One look I'm loving these days is having mismatched chairs around a dining room table. Chairs paired with benches, Eames chairs with Thonet, upholstered settees and wicker cafe chairs. These days, anything goes.

Source Skona Hem

Source: Rooms For Rent

Source: Aratorp

I think mix and match dining room seating is especially suited to casual living (which makes it a good choice for a cottage or summer home). It's also a great way to freshen up a tired dining room. Why not change out two of your matched set of dining chairs with chairs in a completely unexpected different style? Or move three of your chairs out and replace them with a bench? I like the idea too that you can sit in a different chair every night.

Working with Canadian Tire on their CANVAS patio collection a few months ago, I came across the CANVAS Lakeside Wicker Chair. These chairs are so comfortable and when I'm looking for a dining room chair, comfort, even moreso than style or price, is the top factor on my list. When I saw these chairs were on sale at my local store, I had to scoop them up. Even though they're made for outdoor use, I plan to use these around the indoor dining table. We will be renting the cottage out in the future and these chairs will stand up to wear and tear. Plus, we can we switch them with our outdoor dining chairs if we feel like changing things up.


The chairs come with a comfy cushion but it's a tad brown so I plan to add some lakeside style by sewing new cushion covers, perhaps navy with white piping.

To get that eclectic, mismatched look, we could pair the chairs with bench and table. I'll have to think about the table options a bit more - stain vs paint? Ornate or simple legs? Farmhouse or industrial style? It's coming together.