T hanksgiving means carloads of guests squeezing around the dining table. The morning of Turkey Day is no time to discover you don’t have room for all those buns.

Retailers know about our bun issues and many offer sales on dining room furniture in the weeks before the holidays, hoping we’ll splurge on a complete dining set.

That’s one solution, but there are plenty of affordable ways to maximize seating and still set an attractive table.

If you’re expecting just a few buns, it’s OK to mix new chairs, in a different style, with the old ones, said Brenda Paquette, designer and owner of InteriorFix in Everett. In fact, adding a few accent chairs can rev up a room.

If you own a rectangular table you can add matching armchairs to each end. Consider upholstered chairs in an interesting color or pattern. Yummy blue hues like teal and turquoise are popular choices this year.

Bold graphics, geometric patterns and damask are hot now, Paquette said. She suggested opting for either a strong color or something with a strong texture but not both. Choose a wood finish that complements what you already own but don’t worry about matching it perfectly.

“You always want to create that feeling like pieces were acquired over time,” she said. Think of creating home decor that has a layered feeling, rather than one that looks perfectly matched.

Another way to add seating and create visual interest is to add a few Asian-influenced chairs with a woven seat. You can find this style of chair – finely designed and crafted and with the price to match – at many upscale design stores. If your purse strings are pulled more tightly look at retailers such as Target (405 SE Everett Mall Way, Everett, 425-353-3167, www.target.com), which offers a set of two walnut stained wood chairs with rush seats for $129.99. Cost Plus World Market (18205 Alderwood Mall Parkway Lynnwood, 425-774-8892, www.worldmarket.com) sells an attractive woven chair, called the Zoe, for $69.

If buying a few chairs isn’t going to accommodate the gaggle of guests next week, consider purchasing an inexpensive second table. Retailers are offering choices that are more attractive and sophisticated than a card table and metal folding chairs. Cost Plus World Market sells folding wood chairs in an espresso finish for $50. Target offers a pair of bamboo folding chairs with curved backrest for $49.99.

Another option: Add a sleek bench. Pier 1 (1425 Southeast Everett Mall Way, Everett, 425-353-6345, www.pier1.com) has a beech wood bench with taffeta top for $239. It’s cute enough to reside at the end of the bed or in the living room, after the buns have left the building.

Reporter Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com.