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First of all, I can’t thank you enough for your kind words this morning regarding yesterday’s disaster. Mitch and I are feeling much more positive today, and we’ve started to formulate a plan so that we never have to deal with something like that again. We appreciated your messages more than you know, and it’s extremely helpful to hear that some of you have been through similar situations and have successfully remedied them. Homeownership is a journey, right?!

To get my mind off the carpeting and master bathroom, let’s talk about the dining room today. Because everything is dandy up there, completely dry, and just waiting to be furnished and decorated! :)

Like I mentioned a couple of days ago, Mitch and I built a farmhouse table over Labor Day weekend. (So excited!) While the table is set to arrive in Chicago sometime in October, I really want to get a head start on picking out chairs for it. It’s hard to find preppy furniture that doesn’t break the bank, after all.

At first, I desperately wanted white Chippendale chairs for the table, like this. Turns out they’re ridiculously expensive, though (often in the $600 to $1,000 range!), and the husband wasn’t exactly down.

“What?” was his response. “Why would you want those? Really? Those are pretty? Ummmm… You know I’m going to accidentally break them almost immediately.”

Flashback to the Trampoline Scandal of 2009, when Mitch jumped through my most-loved childhood toy, haha.

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So, yeah. I’m still holding out for Chippendale chairs down the road, but for now, we decided that one of ’em–for the office–is probably a better idea. ;) And I actually scored the above one for $220 during Ballard Designs’ Labor Day Sale! (A nice office chair was Mitch’s Christmas present to me last year. Only took me a solid eight months to pick one out!) It’s supposed to arrive tomorrow, and I can’t wait to show you guys.

But back to the chairs for the farmhouse table. My thoughts are that whatever we pick needs to be sturdy and not white, as I don’t want to relive our way-too-fresh disaster with our white carpeting. Which leads me to navy.

Obviously.

Above and below are some of my inspiration pins!

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Part of me desperately wants six chairs in a navy-and-white floral, damask or paisley pattern, but I’m nervous it might look too busy. Right now, I’m thinking I should go with four velvet chairs (so fun and different!), and two patterned chairs at the ends of the table. But I’m still not 100-percent on that idea.

Pier 1 Preppy Chairs Navy

After much, much searching for these products, I found the Audrey Dining Chair and the Carmilla Dining Chair at the new Pier 1 Imports that just opened up in Lincoln Park. I’d always thought that Pier 1 carried contemporary, modern and worldly inspired furniture and decor, but I can’t believe how much traditional and coastal-style merchandise they now have in stock. And it’s affordable. There are seriously about two hundred products I’m interested in!

The details: The velvet chair is hand-upholstered, features hand-tufting and cabriole legs, and is only $229. (And Pier 1 frequently has sales!) The damask one is only $179, and it’s hand-crafted as well. It features thick, comfortable padding, and curved birch legs.

The best part is that Mitch loves both of them. He thinks they’re super comfy and well-made, and that they aren’t “too much” for the room. I adore both of them, too. I mean, the tufting on the back of the Audrey Dining Chair? The damask print on the Carmilla?! Dying. ;)

So, we need your help. What do you think?! All damask chairs, all navy velvet chairs, or a combination of the two?!

A huge thank you goes out to Michelle (@California_House) for all the advice and design help! You’re the best, girl!