The mix and match dining set is a great look. It can be seen across many different interior styles — Scandinavian, modern, bohemian, eclectic, etc. It does, however, take a bit of thought and planning to pull it off, because you can’t just order one up from the store. In many cases it’s also a very budget friendly option, because you can use either dated, thrifted or random chairs you have around to create a look. There really are endless possibilities between mixing colors, sizes, styles, textures, etc, but here are 10 suggestions to help guide you in pulling this look together.

  1. Getting the same chair but in different colors is probably the easiest way to pull off this look. This way there’s consistency with the shapes, materials, and styles, and you get to experiment with the color palette.
  2. A budget friendly option is to find random chairs that you like and then paint them all white or black (or really any color you like) to create a random but uniform look.
  3. If you just want to mix it up just a bit, try adding a pop of color or interest by using different accent chairs on the ends. You can make them either complement or contrast with the rest of the set. This is a great way to take advantage of sample sale or last call chairs that are missing a full set.
  4. If color isn’t your thing but you want the eclectic dining look, stick with neutrals. White, black, metals and woods are a good idea either on their own or mixed together.
  5. Another budget friendly tip if you want color but don’t want to go totally crazy is to round up some chairs and paint them in the same color family.
  6. Similar to the accent chairs on the end, you can mix things up and create a dramatic contrast between modern and traditional by adding a slick modern chair to your traditional set.
  7. If you’re up for a little DIY project, you can make your dining chairs either similar or different by changing the upholstery on the seat. You can take a matching set and make each seat different, or you can take some mismatched chairs and use the same fabric to tie them together. This is also a budget friendly way to update an outdated set.

And of course, there is the very common and much loved totally random way of styling a mixed dining set. Unfortunately, it’s tough to explain how to get this style. Sorry folks — you just have to have that magic eye for mixing and matching different shapes, styles, colors, and textures. But when it’s done right, it’s definitely my favorite.