The table may be the focal point of any given room, but chairs are the elements that bring people together. 

In this blog, we’ll look at the important features to consider when pairing chairs together with your expanding round table and cover the following:

• Understanding Your Expanding Round Table
• Finding the Right Chair Style
• Focus on Functionality
• Material Harmony
• Color Coordination

Understanding Your Expanding Round Table

The Design Philosophy Behind Our Tables

King Baby – Rift Sawn White Oak / Straight Bookmatched / Satin Finish

Our key focus in expanding round tables is to create a balance of elegance and functionality. Each table is uniquely designed to fit your personal taste and complement its surrounding space. Along with beautiful appearances, each table has expanding capabilities made with practical components, including a lockable carousel and self-storing leaves to allow easy expansion and compression.

Key Features to Consider

We want your table to be a reflection of your taste. To do this, Lotus WoodWorks offers a variety of wood species, bases, finishes, and inlays to choose from, Some being part of our starting price and others being an additional upgrade. The colors and designs you choose for your expanding round table will play a significant role in its effect on the space. 

Look at the existing furniture and colors where you plan to place your expanding round table. Do you want to base your table’s design on the space or manipulate the area to fit your table? Look at the variations of interior design and the roles they play together, such as color palettes,  themes, and material matching. We’ll dive further into these considerations below.

Finding the Right Chair Style

There’s no one-size-fits-all set of chairs for your expanding round table. The best match is based on the type of wood, colors, and designs you choose for your table. Do you envision a particular theme? Whether the space is modern or rustic, our tables come in enough variety to go with any type of chair and space; it comes down to the correct pairing.

Classic Elegance

When you think of chairs that offer a traditional, elegant visual, Caracoles and Parsons may come to mind. The best types of chairs to pair with an expanding round table for a timeless and luxurious impression focus on simple design and color consistency. 

One of the most common types of chairs used in fine dining is the Parson, which features a high-backed, armless design typically made with wood legs and polyester or suede cushioning. Another chair that works well with elegant settings is the slipcover dining chair. It’s similar to the Parson but has a cover that extends to the floor, creating a skirt as showcased below with our Binder Clover table.

Binder Clover Table – Barn Wood / Angled Bookmatched / Satin Finish

Rustic Charm

To design a rustic space for your expanding round table, look for chairs with leather, or faux-leather, and wood materials. You can go with more simple designs, such as distressed wooden ladders and slat-back chairs, or bolder choices, like leather barrel chairs. The key is to work with earthy colors, especially browns, and natural textures. 

When pairing rustic chairs with a table, it’s best to work with matching materials and colors. Avoid bright, unnatural, vibrant colors and shapes that fall into the modern and contemporary design scheme. That said, you don’t need to shy away from patterns and muted tones that add color.

Los Griegos – Barn Wood / Custom Pattern / Satin Finish

Modern Minimalism

Modern minimalistic chairs use geometric shapes and uncomplicated designs to create an intriguing, handsome appearance. When opting for modern minimalism, focus on simple forms and shapes incorporating straight lines and little detail. 

This theme is excellent for easy pairing as a variety of chairs fit the category and blend easily with different table materials. One thing to consider is the complication of details on your expanding round table, as a modern minimalist theme emphasizes simplicity. Some ideas include wishbone and side chairs with curved designs and patternless material.

Norman – Teak / Angled Bookmatched / Grain filled high gloss finish

Eclectic Mix

There are all kinds of fun variations in eclectic themes. One of the most popular elements is accent chairs. With dining setups, you can line up matching chairs and throw in one or two accent colors.

You can play around with various shapes, colors, materials, and textures since the eclectic design is less about consistency and more about complementing elements. Because of this, your options are broader when deciding on the details of your expanding round table and the chairs you want to pair with it.

Your chairs can fall into more than one category; contemporary eclectic, classic eclectic, etc. What makes it interesting is the variations of patterns, geometric shapes, and colors. Consider unique styles such as boho chairs and bright-colored wingback chairs.

Along with the other themes, you can work with an interior designer to better shape your vision for your dining set or gather ideas from Pinterest and other home design resources.

For Lotus WoodWork expanding round tables, we inform our clients who want complete armchairs to make sure they are no higher off the floor than 25″;  We recommend 23”.

Focus on Functionality

As much as visuals matter in design, functionality is just as necessary. At Lotus WoodWorks, we want your expanding round table to be as easy to maneuver as it is to look at. That’s why we incorporate the lockable carousel to make expanding your table effortless.

Now, even with the efficient features of our expanding round tables, you’ll still want to consider the functionality of the chairs you plan to pair with your table. This doesn’t mean you need chairs on wheels to make pulling in and out a piece of cake, but you do want to consider movement and comfort.

Considering the Expanding Feature

Los Griegos – Teak / Angled Bookmatched / Grain-filled high gloss finish

What makes our round tables special is their ability to expand. Keep this in mind as you decide on the number of chairs you’ll need and how convenient it will be to move them for expansion and store additional seating when your table is collapsed. The average table size allows for six or more seats when collapsed and up to ten or more when expanded. Most people place six chairs at their table, eliminating the need for storing extra chairs when not in use.

Ergonomics and Comfort

Choose function and comfort over visuals. No one wants to be uncomfortable while eating dinner or conversing with their loved ones. Consider the type of material and shape of your chair; is it scratchy? Will it hurt your back after some time? It may seem silly to imagine a chair design that’s uncomfortable or painful, but unfortunately, some designers focus much more on aesthetics than functionality. 

Buying chairs in person also allows you to test them out before purchasing. Opting for cheaper dining chairs can also impact the quality and comfort. Quality comes at a price for a reason, and investing in a piece of furniture that your family and guests will use often is worthwhile.

Durability and Maintenance

Like anything, chairs will have wear and tear over time. Certain materials are much more prone to scratches and discoloration. Water damage, stains, and scuffs are all potential risks to be aware of, regardless of the type of chair you choose. Some of the hardest-to-clean materials include suede, silk, and velvet. This isn’t to say you should avoid these materials at all costs; many of these are used in beautifully crafted dining chairs, but be aware of which types will require more maintenance than others. 

On the other hand, if you’re looking for low-maintenance and easy-to-clean material, consider chairs with fabrics like polyester, faux suede, and leather. Leather is effortless to keep clean with its flat surface, allowing quick wipe-downs without instant liquid absorption. 

In terms of durability, hardwood made from oak and walnut trees is sturdy and long-lasting. Regardless of your chairs’ material, be aware of safe cleaning measures and avoid harsh chemicals or abrasive scrubs to prevent scratching or discoloration.

Material Harmony

The principle of harmony in interior design refers to the coordination of objects and colors to create a sense of unity in a room. Blindly pairing your expanding round table with a set of chairs can lead to a less appealing set-up. Even with a beautiful table as the centerpiece of your dining or living space, the wrong chairs can throw off the overall charm. Be mindful of the visual element of your table, as this is your starting point, and choose the best chairs to complement it.

Wooden Chairs

Wooden chairs can be made wholly of wood or have other materials like fabric, metals, and mesh. We recommend you mix up the materials in your wooden chairs and avoid fully matching your table and chairs (package deal appearance). This doesn’t necessarily mean your chairs shouldn’t be fully wood; look into different wood types and colors. With our Duncan, we paired a beautiful set of fabric-cushioned and red undertoned chairs.

Duncan – Cherry / Straight Bookmatched / Semi-Gloss Finish

Upholstered Chairs

Norman – Teak / Angled Bookmatched / Grain filled high gloss finish

Upholstery is the chair’s material, typically fabric, padding, webbing, and springs. This allows for a soft covering for optimal comfort while sitting down. Because upholstered chairs are primarily made covered in fabric, you’ll need to consider the type of colors you’re looking for. 

There are a variety of options to choose from: bright colors that make a statement, subtle but charming colors, neutrals, etc. This is your masterpiece, and you get to choose the atmosphere of your living space.

Metal or Acrylic Chairs

Metal and acrylic chairs are easy to clean and match many themes, including rustic, farmhouse, or contemporary. Perhaps not the most comfortable compared to upholstered chairs, which are fully covered with fabric, these chairs can still be paired with cushions for more support and adding yet another dimension of color or texture. Metal and acrylic are less common and can add a lot of intrigue to your dining space.

Mixing and Matching Materials

Creating an attractive table-chair pairing doesn’t require uniformity. There are ways to mix and match materials together to fashion a unique and charming set-up. One popular bohemian style that looks wonderful in yachts is a mixture of wicker and fabric. You can see how the combination of a wooden table, wicker backing and legs, and fabric cushions creates a harmonious appeal that’s an eccentric yet inviting look.

Newhouse – Cherry & Walnut / Chevron Pattern / Satin Finish

Color Coordination

Color truly ties a room’s mood together. Bright colors that pop create a fun, quirky space, while mute, neutral tones add a particular class and calming atmosphere. There are hundreds of color schemes in interior design to choose from. Of course, for your expanding round table, you’re looking for a chair set that coordinates with your table’s colors.

Matching Tones

Tones are the lightness and darkness of an element. In interior design, you can pair lighter furniture pieces with darker ones to create contrast appeal, also known as the tone principle of interior design. Certain wood species suit one another due to their undertones. Cherry, mahogany, and hickory have warm undertones that complement each other well, and cool undertone woods like ash and maple match together.

Contrasting Colors for Impact

There are tones, and then there’s color. Our expanding round tables are uniquely crafted with natural woods, consisting of natural colors, so adding accent colors will come down to your chairs of choice. Different wood species pair well with certain colors regardless of the material (fabric, leather, etc.).

Teak

• Mustard Yellow & teal
• Olive green
• Reddish-orange
• Earthy tones

Cherry

• White
• Grey
• Faded yellow
• Earthy tones
• Warm accent colors

Walnut

• Olive green
• Earthy tones
• Pastel neutrals
• Royal blue

Barnwood

• Whites and blacks
• Dark greens
• Deep blues
• Warm beige tones

Burke – Teak / Straight Bookmatched / Grey wash satin finish

Utilizing Neutral Shades

Mixing warm and cool tones can cause a space to look off. If you want a greater variety, consider mixing warm or cool tones with neutral woods like walnut or birch. One trendy table-chair combination circulating is warm undertone tables with light-colored chairs such as white or beige. 

An all-natural look focuses on color consistency for more prominent elements, with pops of color in minor details for visual appeal. For example, add a nice plant centerpiece or patterned table mats to bring the room to life.