Well, there are certainly guys that can pull it off but just as certainly, some should stick with kitchen cabs only. My top-of-the head response, in your case, would be "No". The reason being your kitchen guy mentioned a furniture maker that he uses. By that reference, he is telling you he's waffling on the project and my bias is generally to go with a specialist, no matter what the subject. Having said that though, my guy does both but he sticks to certain styles and he has been doing both for 30 years with a huge portfolio of both kitchens and individual pieces. Before I hired him, I saw examples of his work, both cabs and furniture pieces, and went to his shop to see projects in process. I'd have no issues at all with commissioning him to do individual pieces. I started off my work life as a traditional cabinetmaker (read this as we made furniture) in Boston so I feel I have a good background to evaluate quality pieces. Of all furniture, case pieces, such as you need for your bedroom are the easiest to build (as opposed to chairs for example). So, your kitchen guy has that going for him if you decide to use him. Just as you did your research when investigating whom to use for your kitchen, you'll want to fully research the same provider concerning furniture. They are completely different animals. How many pieces has he made, what style were they, are you happy with the quality of his furniture, etc. Ask for drawings or renderings; ask about construction methods, joinery, finishes, design, veneering, drawer construction, wood specie choice, timeframes - you know, the whole enchilada. Once again, you will need to educate yourself as to what goes into a quality piece of furniture so you can intelligently evaluate a furniture maker's responses. There's more to it than you might think. Good luck!

Check out the Home Decorating Forum. This forum is mainly about noisy neighbors or difficult landlords.

Your new buffet is quite charming in style and you will find yourself enjoying the functionality for dining & entertaining with it too. I love the mix of painted furniture with wood. Is the current table solid wood or is it finished with a wood laminate top? The dining chairs are timeless. The seat cushions are easy to care for with grandkids yet can loose their shape overtime which are easy to replace. You can mix woods but it must be done very carefully. The table and chairs do not need to be as dark as the buffet top but they do need to have those chocolate brown undertones. The photo is a little dark so it's hard to confirm the exact wood species of the buffet top to work from for color. But hopefully this design information will guide your direction. All the best, LINDA CHITTOCK STUDIO

I had a white Parson's table made over 40 years ago by Storehouse, but they have been out of business for years. It is 3 x 6 feet and clad with white matte Formica. It seats 4 or 6 and over the years I have had blonde wood and cane Breuer chairs, walnut Queen Anne-styled high back chairs, Mexican painted chairs with rush seats and some light wood short-backed chairs at the moment. I am thinking about some kind of black chairs for a change. The white tulip Saarinen table would be just as versatile.