Shield Back Orange Arm Chair- JessicaAllynDesigns

When you have a small dining space, it is sometimes difficult to entertain or host a holiday because you may not feel you have enough seating. Average households have one table that is set for four-six which is sometimes limiting when playing host. A great idea is to keep some casual, mis-matched dining chairs on hand so that you can easily squish in a few more place settings. Guests are usually more than fine with this idea because it actually breaks the ice and gets the conversation started around the table.

reclaimed pine wood chairs- TheWoodCaboodle

I like to keep a few chairs in my garage and if you have room you can have a few just sitting out. Pull them up against a wall to save space and add a small stool or extra end table between two to create extra seating/dining near your main table.

oak dining chairs- Sheldon Lane Folk Works

Chairs that are different colors or upholstered with different printed fabrics can be a fun way to accommodate extra guests for a casual dinner party and this trick works outdoors as well as indoors if the weather is right, making your outdoor gathering more artful and unexpectedly tailored.

Red French Bistro Chairs- PlainLane

If you are interested in a more everyday mis-matched look, chairs painted in the same color work great for year-round dining and it is fun to collect a set and rework them into your taste. There are lots of great resources out there for refinishing, painting and adding new fabric to old dining chairs to bring them up to par. Keeping mis-matched chairs painted in one color or re-upholstered in one fabric can create order amongst a nontraditional collection of dining chairs.

Shabby Chic Chair Painted Pink – swoonantiques

All of the chairs shown in this post were created or repurposed by etsy artisans, simply click on the image to be linked directly to the owners specific shop.