This is one of the toughest decisions to make when you’re remodeling or just refurnishing your kitchen. It can be difficult in an open concept to coordinate all of the different furniture pieces. You want the space to feel cohesive and intentional without feeling overly coordinated. I’ve put together some tips to help you mix chairs and counter stools in an open kitchen. I’ve also included some of my favorite pairs for you to shop at the bottom of this post.

First tip – Do Not Match. I don’t recommend buying stools and chairs that match. It really ends up being too much of a good thing and overwhelming the space. The only time I would match is if you do two chairs that match your stools at the ends of the kitchen table. Then integrate different chairs or benches on the sides. This will help break it up and make it look more coordinated than matched.

Another tip is to mix up the materials. Chances are your table is made of wood. So, don’t add wood chairs AND wood stools. Lots of kitchens benefit from adding a little fabric. So, slipcovered chairs or stools go a long way to create a more pulled together look.

Another great way to pair chairs and stools together is by “feel” or theme. For example, modern, casual, minimal, traditional etc.. are all styles that you can keep in mind when shopping. This usually takes a bit of trial and error. But, it’s a great starting point. For example this chair and stool both give off a beach or cottage vibe. So, even though they don’t match, they feel right together.

Lastly, try coordinating by color or wood tone. Try to find very different shapes that carry the same color or wood tone in some part of the piece. Again, this will help make your space feel pulled together without it becoming overly coordinated.

Need more help? Here are lots of pairs that go together really well! Click on any of the images to shop.

Need more options? Here are more chairs and counter stools to browse!

Please let me know if you have any questions or need help selecting chairs or counter stools! Just leave a comment and I’ll get back to you right away. As always, thanks for being here!