OK... final grasp at a straw - your set of chairs for when they are not visiting, and when extended family come over, bring out fold out chairs with washable slipcovers? I know how difficult it is when you want to have a room that you like but you are having to adapt it for just for the one-off occasions and not as you would like it ideally. Perhaps that might work so you get what you want (most of the time!)

I also like the provincial chair, although it's a more relaxed country style than the table, which I also love. This is really interesting and is a statement on it's own, obviously it needs chairs so I would suggest a relaxed but formal upholstered chair, something like a all back wihtout arms, with a nice fabric will accentuate the interesting geometry in the table frame. If you were to include chairs like the cross back, they would both fight each other visually as they have different styles and both are timber sections. Busy to look at. You mentioned balck or oak, both are gorgeous, oak can be found almost black as it's so popular. There aresome gorgeous chairs which have a curved side and are upholstered, so they feel like lounge chairs but tuck into a dining table. Coco republic have them, and the style is found replicated almost anywhere you look.

PET PEEVE: INDOOR BAREFOOTERS NEWSFLASH: It is a plainly observable though controversial fact, to me at least, that very few people keep their indoor floors pristine enough for barefoot traffic. However, that does not seem to stop the oh-so-carefree, INDOOR BAREFOOTERS from taking their grubby, 'floor-feet' on little excursions upon coffee tables, chairs, couches and beds, etc. YUCK! Imagine seating yourself upon someone's couch and making the mistake of placing your hand beside you ON the couch, or forward upon the coffee table, only to feel an icky graininess...or stickiness? So, then you're stuck with continuous hand-washing throughout your visit because THEY could not be bothered to keep their 'floor-feet' off anything....their home being their slovenly castle and all. The YUCK factor and the politics which invariably follow my well-meaning interventions, (I'm an idealist), makes me an irritable, reluctant guest. Which ironically, never seems to stave off the invitations (sigh)! But, it also makes me a tyrannical host: "feet off my settee, Jerri! Not on my mid-century coffee table! No! Your white socks are no longer white, Jade! Aaargh!" WORSE YET, these oblivious INDOOR BAREFOOTERS tend to then touch and scratch their grubby 'floor-feet' while chatting, and touching their faces, fixing a meal or eating something...OR, shaking my hand. Oh, the humani-...'hygienity!' I feel ill!!! Yes, yes, I know that I'm whining AND yes, I know that there are worse things in the world: children suffering in Africa etc., but now that you mention it, even THEY tend to wash their feet BEFORE placing them on furniture! Maybe because they value the little they have. I know this from firsthand experience!! SIMPLE SOLUTION: Indoor shoes! Outdoor Shoes! And, when you place your feet upon anything slip OFF your shoes to reveal your lovely clean feet, which will appreciate the pristine lack of graininess from your last considerate visit. Anklet and pedicure but...floor-feet!!

Looking at your photos I noticed you have lots of little artwork scattered here and there. They don’t look right at the moment . If group all of them in a gallery like formation on the wall above your dining table you will have a focal point. There is no need for a frame on each wall, just one focal point is enough. Also there seems inadequate amount of storage in the kitchen, you could add some wall cabinets maybe in different colour to add a bit of interest and height to the room, at the moment everything is on same level. I realised you didn’t ask opinion on this but anyway I don’t mean to offend.