You are not wrong, it is MAY. And, frankly, we’re more than halfway through. But, we had so many amazing submissions to our “Free Designer for a Day in April” that we’re continuing to answer the questions and provide some transformation advice. And today we’re chatting through an exterior design question! Which is perfect for this time of year as everyone is getting excited for more outdoor time and there are sales upon sales in the world of outdoor furniture.

Question - I have an "outdoor" design question for you: A few summers ago, I purchased a patio dining table at a tent sale. It was a great deal so I stored it away thinking I'd get the matching chairs later on. A few years have gone by and I've just pulled the table out of storage, wondering if I could pair a different type of chair with it (rather than something that's part of the set, and hopefully at a more reasonable price-point). My patio is uncovered so the chair would need to be resistant to weather (we'd store everything away in the winter though!). Is it possible to mix materials when it comes to outdoor dining?

And here is a photo of her awesome table. It looks like it’s in perfect condition.

Gray Oak Studio - Mixing metals with outdoor furniture

So the short answer is YES! You can absolutely mix metals with outdoor furniture. Here’s the trick when mixing any metal (whether indoor or outdoor): make it obvious. Don’t make it a question of “Are they a match? They look really close…but not quite…hmmm…” or “Are the chairs just dirty?” or “Maybe they were a match, but the table wore worse than the chairs?”.

Keep it obvious and eclectic. This is especially true when you’re working with brass, bronze, pewter or iron because there is no “standard” for those tones. Aged Brass at Pottery Barn may be very different than Aged Brass at Ballard Designs. Nickel and Chrome, however, are standard. So you should (hypothetically) be able to buy those finishes from different retailers and match everything perfectly.

Now, let’s talk about the existing table. It’s great for some non-matching dining chairs because its style is neutral. It’s not uniquely ornate nor does it nod to one particular genre (mid-century, rustic, etc.). It also looks like a matte black finish, which works with all sorts of colors and finishes. Black is also, hypothetically, a standard finish. So, this homeowner could actually buy other black chairs to “match”, but we’re going to pose some ideas for a curated look.

Everything comes in multiple colors (so click through to see more options) and everything is on SALE. Prices below reflect the sale.