Ask Arren > Dining Chair Advice Needed
Hi Christine, I say GO FOR IT!!! I think the Eames Eiffel style chairs would look pretty special with the table, as well as pick up on the white built-ins and trim and the pale ground in your Shabby Chic sofa. It's definitely a more eclectic un-matched direction you'd be moving in, but I think if you keep everything nice and simple the look will really work. One of the easiest ways to see if everything will hang together would be to borrow one of those Eames style chairs 'on approval' from a store and bring it home for a day, and really see how a group of them will look around the table. Many stores will let you borrow a piece and put a temporary hold on your credit while you have it. And yes, I do think that Ethan Allen person might've been thinking about her commision, rather than your sense of style.
Cheers, Arren
Arren
Arren,
Thank you so much for backing up what I consider to be my "gut" instincts. It's nice to get positive reinforcement from someone whose taste and style I really admire. What I want to know is "how on earth do you do everything you do and still find the time to help us with all of our questions?"
You're a peach!
Thanks again.
Christine
Hi Arren,
I read with much interest your conversation with "SM" on Nov. 16/09 regarding table and chair choices. I am in the midst of finally giving the heave ho to our well used and abused IKEA set of table and chairs that got my husband through university, our early marriage, and crafts and homework done by our growing children. This particular set is in our 20' x 20' family room that has medium brown oak flooring, a few pieces of natural stained "countryish" antiques cabinets, white painted built in bookshelves/cupboards and a large shabby (and getting shabbier by the day) "chic" pretty floral couch in raspberry, pale green and cream. My tastes have been shifting somewhat since we first decorated the space and I love the mid-century modern look but I cannot afford a complete overhaul and anyway, I still do like the pieces in the FR so don't necessarily want to get rid of any of the furniture (except the IKEA stuff). My dilemna is I am thinking of getting the "American Artisan" dining table from Ethan Allen with tapered legs in the colour "Cinnamon". What I would like to do is to get the same sort of chair that "SM" was asking you about; the Eames Eiffel chair (or something quite similar). I think the table and chairs will look swell together, especially given your comments regarding the simplicity of the table. My concern is that the chairs will look out of place (although I like the idea of creating "tension" by mixing styles). The design consultant at Ethan Allen thought the chrome legs would look out of place in such a "pretty" room and that I should go with wooden chairs either in a medium stain, black or even white. I was suspicious that she may simply be trying to boost her commission, particularly since they don't sell any Eames style chairs! II think that a wooden chair will just be boring. What do you think? Sorry this is so long. I look forward to your unbiased advice.