Our Style Director Doesn’t Do Dining Room Sets—Try These Chair-and-Table Combos Instead

It’s the secret to creating contrast.

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In a recent #AskBen takeover on Domino’s Instagram account, a reader asked our style director, Benjamin Reynaert, about his favorite dining room set. The only problem? Reynaert isn’t exactly a huge fan of coordinating tables and chairs. 

“A room can fall flat with a set,” he says. “When a table and chairs are in the same material, color, and style, it all kind of blends together.” He prefers a layered approach that creates contrast instead of one big blob of color.

For example, a rustic farm table can look especially fresh with modern Marcel Breuer chairs, says Reynaert. And a tulip-style Saarinen in white gets more interesting next to wood seating. But it’s not just about mixing materials. Colors can create a cool contrast, too. “When you put a white table with black chairs, you can see the chairs clearly,” he notes. 

In the spirit of mixing it up, we gathered some of the best Reynaert-approved pairings that give a room visual interest and keep your dining room from looking one-note. 

For a Vintage Mashup

Saarinen Dining Table

Design Within Reach
$2464.0

Set of 6 Dining Chairs in Oak with Rush Seating

1st Dibs
$3850.0

For a Modern Take on the Farmhouse Trend

Salvaged Wood Farmhouse Rectangular Extension Dining Table

RH
$3560.0

Bertoia Side Chair

Knoll
$900.0

For a Nature-Inspired Combo

Mattea Oval Dining Table

Lulu u0026 Georgia
$659.0

ODGER Dining Chair

Ikea
$89.0

For a Hard-Meets-Soft Pairing

Strut 56” Medium Table

Blu Dot
$999.0

Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair

Herman Miller
$1025.0

For a Clean, Crisp Contrast

Snaregade Dining Table by Menu

Batten Home
$1649.0

Valzer Natural Rattan Dining Chair

CB2
$319.0

Julia Stevens

Contributing Editor

Julia Stevens is a Domino contributing editor. Basically, she’s a professional online shopper. She started at Domino as an intern and spent almost seven years in the style department curating products for our gift guides, trend roundups, and product reviews and on set styling the beautiful homes we get to share. Off hours, you can find her scouting New York’s newest design shops and restyling her shelves