Monday, October 19, 2009

Dining Dilemma

Do you remember this post? Well, we decided on the second table, the Montego Table from Pottery Barn. We picked it up last week, and we LOVE it.

Brent surprised me on my birthday by also ordering the coordinating buffet, which is so nice to have.

But our dilemma is the chairs. I love the Queen Anne style... this table is not as "formal" as I would one day want for a formal dining room...yet these chairs lend a bit more formality, while still working with the lines of the table.

We ordered the espresso finish in the table and buffet. We love love love dark furniture. But the only color that PB doesn't make these chairs in??? The espresso. Seriously? (And I did call to ask if they could stain one set for me...and I'd even pay more...but alas...) So we ordered the mahogany finish in one chair to see what we thought. Because we really LOVE this chair.

So, I'd love your opinion on what you think of the mix of woods.

(I usually don't mind "mixing woods" but I'm afraid that this looks like we were trying hard to match but didn't rather than "intentionally mismatching" the woods.)


(The table and buffet are the same color, though the table looks darker from the side perspective.)



So, what do you think??? Please give me honest answers!

(And if you want to share links to furniture stores you love that might work, I'd love suggestions. I've exhausted many of my favorites already.)

16 comments:

Davinie Fiero said...

I'm not sure if it bothers me or not..... lol. The edges are dark which match the table and the buffet. Have you considered staining them darker yourself? If you are set on the style you might want to consider heading to the home improvement store for a dark stain.

I'm no help, am I? lol

*reyanna* said...

I honestly think it doesn't look bad. I think the contrast is nice actually, but I'm really digging the mis-matched furniture look these days... LOL.

But what I think you should do if you keep the mahogany? Get some frames (PB sells them, I think) or SOME other decor that's the SAME color as the chairs. And either set that decor on the buffet, or hang it right above. THEN... it looks intentional! You need more mahogany in that room.

It's like brown and black in clothing. You CAN make it work, but you need to do some extra work... LOL.

Your dining room looks beautiful already! I can't wait to see the finished product! Please show pics of the whole room when you decide! :D

Emily Pitts said...

i would totally get a mixture of the blue, white, and red ones instead and really mix it up. i have black chairs and a butcher block table though, so take my advice with that in mind. i like to mix it up. i don't think the brown w/ the expresso is bad, but if it's bugging you now, it's going to continue bugging you forever.

it is a beautiful table :)

{CuTe CaRd QuEeN} said...

I love the furniture too!
Hm. I don't know. Its not my favorite in the pictures, but once you get in the room and have the full effect it might not be as noticeable.
I cannot BELIEVE they don't have matching chairs?!?
I love it, no matter what you decide! love it!

april said...

i don't mind mixing woods at all.
i think once you add some decorations to the room, it'll look quite nice

Joy Madison said...

I don't mind the mis matched woods, but if it IS already bothering you, it might continue to....I like it personally though, and it does lend the "formality" it looks like you are going for in that room.

Hanna Long said...

I love the mismatched look, but I would maybe add some other textures or elements that help it feel like it has been collected over time - KWIM?? I think if you add some extra colors on your buffet and maybe even put a pattern fabric on the chairs it would totally pull it all together, but again I really prefer for my woods not to match perfectly. So go w/ what you love and makes you happy, otherwise it could drive you nuts for years.

Erin said...

I'm not one for the matchy matchy look, so to me it looks fine. I would even consider mixing and matching a couple of the brown shades in the chairs or adding other pieces to the room that are similar to the lighter wood. I have 4 brown chairs and 2 red leather end chairs at my dining table. By the way, that's the buffet I've been coveting for at least a year...lucky girl!

Ally said...

I typically don't mind mixing woods either, but these two just don't seem to go for me. I'd go with something that has more contrast to it. Maybe going with the black or the lighter woods, or even the white.

Hilary said...

My whole world is mismatched, so I have no room to direct...I think you make your own style and go with it, but if you are unsure and don't know if you like it, then maybe you don't. You might love the chairs because of their formality, but won't use the table in a formal room...so what chairs will you use then? Maybe go for some casual chairs now and get the formal ones later. But the table and chairs and buffet are all beautiful...great taste, my friend.

And well, I'm a sucker for those colored chairs too...love that blue.

Chris Dodaj said...

I was going to say staining them or painting them or covers if you can find them?

Good luck!!

lisa dickinson said...

honestly? i'm not crazy about the mixed wood colors. do the chairs come in black? i almost think a painted finish would work better - then it doesn't look like you are trying to match wood stains. then again, painted is probably less formal. my "formal" dining has mismatched chairs at a very similar table to the montego :)

lisa dickinson said...

um, i just read mle's post and dontcha know, we have very similar decorating styles :)

sarah corbin said...

I think it would probably look a lot better once you have all the mahogany chairs around the table and more decorations...can you photoshop and try it???! I think it would probably look best with the darker chairs, but I agree with Hilary. If you are planning on getting a more formal set later (and if you have the money to do it), I might look at other chairs that are more casual or think about getting these in a color you know you would be happy with, whether it's the mahogany or a contrasting color.

I'm not very good at decorating, so take my opinion lightly. Brent wanted to paint our kitchen island a light green/blue color and I fought it for so long (i don't particularly love painted furniture), but now I love it. You have such good taste and creativity that whatever you decide, you will make it work and everyone will end up loving it.

Terrie said...

I have an expresso dining room table with six black chairs and I love it. I got my table and chairs at Ethan Allen and that was how they were showing them at the time.

sarah corbin said...

So, I just showed this post to Brent and he said "I would definitely say yes to those chairs. I don't think it matters that they don't match. I think they look good together."

I will defer to him as he has the best taste in this family! :)

 

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