If you’re a fan of the TV show Friends, you were no doubt entranced by Monica’s mismatched kitchen table and its four wildly contrasting chairs. While this was a controversial choice at the time — as controversial as a dining set can be, anyway! — today, such contrast between style and medium is quickly becoming the norm. Across the country, homeowners are embracing the diversity and charisma that an eclectic set dining set can bring to a room.

If you’ve been considering matching your current wood table top with industrial, wrought iron chairs, you’ve come to the right spot. Read on to see if this will work for your space, and how to integrate two conflicting design styles seamlessly for an impressive and trendy look.

Have a Constant

Mixing and matching design styles can be fun, and it can work — but only if you keep one constant throughout.

So, for example, if your industrial table has a wooden top and dark metal legs, you can absolutely pair it with slightly more rustic chairs. Simply consider adding a dark cushion pad to the seats to tie the set together. Or, if your dining table is long and narrow, high-back chairs will offer an excellent complement: the stretched shapes of both pieces will play nicely off one another.

If your table has visible silver-coloured hardware, look for chairs that also display silver bolts or feet to help create unity.

Try Matching Design Eras

If you have a mid-century modern table, but no chairs, it’s safe to say that dining chairs from this same design period will match — just so long as the wood colours are somewhat similar.

Think About Symmetry

If you want to go all out, and you’ve found four or six individual chairs at a flea market or yard sale that you love, sit them across from one another based on height. Symmetry will help to foster cohesion without overwhelming the room.

Likewise, if you have two chairs with armrests, sit them at either the end of the table and place less grandiose chairs in the spaces between.

Accessorize

Match up colours. If your dining room walls are green, for example, and you’ve gone for darkwooden chairs and a painted white dining table, try to tie the dining area together with the rest of the room with green accessories. For example, you could lay down a green table runner, add a green ceramic vase to the centre of the table with a house plant, or put out green placemats.

By pulling the dining area up to speed aesthetically with the rest of the room, you can create stunning unity within the space.

The Bottom Line

Using contrasting styles, mediums, and finishes is a great way to cover multiple design preferences — and this is especially beneficial if there are multiple people in the home with opposing aesthetic tastes. Such contrast can work, but only if you find a constant and a balance. Fortunately, this is attainable, and once it’s done, you’ll have a joyful and playful dining area that’s ideal for you (and your friends).