Chairs that match the table

[BarefootScientist]

DH and I just ran into a huge problem in deciding what to pack for our move. I think it might be a family background issue.

DH thinks we need to keep all six chairs that "go with" our kitchen table (keeping in mind that it's just a plain wood table and anything could "match" it, and also that while six chairs can comfortably be around it for eating purposes, only four can be pushed in and look nice, even with the leaf in). His family apparently has all matching chairs, even at huge family gatherings.

I, on the other hand, would gladly get rid of all the chairs (I don't particularly like them, they're ok) and pick up thrift store ones here and there or whatever. I'd also like to get a picnic table for the kitchen so this would be a craft table but that's another thread. But at the very least I was trying to convince him to leave behind two chairs so we can just have the four that can actually be stored with the table. If we have more than four people eating, we have mismatched chairs. No big deal. This is what my family always did - they had the four or six chairs or whatever that were always at the table, and if more people than that came for dinner we went scavenging chairs from around the house so that everyone had a place to sit.

So whose family is crazy? J/k but I would like some opinions on whether or not it is important to have matched chairs.

[zoebird]

my mom loves furniture. she has a kitchen table (4 chairs) plus a dining (6 chairs), and then a number of "occasional chairs" that were for dining room tables but "extras" that didn't match her set, btu went nicely if used (4-5). these were spread around the house.

for any large function, mom would usually use the 6 plus 4 or 5--it would be rare for her to need more, but if we had an even bigger function, she would set some people up at the kitchen table, and the rest at the dining room. but i don't think my mother entertained any more than 8-10.

personally, i don't think matching matters at all, and i really don't care. LOL benches are great, but we actually picnic every meal right now. LOL

[catscharm74]

We have a table for 6...we have 4 chairs around the table and the other 2, I stripped and painted. One is my desk chair and the other sits in the corner, painted hot pink. I repainted my kitchen table and chairs white. If we need extra, we just pull up the other 2. I like willy nilly style, it's fun for me. : )

[rebeccalizzie]

We keep the extra chairs, but we don't keep them with the table. We have 8 dining room chairs and only 6 fit without the leaf, but when we have people over and use the leaf we need those last two chairs. We store them in the basement and bring them up when we need them. We don't have kitchen type chairs anywhere else in the house that we could use so we need them.

I don't see the point of getting rid of the chairs that match your table just to buy new ones at the thrift store?

[Ola_]

I think un-matched chairs look nice and don't have anything against them, but if you already have matching ones then I wouldn't get rid of them. The only way I could see it is if you will pay so much to move them (i.e. it puts you over a pay threshold or something) that it becomes more feasible to buy new ones at your destination. Otherwise I vote to keep.

[hillymum]

I prefer matching chairs! I think it looks more "put together" and uncluttered, even if all the chairs do not fit around the table.

I actually can't see the point of already owning matching chairs but getting ride of them with the plan of buying mixed styled chairs later on. If your moving, why not sell the whole set on Craigs List and after you've moved buy a new to you set the same way? Thats what I plan to do if we do another long distance move. I've seen dining sets and bedroom sets for crazy low prices!

[Drummer's Wife]

I'd keep the two matching chairs...not that I think unmatched ones are awful, though, I do think a matching set looks nicer and if you wanted to sell them someday w/or w/o the table, it would better to have them match... but you already have them, so it seems like a lot of work to sell/donate them now and buy more later on. I guess I can see if you don't have room to store them at your new place - but then you wouldn't have room to store the unmatched ones, either.

[BarefootScientist]

Well, I'm trying to avoid having to rent a U-Haul trailer. That's my main motivation. Also, I just don't like having random kitchen chairs cluttering up my random corners.

But carry on with your opinions.

[zoebird]

the cost benefit analysis then, is this:

1. how many chairs do you need in the new location?

2. how many chairs do you currently have?

3. how much would it cost to rent the UHaul, and would it be useful for things other than the chairs as well?

4. how much would it cost to get the right number of new chairs?

personally, i would rent the u-haul and take them, assuming they are in good condition. if you only need 4 and have 6, sell two, keep the others. chances are, you'll need a u-haul anyway, or it will fit on the moving truck if you are moving other furnishings. so, that's what i would do.

[BarefootScientist]

Hmmm. You guys are NOT helping. I did do some measurements today so soon I may be able to get a better idea in my head of whether we definitely WILL need the U-Haul, we definitely will NOT, or if my finagling my husband to bring less will ultimately make the difference.

Originally Posted by zoebird

the cost benefit analysis then, is this:

1. how many chairs do you need in the new location? I don't know, LOL. If we get a picnic table type thing for the kitchen like I'm thinking about, we'd really probably only need 3ish kitchen chairs for the craft table. If that's going to be our kitchen table, we'd need 3 all the time but who knows how many for special occasions. We'd want to have 6 or 7 seating spaces available I'd guess. But IMO they don't have to match and can be stools or whatever.

2. how many chairs do you currently have? For the table? Six. One is cracked and may break if more than my weight sits in it.

3. how much would it cost to rent the UHaul, and would it be useful for things other than the chairs as well? Wow it's only about $150. I was thinking a lot more but I must have been looking at some wrong wacky website before. That's still not really worth being two chairs to me but like I said before, I'll have to see how close it's going to be.

4. how much would it cost to get the right number of new chairs? Less than a hundred dollars I'd say. I'm cheap.

Thanks everyone. Still wondering if anyone else has opinions on whether matching is essential. I personally am hard-pressed to even notice or care in the least what kind of chair I'm sitting in at people's houses and whether it matches the others. Is that just me?

[zoebird]

well, we are looking at a kitchen table now--a cafe table, a bench (that we already have) and some stools that my friend is making for fun (for her, and giving them away to us, among others. she gets on kicks, like, one year, she made 200 scarves. so, you know, she'll probably make 200 stools. lol).

but, we are also happy sitting on the floor, so what is up with that? why get a table?

[BarefootScientist]

Originally Posted by zoebird

well, we are looking at a kitchen table now--a cafe table, a bench (that we already have) and some stools that my friend is making for fun (for her, and giving them away to us, among others. she gets on kicks, like, one year, she made 200 scarves. so, you know, she'll probably make 200 stools. lol).

but, we are also happy sitting on the floor, so what is up with that? why get a table?

LOL I know and here's the really hilarious part: that's what my DH said! He said, we should get a coffee table or a picnic blanket and eat on the floor! And I was like, you suggest this, and yet it's not ok to have mismatched chairs?

Your cafe table sounds fun.

[zoebird]

yeah, if we get it

we totally enjoy our picnic lifestyle. i even put out a blanket (a bedsheet) and we do that. and it's also great for crafting. LOL and everything else. furniture! who needs it (ok, i love my bed. )

[Ola_]

If you have pets or plan to get any, a table is very useful.

[mumkimum]

If one of those chairs is already broken (you did say that, right?) - then I would go ahead and ditch the broken one and say yes - just go with 4 chairs, even amounts of matching chairs looks nicer with other mismatched chairs, IMO. It's sorta what we've always done here, too(had 2 or 4 matched chairs and sets of 4 'other' chairs we could add for extra guests).

For a long time we had a low coffee table we loved eating at with floor pillows - it's totally more fun.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by zoebird

my mom loves furniture. she has a kitchen table (4 chairs) plus a dining (6 chairs), and then a number of "occasional chairs" that were for dining room tables but "extras" that didn't match her set, btu went nicely if used (4-5). these were spread around the house.

for any large function, mom would usually use the 6 plus 4 or 5--it would be rare for her to need more, but if we had an even bigger function, she would set some people up at the kitchen table, and the rest at the dining room. but i don't think my mother entertained any more than 8-10.

This sounds like my house.

My immediate and extended family rarely, and maybe never, purchased new furniture. EVERYTHING was a hand-me-down or auction/garage find. It never bothered me growing up and didn't bother me when DH and I moved into together.

DH, on the other hand, had a very different idea about furniture. It is/was important to him to have stuff that matched and looked like it belonged together, whether old or new, and it took me a long time to accept that it was important to him and get on board with his wishes. Unmatched chairs would displease DH so we have matched chairs.

When the occasional chairs start creeping towards the dining room, I know it bothers DH but he has yet to find a dining room set big enough to satisfy his dream of all matching chairs.

I would move with the chairs and worry about it later.

[binxsmom]

imo, unmatched chairs can look fab. like this.

[rere]

I have 4 chairs that match each other but not the table(they're red and the table is a dark brown).And one chair that doesn't match either the table or the other chairs.The lone chair is a kid chair though.Nothing in my house is a matching set.I love that most of the furniture in my house has a story.

[limette]

Unmatched chairs are trendy. Lol does that help?

[BarefootScientist]

Hahaha, it helps that it's another opinion on my side. But dh hates anything trendy so....