Kelly Weimert is a writer, editor, and interior design expert with 10 years of experience writing about design and home decor. She's written for interior design publications such as MyDomaine, Apartment Therapy, Domino Magazine, and Hunker. When she's not writing or editing, she's probably busy obsessing over how to beautify her home.
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Whether you have a casual dining room where you and your family enjoy a warm meal each night or you have a more formal dining room reserved only for special occasions, creating a beautiful design can help you maximize any time spent in this special space.
And given how much visual space your walls take up, the wall paint color you choose for your dining area can help set the entire tone for each and every meal.
“Colors heighten different sensations, so picking the right one will create the appropriate dining experience for family and guests,” says Jennifer Guerin of JG Color Studios. And different colors evoke different feelings, so you can intentionally choose a hue that aligns with the ambiance and mood you’re seeking.
But the right color for your dining area really depends on your unique preferences and needs. From soothing wall paint colors that instill a sense of calm to energizing hues that will uplift all your meals, here are the best dining room paint colors for every need and aesthetic.
What Paint Colors Work Well in Dining rooms?
While you can paint your dining room virtually any color imaginable, certain hues lend themselves to this space better than others. For instance, if you want to create a moody or dramatic ambiance, then deep rich hues, like jewel tones, are a great fit. Meanwhile, lighter hues, like whites and pale pinks, lend themselves to brighter, more casual atmospheres.
“There are a few different shades that work especially well for dining rooms depending on the atmosphere you are trying to create. Deep blues can be very impactful in a space, soft neutrals offer a brighter look, and warm off-whites provide a calmer vibe.”
The right choice for you depends on the vibe that you’re after. According to Natalie, “There are a few different shades that work especially well for dining rooms depending on the atmosphere you are trying to create. Deep blues can be very impactful in a space, soft neutrals offer a brighter look, and warm off-whites provide a calmer vibe.”
8 Dining Room Paint Color Ideas Curated by the Pros
1. Gray-beige
Gray-beige, aka “greige”, is a versatile hue with a knack for adding warmth and sophistication to a space. And thanks to its versatility, the color lends itself to a wide variety of aesthetics and color palettes, so it’s easy to incorporate into most looks.
Color Inspiration: Interior Motives
Interior Motives by Backdrop
If you like the warmth of greige, then you’ll love Interior Motives by Backdrop. “Interior Motives is a great choice for someone who wants a soft and bright space that’s more elevated,” recommends Natalie Ebel.
Green is another versatile hue that, according to Jennifer Guerin, can be more moody or casual depending on the tone and shade you choose: “There are a variety of colors that can work in a dining space, but deciding on the tone and shade is where you can really make an impact. Using green as an example, picking a light or dark will depend on your style of home and way of living. Formal dining rooms are a good place to try something moody.”
Paint Pick: Salamander
Salamander 2050-10
Speaking of moody, Benjamin Moore’s Salamander is a rich, saturated green hue that will add just the right amount of drama to your aesthetic without leaning too bold or bright. According to Jennifer Guerin, “Benjamin Moore's Salamander is a great color to add some depth.” You can use it sparingly as an accent wall or paint your whole dining room for a more dramatic effect.
Looking for something lighter? “If your home is more casual, you may want to try a more soft and muted color,” recommends Jennifer. “Urban Nature is the perfect green for a farmhouse or country chic dining room.” It can also work well to elevate boho and mid-century modern dining rooms.
Choosing white paint for your dining room walls will help reflect artificial and natural light, making your space feel brighter, lighter, and bigger. This makes it a particularly great fit for small spaces, but white wall paint works well in dining areas of all sizes. White is also among the most versatile wall paint colors around, so you can make it work regardless of your interior design’s color scheme.
Color Inspiration: Supermoon
Supermoon by Backdrop
Contrary to popular belief, white comes in many different tones and shades, but we’re especially fond of Supermoon from Backdrop. “Supermoon is a pure white and one of our bestselling colors. It’s a simple solution for someone looking for a clear and calm dining space. It doesn’t have any cool undertones, so it’s easy to build around, while friendly enough to stand on its own,” says Natalie Ebel.
Want to add some happy-making color to your space without overwhelming it? Then consider a pale pink or dusty rose, both of which have been major color trends in recent seasons. “To keep things, light, bright, and airy, try bringing in refreshing, playful hues that have a welcoming feeling to them to make family and friends feel at home when they sit down for a meal,” recommends Arianna Cesa. “Well known for its flattering qualities, pale pinks and dusty rose colors are great options.”
Whether you’re looking for subtle pale pink or something a bit darker and richer, Arianna recommends these pink hues for an elevated dining room design:
Color Inspiration: Foggy Morning
Foggy Morning 2106-70
For a lighter pink wall color, Arianna Cesa recommends Foggy Morning by Benjamin Moore, which is quite neutral but will still add a touch of playful color to your dining area.
If you’re looking for something a little darker and richer, consider Benjamin Moore’s Rose Silk, which has a warm, almost ethereal quality that will help you create a dynamic and welcoming dining room design.
Deep blue is among the best paint colors for dining rooms and beyond because it serves just as well as a neutral backdrop as it does a bolder statement color, depending on the rest of your home decor. It’s also incredibly calming, making for relaxing meals with loved ones.
Color Inspiration: Surf Camp
Surf Camp by Backdrop
Backdrop’s Surf Camp really maximizes the versatility of deep blue hues. “Surf Camp is a deep blue with green undertones,” says Natalie Ebel. “It changes depending on the space and light, and is very natural with the potential to be formal.”
Deep jewel tones, like emerald, sapphire, and amethyst, are timeless hues that can set the tone for many celebrations to come, adding chic contrasts to your look. “Dining rooms are often dedicated to celebrating and entertaining, and they’re not used as much as living rooms or kitchens. It is a great opportunity to bring in colors with a little more contrast to the rest of your home’s palette.”
For decadent, saturated jewel tones that create a dramatic but still sophisticated look, Arianna Cesa shared three color picks. These hues work particularly well with color palettes comprising cool grays and grounded neutrals.
Color Inspiration: Dinner Party
Dinner Party AF-300
Dinner Party by Benjamin Moore is a deep red with black undertones that will make a big splash in any dining room look, energizing the space while adding compelling depth to your color scheme.
Benjamin Moore’s Beau Green strikes a beautiful balance between soothing and inspiring. The hue will make your space feel grounded and calm with a hint of energy that will invite cozy conversations with friends and family.
Light blues and greens can make your space feel lighter and brighter while infusing it with peace and tranquility. Reminiscent of the ocean, these hues are particularly great fits for coastal aesthetics, but they also lend themselves well to farmhouse, contemporary, and modern looks.
For more of a coastal, relaxed look, Arianna Cesa recommends Harbor Haze or Hollngsworth Green from Benjamin Moore.
Aptly named Harbor Haze, this Benjamin Moore wall paint color will make you feel like you’re dining alfresco on your favorite harbor. Pair it with bistro dining chairs to complete a coastal-cool look.
If you prefer something more green than blue, then this peaceful sage hue is a stellar option. Equal parts light and sophisticated, it will give your interior design a fresh and elegant flair.
On the hunt for a neutral paint color with a lot of depth? Consider incorporating charcoal, brown, or black. “If you want to bring deeper colors into your home but prefer neutrals and grays as opposed to the more colorful jewel tones, look for peppery charcoals, smokey browns, and midnight black paint colors,” recommends Arianna Cesa.
Arianna shared three paint color picks if this is your style:
Color Inspiration: Kendall Charcoal
Kendall Charcoal HC-166
Kendall Charcoal from Benjamin Moore is a great fit if you love the richness and saturation of deeper hues, but you don’t want your space to feel too dark.
On the other hand, if you’re all about deep, dark, and dramatic, then Black Ink will give you just that. Consider using it to create an accent wall that can serve as the focal point of your look.
Stone Brown is sort of like a marriage between the two aforementioned colors. It offers a bit of deep drama, but it’s light enough that it won’t weigh down your look.
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Should You Consider your Furniture Colors and Styles When Choosing a Dining Room Paint Color?
It’s never a bad idea to consider your furniture’s material, colors and styles when weighing dining room color ideas. According to Arianna Cesa, doing so will help you create a cohesive design that feels fluid and seamless: “You can look to the colors already in the space for inspiration. Maybe it is a color found in the artwork, in the rug, or other home decor elements. Look around and see if something already in the space can provide guidance to choosing the wall color.”
"You can look to the colors already in the space for inspiration. Maybe it is a color found in the artwork, in the rug, or other home decor elements. Look around and see if something already in the space can provide guidance to choosing the wall color.”
In addition to your existing dining room furniture and home decor, it’s also helpful to consider the lighting in this space since it can affect the way your paint looks throughout the day. “Does the room rely on artificial lighting vs. natural? Does it lean warmer or cooler? All of these factors will affect how the color casts,” advises Arianna.
Speaking of leaning warmer or cooler, you can use various design elements, including wall paint and furniture, to move your design closer to one end of the warm-cool spectrum or the other. If you want to increase the warmth of your space, then incorporate wood accents and home decor featuring warm colors, like peach, taupe, or greige. To cool your look down, you can incorporate cool gray paint colors, blue-toned accents, and concrete elements.
You can also combine warm, neutral, and cool elements to create a layered and dynamic look. According to Jennifer Guerin, “Pulling together tones that are warm, cool, and neutral can create a beautiful ambiance.” Jennifer also recommends experimenting with contrasts to create a compelling design: “It’s always good to add some contrast to your dining room, so if your furniture is light, go for a deeper-toned wall paint!”
Meet the experts:
To curate this guide, we spoke to a range of paint experts and asked them to share their best tips and color choices for dining room's in 2022. In this guide, you'll hear from:
Kelly Weimert is a writer, editor, and interior design expert with 10 years of experience writing about design and home decor. She's written for interior design publications such as MyDomaine, Apartment Therapy, Domino Magazine, and Hunker. When she's not writing or editing, she's probably busy obsessing over how to beautify her home.
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