Make Your Dining Table A Bold Statement With An Affordable Thrift Store Find

Sometimes, it's hard to get your dining room to look just right. It can often feel flat, sterile, or overly formal. Or maybe, it simply doesn't come across exactly how you want it.  If you have a dining room set that you're not crazy about and you're hoping to make a bold statement with it, a simple swap might be your solution. Instead of replacing everything, consider swapping in just two new head chairs. If you're looking for something ornate and stylish, your local thrift store could have exactly what you need to make your dining table a bold statement piece. 

Thrifting is a great way to find furniture to fill your home. Depending on your area and how far you are willing to travel, you can find all sorts of amazing items. There are many dining room design styles that are easy to thrift for, thanks to their more timeless and flexible decor options. However, you can also find some really unique pieces, which may be just what you're looking for to freshen up your dining space.

Kristin Keyes of Kristin Keyes Interiors shared this advice in an interview with Southern Living. During a discussion about thrifting, Keyes mentioned that adding a random twist to your chairs can be quite fun. She cautions against trying to thrift an entire set of bold, mismatched chairs. "It's relatively easy to thrift a set of two interesting chairs, whereas six or eight can be tricky," she says. "You can play with pattern, color, and scale."

Head chairs have historically been designed to command attention. The tradition faded as dining spaces became more casual, but beautiful chairs at the end of tables can still certainly make a statement. Of course, you have to first find the right chairs.

No matter what kind of style you are trying to achieve in your dining room, you can find matching and head chairs to fit it, even while thrifting. This design also works for almost any size dining table, especially the more common six and eight-seaters. A smaller one meant to hold four people also works, though it will stand out more than larger setups.

Thrifting can be a practical and flexible solution. Even if the set isn't perfect, with a little reupholstering, painting, or staining, you can make a chair feel like it's always been designed for your table. You can even breathe life into an outdated dining chair with no-sew reupholstery. Focus on the chair's structure and frame quality rather than its color or pattern. As long as the design is sturdy and is in a shape and size you like, it's pretty easy to repair or adjust to your needs. This is a great chance to add an element of boldness, so take that thrifted chair and add a pop of color or whimsy.

There are some things to consider when choosing dining chairs so your table doesn't look too boring. First, they should reflect the overall style and tone you have already established in the space. For example, you shouldn't pick an elegant and formal chair for your head, and then have the rest feel more like beach house seating. You will want to go with equally casual or formal. Instead, to differentiate them, pick something taller, wider, or that has a bigger presence than your others. This helps the chairs visually anchor the space and draw attention. This is especially important if your original table and chairs have a more muted design.

Another way to ensure they work well together is to pick seats with at least one similar element. You don't want them to be identical, but there should be at least one element that ties them together. This can be their shape, materials, or color. For example, if your chairs have wooden legs, go with an elegant wood chair. Or, if your original set has a hint of orange in it, get two bold chairs with that same color. You definitely don't want all the elements to match, but picking one or two features from your other chairs and finding two head seats with some similarities will help tie everything together better.