How to Choose a Dining Room Colour Scheme

The dining room is often the heart of a happy, healthy family home. In our increasingly busy and chaotic lives, our dining space plays an essential role in keeping us connected with our loved ones. Whether it's the whole extended family crowding around the dinner table for a Sunday roast or a group of old friends getting together for a dinner party, the dining room can be a hub of conversation, laughter and good grub.

If your dining area could do with a refresh, then picking out a new colour scheme is the perfect way to transform it. Whether you opt for a sophisticated and elegant look for hosting exquisite soirées or instead choose a warm and comfortable setting for cosy family mealtimes, the colour of your dining room can uplift the space and define its personality. 

Whether yours is a kitchen diner, a lounge diner or a dedicated dining space, we’ve pulled together a range of varied and exciting dining room colour ideas to help you pick out the perfect shades to accompany your dining furniture.

Where to start when choosing a dining room colour scheme

Redecorating any room requires careful planning and a lot of thought, and your dining area is no exception. It’s rarely just a case of just splashing a new colour on the walls and hoping for the best.

Before settling on your dream dining room wall colours, you need to study the space and think about functional (not just visual) factors. Here are just a few things to consider before pulling on the overalls and breaking out the paint brushes:

What’s your interior style? 

While each room in your home can have a slightly different feel, it’s generally a good idea to stick with one signature style so that it feels cohesive as you move through your house. When you’re thinking about new colour ideas for your dining room, consider the look and feel of your other rooms so you can be sure it fits with your overriding aesthetic.

If industrial chic is your overall style, then you’ll probably want to lean towards greys and neutral tones. If you’ve got a cosy cottage feel throughout, then opt for bright and warm colours in your dining room. Every room in your home is a reflection of your individual style and your personality, and your dining room is no different.

How will you be using the room

Another important factor to think about is how you’re going to be using your dining room. What will be its primary purpose within your home? For instance, is it an area you use every day for your evening dinners? In that case, you’ll probably want a no-nonsense space that’s a bit more light and practical. Does it double up as a home office during the week? Clean and functional is the way to go. 

If you mainly use your dining room to entertain guests, however, then you might want to pick a colour scheme that’s a bit more dramatic or creates a more luxurious feel — think darker shades and metallic accents. Whatever role the space fulfils, choose your dining room colours with this in mind. 

What mood do you want to create?

When perusing colour schemes for your dining space, it’s important to think about the mood you want the room to evoke. When you walk through the door and into your dining room, how should it make you feel? When dinner party guests arrive, should they feel calm and at ease or in the mood for a knees-up?

You might want your dining room to generate a peaceful, comforting aura with warm and inviting tones, or you may want to create a brighter, more energetic atmosphere that encourages laughter and raucous conversation. Whichever your desired mood, the colours you pick will go a long way to establishing the overall feeling of the space.

Visualise the space 

Before you settle on a new colour palette for your dining area, you’ll also need to consider more functional factors such as space and lighting. If it’s a small dining room, for example, lighter shades are going to make it feel more spacious. In a larger dining room, however, you’re free to add in some darker colours without it feeling too claustrophobic.

Lighting should also impact the dining room colour scheme you opt for — if there’s not much natural light, you’re going to want whites and neutral colours that reflect light and make it feel brighter. Even the biggest room is going to feel gloomy and overwhelming if you paint it in a dark shade when there aren’t many windows. 

It’s also a good idea to think about how your furniture will fit into your space. If you have a big family and you need a large, imposing dining table that fills up most of the room, then opt for lighter colours so it still feels spacious. If you live alone or in a couple and your furniture is on the smaller side, you can go for something bolder or more dramatic.

If you’re thinking about updating your dining furniture to match your new dining room colour scheme, this room planner tool will help you figure out the layout of your room.

Dining room colour scheme ideas

Now you’ve given prior thought to the stylistic and functional elements of your dining area, it’s time to settle on the dining room paint colours that will add your signature style and set your desired ambience. 

Whether you want to create a modern space with a contemporary edge, a cosy spot with warm tones or a more quirky area featuring an array of curious wall art, the colours you select are key to creating desirable dining spaces. 

If you’re not sure which shades will work for you, take a look at our tailor-made dining room colour ideas for inspiration on dialling up your dining room walls. Which colour palette will you opt for?

Warm and cosy

If intimate and snug is your cup of tea (pun very much intended!) then opt for warm hues: deep oranges, warm reds and mustard yellows can help to create a space that feels like a giant, soothing hug. 

Perfect for wholesome family dinners or laid-back nights in, deep and rich tones can make even a large dining room feel like a cosy, intimate space. Creamy beiges and caramel browns are great complementary shades, while adding a splash of yellow or a touch of white will ensure the room doesn’t feel too dark or imposing. 

A wooden or white dining table and some grey velvet dining chairs will provide a contemporary but cosy aesthetic, while adding a soft, fluffy rug and some cushions will make it the perfect spot for enjoying a comforting cuppa on lazy Sunday mornings.

Key colours: Reds, oranges, yellows and browns

Bright and bold 

If you want your dining room walls to really make a statement, something bold and distinctive like a purple colour scheme will give your dining space a lively and energetic feel.

Pick a lighter shade and mix it with small accents of contrasting colours like sunshine yellow, blush pink or mint green to create a fun, colourful space. For something a bit calmer, choose a purple and white colour scheme — purple walls with white skirting, doors and flooring can look sleek and modern. 

For slightly more formal dining rooms, choose a deeper shade of purple. Add a big overhead light fixture, candlesticks and other finishing touches to infuse your bold colour scheme with a slightly more luxurious feel. 

Key colours: Purples, pinks and yellows

Fresh and uplifting

According to Modern Colour Theorist and Colour Therapist Momtaz Begum-Hossain, “Green is the colour of balance, harmony, growth, and restoration thanks to its association with nature”. Choosing leafy green and neutral shades for your dining room colour scheme will create a space that feels fresh and invigorating.

If you want to create a rustic countryside style in your dining room, pick lighter shades such as sage or pistachio. This will work seamlessly with a wooden dining table and white accents, to keep the room feeling bright and breezy.

Stronger shades like forest green will work nicely with darker wood furnishings and create a space that’s relaxed enough for weekday dinners, but can also be dressed up for special occasions. 

Key colours: Greens and browns

Chic and elegant 

If you’d like your dinner parties to transport your guests to the opulent world of Jay Gatsby, you might want to opt for a more luxurious, formal dining room space. 

The perfect way to infuse art deco-inspired 1920s chic into a contemporary dining space is to contrast deep tones (black accents, slate greys, deep blues and dark purples provide the perfect backdrop) with flashes of colour and sparkle. 

Golds, chromes and even pinks will ‘pop’ amongst the darker background, accentuating the twinkle of champagne flutes or a glass dining set, whilst striking pieces like a gilded chandelier or a chrome-framed mirror will provide a focal point among deep-hued surroundings. 

Key colours: Greys, blues and black

Cool and contemporary

If you’re going for a trendy Scandinavian or industrial dining room style, a combination of grey and white can strike a perfect balance between contemporary and rustic — depending on the shade of grey you opt for. 

If you go with grey walls, choose a lighter shade to keep things open and airy — especially if it’s a smaller space. You can always add accents of darker greys with an area rug, table settings or dining chairs. 

To add a touch of hygge, mixing your grey and white colour scheme with wooden furniture and twinkly lights will instil a warm and calming ambience; while for a more industrial look, opt for metal chairs and a more rustic style dining table. 

Key colours: Grey and white

Minimalist

If you’re after a stripped-back, clutter-free feel to your dining room, keep it minimal: stick with neutral accents, no-frills furnishings and natural tones. 

Brilliant white walls are the best way to make smaller dining rooms feel bright and airy, and they make for a versatile, neutral backdrop whether you decide to accessorise the space or keep it muted. 

To really drive home the austere aesthetic, finish the room off with contemporary furniture, like a modern white dining table and matching dining chairs. If you want to introduce an eye-catching focal point, you can always add features to the space that draw the gaze, such as some bold wall art or a few plants. 

Key colours: White with neutral tones

When it comes to breathing new life into your dining area, you can take your pick from an endless choice of dining room colour schemes. But if you need a little more inspiration when it comes to choosing the perfect shades to complement your dining furniture, these are some tried-and-tested dining room paint ideas to get you started. 

To really maximise the space, Furniturebox has a range of dining tables, dining chairs and dining sets in a variety of styles, from contemporary to retro. Whatever the style and function of your dining room, you’ll find something that slots perfectly into your newly decorated space.

What’s more, our new room planner tool is the perfect way to explore our furniture collection and help you find the ideal colour scheme for your dining room.

Don’t know where to start? Check out our blog for even more dining room inspiration.