I agree with the decorators. If you have too many legs, the room looks restless, and if you have legs in different styles, the room will look disharmonious.

I think it can go either way. If you did go with a plain skirt on the sofa, that would solve the "leg" issue.

I guess that makes sense that the legs should look similar. So if I wanted to do a more modern style couch with the chairs, then a skirt would look better.

I will try to post some photos.

I tried to find a picture of palimpsest's living area to show you it can absolutely work, but I couldn't find one. Maybe he'll see this, and post his work in his elegant room.
Dee

I was also thinking of palimpset's LR as an example that it could work and am linking a thread below where he posted a pic of his LR. Hopefully, he'll chime in to explain why his works. My thought is that it's a single item and stands alone as that something unique and different from everything else. Now, a pair of Queen Anne chairs with a "not too contemporary" sofa I am not so sure about.... It would depend on everything else.

Here is a link that might be useful: thread containing palimpset's LR

Agreed, Val. I think you're right. A pair, no matter the leg type, wouldn't work as his does.
Dee

Here was my thought process. The house is 1840ish, and the furniture would be Late Federal, Empire, and Classical period, all which have a certain spareness to them, although classical starts to get heavy in that more Victorian way.

The upholstered seating of this era was rather uncomfortable. I went with midcentury modern furniture of a similar scale, and mixed it with case pieces that are more true to period. The Queen Anne chair is from an estate, and I bought it particularly for my mom to sit in. I had it reupholstered in the Waverly fabric, and it was to spend most of its time in my black hallway, but when I brought it into the living room, I felt that another period chair would work (in addition to the lacquered Chippendale chair) The red lacquer chair and the red upholstered chairs matching was a happy accident.

I don't think the patterned wingback goes with any of the other upholstery but it does fit the "room" and the case pieces. That the pattern is so "off" and not blending with the rest doesn't bother me, really, because it is different enough to simply contrast.

As far as leg matches and pairs... I don't think that legs have to match, and I do like pairs, but I think the overall ratio of one style to another is important. I think a proportion of about 1/3 antique to 2/3 modern (or vice versa) is the max...you don't want to get close to half and half...one style has to clearly predominate the mix.

I've seen Queen Anne chairs mixed in with many styles. I think the key to getting the Queen Anne to flow with whatever other furniture is in the room, is the fabric used to cover it. That takes the chair in the direction of the style the other furniture is going yet has the traditional lines.

palimpsest, your furniture all looks great together. Maybe it's the style of house and how you put it all together that makes it work for you and won't for me.

Here are photos of my LR. I posted before and there was a big discussion about re-arranging, which still might happen. I am installing hardwoods, coffee table is most likely being replaced with some type of ottoman, will hang some type of drapery panels, pictures being replaced, etc.

Below is also picture of my new sofa, which will be in a celery green color. The table is black. I think that is the photo, hard to tell furniture website has so many different ones. There is also photo of another table in my room that can't be seen, against another wall.

Would love more feedback.

I really cannot see the sofa and table together with what you have now. Maybe if the chair legs were similar in color to the legs of the sofa and the upholstery were updated, but the table you pictured and your queen anne tables would not blend together. I don't know if you have decided which direction you want to go in but I would do that first before buying something that would make me re-furnish the entire room - unless you want to do that. Its hard to mix straight legs and curved legs successfully unless theres a lot in common like color and style. I am not a decorator, this is my opinion.

I would have no problem mixing in your chairs with the new furniture if they were reupholstered in something compatible with the sofa. I would probably paint the wood on the chairs black, depending upon the fabric chosen

I think the lines on the wing chairs are a bit more modern than QA and can be funky with the right fabric.Painting the wood would be a great idea.

The black table is on a wall that is opposite from the furniture. It's on a wall at the bottom of my stairs. Above that table are several pictures with black frames that go up my stairs. Also, I do have alot of black in my LR, which you cannot tell from these photos. Banister and posts are painted black.

palimpsest, what would you recommend as far as the table between those 2 chairs? If I kept that would that be too many Queen Anne legs? If I replaced it with another table, what style would you recommend? The coffee table will probably be replaced with an ottoman.

As far as fabric for chairs, I am drawn to classic stripes with modern colors, i.e. beige, orange, corals and the green of the sofa.

I do like the idea of painting the legs black or at least a more modern darker stain. Wish I had the nerve and talent to the same with the piano!