chair around the table. The secret is to create a sense of cohesion by choosing a common thread: a style, colour, material, or structural characteristic (height of the backrest, shape, type of fabric, pattern). Either way, you define a clear and fixed feature which will provide the key to understanding your own personal style. If you like this idea but don’t want to take too much of a risk, you can simply change up the chairs at the head of the table.

Modern tables and chairs

It’s impossible to objectively define exactly what ‘modern’ is, because there are often typical features from the more classic furniture style (e.g. sabre-shaped legs) which become modern as soon as they are styled and reinterpreted. We tend to associate modernity with clean, functional and simple shapes. The most utilised materials are metal, glass, cement-effect resin and ceramic, marble and stone. Wood can also be considered a modern choice (even if increasingly less common), which is used in minimalist designs typical of the modern style.

Tavolo e sedie di design

Some pieces of furniture are immortal, such as the round Saarinen table which was designed over 50 years ago and still works perfectly in any modern kitchen or beside a classic sofa. These pieces can be matched with anything and work well in both tiny kitchens or huge spaces. There are plenty of shapes and vibrant colours to choose from if you are looking for a contemporary-style table for a large space. If, on the other hand, you are looking for something more unique and suited to a small space, you may prefer something with neutral colours and without a sculptural base or overly-ornate chairs (you wouldn’t have a wide enough view to appreciate them).

Class tables and chairs

If you love tables with a traditional style, the perfect table for you will have carved, rounded, sabre-shaped or ‘onion-shaped’ legs. The top will be made of simple or inlaid wood, or glass (smoked glass is particularly suited to classic environments). If you prefer the style known as ‘contemporary classic’, you should look for brighter finishes, such as a white lacquer table with matching chairs, or a gold or silver-leaf wrought iron table. A chair which typically complements classic furniture will have a round backrest (also known as Louis XVI) or a tall backrest with decorative detail at the top. Chairs with skirts are also a great option.

Antique table with modern chairs

If you have chosen a wooden antique table, you clearly appreciate its aesthetic characteristics, even including the wear and tear that comes with time. This also means you know that a piece of antique furniture placed in a contemporary space, becomes the main feature of the room and requires chairs which enhance its unique character. The ideal option is to create a distinct contrast with: modern upholstered chairs; matching, neutral or coloured wood; vintage chairs (brasserie, osteria, Bauhaus, Thonet, Vienna straw style etc...) upholstered in a modern style; metal, or clear polycarbonate.

Table and chairs in an industrial style

Straight from the American-style loft, this style speaks the language of metal and wood, with simple shapes, rough surfaces, angles and no elaborate designs. The metal is not finely crafted (iron, matt finishes, burnished, corten effect), but instead gives the impression of having been salvaged. The wood, ideally solid, is characterised by the marks of time. If you want some colour, match grey, black, brown or dirty white with primary colours (yellow, green, blue). The perfect environment for this kind of furniture has exposed brick, as well as concrete, resin or parquet floors.

Table and chairs in a Nordic style

Scandinavian design often features wooden furniture mixed with a pallet of bright colours: white, grey, taupe and bright wood such as oak or elm. Tables made from solid wood are often paired with chairs made from polycarbonate and white, grey or black polypropylene. Colours are dusty and unsaturated, and usually used for upholstered pieces. Sage green, dusty pink, terracotta, duck-egg blue and geometric patterns are all perfect for chairs. For the table, you may also choose a marble top (a grey-white such as Carrara or Calacatta, or black such an Marquinia).

Sedie per tavolo in vetro o cristallo

Glass and crystal are symbols of elegance and sophistication. The most popular finishes for formal environments are clear, extra-clear and smoked glass. For living rooms or kitchens, on the other hand, you may opt for lacquer or colour finishes. In the first instance, the chairs will match the material or colour of the base of the table: they will be modern, wooden, metal or upholstered to match. For black, white or colour tables, however, the chairs can match the colour scheme. Upholstered chairs or small armchairs are a pot-on match. For maximum elegance, choose leather or Nubuck-leather upholstery. For maximum practicality, choose faux-leather or a matching fabric.

Table and chairs in metal and iron

Our first piece of advice: don’t mix different finishes. Chrome goes with chrome, satin-finish goes with satin-finish, burnished goes with burnished. If you follow this rule, you’ll be able to match the base of the table with the base of the chairs without any problems. If you prefer upholstered chairs, you can stick with grey-charcoal if the metal is in a ‘natural’ finish, brown if you have chosen a burnished or corten finish, or a matching colour if you have chosen a lacquered finish. These guidelines also apply to iron. Golden, silver leaf, aged, glossy, brushed, bronzed, copper, vintage, metallic: in any of these cases, don’t mix finishes. Given the unique nature of this material, it’s best to choose models from the same collection and produced by the same manufacturer.

Table legs with unique designs

The legs of a table, particularly those with a unique or unusual design, define its style: crossed, glass, turned, ‘onion-shaped’, sculpted, hairpin, multicoloured, or composed of one central beam. Any table with a modern, sculptured base requires neutral chairs. You might opt for minimalist, single-piece, matching or transparent chairs. The spotlight should be on the base of the table, rather than on the chairs.

What chairs are best with a round table?

The main difference between a round table and a square or rectangular table, is the absence of corners, making it ideal for ‘in-between spaces’ (e.g. an open space where a table separates the living room from the kitchen), small spaces, or square-shaped spaces. It can be a good idea to choose chairs with rounded backrests which highlight the round shape of the table.