 | Linda Warrington
has been in sales and interior design for 25 years, and employed by Horton's Furniture for l8 years. Linda has designed furnishings and murals for the Eaton Place in Wichita's Old Town business district as well as Chaucer Estates, Park Plaza West and Via Christi Executive Suites. Linda also owns her own mural painting business called 'Just You'. She can be reached by phone at (3l6) 722-5090, by fax at (3l6) 722-596l, or by mail at l09l5 W. Kellogg, Wichita, Ks., 67209. |
Interior Decorating
2001-11-01 17:37:00
Matching & mixing woods
Question: Our formal dining room sets just off our great room and is open. My grandmother left us a beautiful cherry dining room set. Our present formal dining room furniture (two china cabinets with the matching table and chairs) is oak. Our great room is mostly walnut. Is it ever proper to mix woods in the same room, or area of a house?
Answer: Absolutely, more importantly your home is your family history. Good memories should be kept alive. Polishing that cherry dining room table may bring back thoughts of family dinners and the time grandmother invited everyone for Thanksgiving dinner and forgot to thaw the turkey in time. The deli turkey tasted just fine and everyone chuckled about it for years, well, everyone except grandmother. You still smile remembering. One look thumbing through the pages of Architectural Digest magazine should be enough to convince you woods can be mixed and still look great. How boring to have every piece of furniture alike. I purposely add a piece of painted furniture to nearly every room to provide interest. If this style of decorating doesn't appeal to you, don't use this method. I'm not saying this is the only way, I'm saying it's one way. Different woods can definitely be used together.Don't forget, color is the attention grabber. Color is where the eye travels. Balance and proportion are what makes the room pleasing to the eye.You don't say if your dining chairs are padded seats or wood seats. If padded, the seats can be covered with a fabric that compliments the curtains in that room. If you are going for a less formal look, wood seats with tie on pads in a complimentary color and patterns are great options. Also, consider the shape of the table. A round table softens the look of a square room. A room with a high ceiling calls for high back chairs. Mixing tall and short pieces creates interest, just be sure all the weight isn't on one side of the room. If one side of the room holds a tall china cabinet the other side can hold a buffet or hunt board with a large picture above for balance. If your room is small, you may want to move the table against the wall. Keep in mind that a lighter finish dining room set will take up less space visually than the darker furniture. Don't be afraid to paint the wall a deep color to add excitement. Repeat the paint color in an area rug under the table. NOW you have a great dining room. Surrounding yourself with furnishings you love will make you and your family feel happy... and that will prove to be as important as anything.
