Modern Dining Chairs Roundup

Each interior design project has it's one (sometimes more) tricky element. The paint color that needs to look as serene in the sun-soaked corner of the room as in the dimly lit back wall. Or, the rug. Oh, the rug! Or, the frame gallery...it's just not coming together organically. There's usually something that needs tweaking and editing and more tweaking before we land on the perfect finished design.

For one of our recent projects, it was the dining chairs. We quickly found so many gorgeous, affordable, kid-friendly dining chairs that fit our big picture design. But getting approval from our client wasn't so easy. The importance of dining chairs is huge, especially in designs (like our clients) where there is no formal dining room. When your dining chairs are your everyday dinner chairs and your holiday hosting chairs and your pull-it-over-to-the-TV-for-extra-seating chairs and everything in between chairs, they need to check many boxes. And so, finding the perfect chair was a journey.

Here was our original vision for the dining room, in mood board form.

                                                                                    Wall color / Chandelier / Dining chairs / Dining Table

We were inspired by this lovely dining area that seamlessly mixes modern with rustic.

                                                                                                             (photo source)

And so, we proposed ghost chairs! The perfect everything. Right?! If your little one spills grape juice, it takes a few paper towels and all is restored. They're also chic, cost effective and the ultimate design chameleon. Unfortunately, our client didn't love their look. They're also not always the most comfortable choice, especially those that are affordable.

So, we went back to the designing board. After some back and forth...okay a lot of back and forth (hence the "tricky" part)...we landed on the right chair for our client and for our design. We'll get there in a minute. But first, we thought you might be interested in some of the chairs we researched and considered. So many great options under $200...with one fabulous exception.

1. Ecole chair from Article (on sale for $179)

2. Viena white wood dining chair from Crate and Barrel ($109)

3. Marley arm chair from All Modern ($259.99)

4. Hugo dining chair from Wayfair ($176.99)

5. Madeleine side chair from Restoration Hardware ($132)

6. Parker dining chair from Target ($146.99 for set of 2)

7. Kelly-blue teal indoor metal chair from Amazon ($56.78)

8. Molded chair from Rove Concepts (on sale for $79.99)

And now, where did we land with our client? The Madeleine side chair from Restoration Hardware. We went with the white finish, which is no longer available (bummer). It's kid-friendly, comfortable (and cushions can be added in the future when little hands spill less grape juice), both classic and right now, well-priced and really pretty. Covers ALL the bases.

We can't wait to show you the finished project later this month!

- Leah

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Labor Day Weekend Sale - Top Picks from Cost Plus World Market

For most of us, Labor Day weekend signals the unofficial end of Summer and the beginning of Fall, it's also a great time to take a look at your space and to freshen things up. We'd like to share our top picks from one of our favorite stores, Cost Plus World Market, and bonus, they are all on sale. There is also coupon code worth an Extra 10% Off Entire Purchase + Free Shipping on orders of $150 or more.

1. Bistro Counter Stool

2. Large Capiz Lotus Pendant Shade

3. Faceted Glass Paxton Pendant

4. Round Wood Keaton Dining Table

5. Blue Ginko Velvet Lumbar Pillow

6. Langley Storage Cabinet

Have a great long weekend, and happy shopping!

- The Gray Oak Studio Team

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Gray Oak Studio Visits Home Sense - A New Home Concept Store

Home Sense is a new off-price home concept store from TJX, and like its sister store, HomeGoods, you'll not only find yourself roaming aisles and aisles of goodies for your home, but find a much larger selection of oversized furniture pieces, lighting options, and rugs. The UK and Canada have been enjoying Home Sense for years now, and the first US store opened in Framingham, MA last week.

This gorgeous mercury glass pendant is only $199 and is the perfect combination of rustic with a touch of glam to update any space!

When you enter the Home Sense store you will find an expensive lighting collection, including lamps, pendants, and sconces to your right. The lamps are smartly displayed on large tables and in sleek wall cubbies. The pendants and chandeliers are wired up to electricity and can be lowered for you to take home that day! Bonus, we noticed these handy signs located around the store, which mean that gone are the days of running around the store to hunt down an associate to help you secure your latest find, like at Homegoods.

We loved the large selection of table and floor lamps!

Directly adjacent to the lighting section is a large furniture selection, including sofas, tables, nightstands and an array of chairs and stools. Although the large furniture selection is a hit or miss, if you know exactly what you are looking for, you just might find a great bargain.  The real appeal here is that you find a great piece, you can take it home that very day, no waiting weeks for the arrival!

Genius idea -a help button to call for an associate to help you in the lighting department.

There is a great selection of dining chairs and stools, many stlyes with 5 or more of the same chair.

At Home Sense things are also organized by color, which is a designers dream! The rows of pillows are artfully displayed by color as are the shelves of coffee table books. 

Although we found the store a bit overcrowded with other eager shoppers, we were not disappointed with the selection. If you are in the market for a rug runner, a love seat or just some new lighting to update your home, be sure to check out Home Sense where if you are lucky you can find some great deals on designer pieces.

A few of our favorite finds....

Great Stool!

Rustic Farmhouse

Neutral Pouf

Oversized Artwork

Geometric Pillow