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Should all my wood grain furniture match exactly or can I mix woods?

In my many years of working with new homebuyers and clients, this question would always seem to pop up. Usually we would be at the stage of choosing kitchen cabinets for their new home, and the concern would be over the existing breakfast table and chairs they owned. Seldom was there a cabinet finish available that matched their breakfast or dining set. Many of you have lost sleep over this one! Don’t worry, it’s really not a big deal! Decorators like to mix woods and finishes in a home! It creates style and interest, although it needs to be thought through carefully. I’m sure decorators will have many varied opinions about this, but here is mine. If a wood grain and color are not similar enough to be a good match, then I like to choose something different enough to create a contrast. To me it looks better to have a totally different wood, than to look like we tried to match, but missed. This philosophy will remove most of the stress from this situation. However, this does not mean we want 5 different finishes in a room. It is also desirable to add iron/metal/glass as accents to your wood furniture. I like to use as a general rule of thumb, at least 2 of a certain style or finish, so it establishes a purpose in the room. One favorite trick is to use an iron dining table base with glass and a coordinating coffee table. All other pieces would be matching woods, or possibly one other finish. You can also mix painted finishes with wood very successfully. Don’t think you have to go into a furniture store and buy the whole matching set. Use a little imagination and have fun!

Decorating FAQ 4

Decorating FAQ 6