The 24 Best Dining Room Colors, According to Designers

Say goodbye ho-hum dining rooms. We’re here for the bright and cheerful, the moody and dark, the vibrant and jewel-toned and the airy and light. The right dining room paint color — and decor, of course — can completely transform your favorite gathering spot.

For this chic dining nook, designer Cecilia Casagrande used rich blue-green (Hague Blue by Farrow and Ball) to set a dramatic tone. Christian Lacroix’s Butterfly Parade fabric brings beautiful pattern to the space.

Inspired by the homeowners' grandmother’s china collection — and the home’s 1930s history — the team at Copper Sky Design + Remodel leaned into a pastel scheme that’s full of character. Patterned wallpaper (Strawberry Thieves by Calamityware) is paired with soft blue paint (Ebbtide by Sherwin Williams) to transform this dining room into a cozy gathering space. Pinks in the wallpaper pick up their notes from the kitchen cabinets (Lotus Flower by Sherwin Williams) in the next room.

Blue and white is a never-fail color combo for dining room design, and we love this fresh-yet-traditional take by MegMade. Brunschwig & Fils’ Bird and Thistle wallpaper serves as the jumping-off point for the bright blue palette, and the millwork and ceiling are painted Blue Lagoon by Amy Howard.

This combo of mauve and sage feels both retro and contemporary at the same time. For the walls, designer Amber Guyton opted for Love Affair by Benjamin Moore, then brought in elements of green through the dining chairs and monstera leaf mural.

This tiny nook is drenched in pigment, specifically Buffet Green by Benjamin Moore. To balance out the abundance of color, a simple marble-topped table and wishbone chairs are ready to host casual meals.

Bright and happy, this dining room delivers color through its furnishings rather than the walls. White shiplap and warm woods give the space a decidedly lakeside vibe, while cheery wicker chairs bring a pop of sunshine — and tie in with the yellow front door. (For a similar look, try Sun Yellow by Rust-Oleum.)

Don’t neglect the ceiling when dreaming up a dining room makeover. This space features a pastel speckled wallpaper on the ceiling, complemented by slate blue walls (Blue Heron by Benjamin Moore), rosy velvet chairs and a geometric rug in muted hues.

Beige, white and gray aren’t your only color options if you want to keep your dining room walls neutral. In this space, designer Mary Patton used blush pink (Calamine by Farrow and Ball) as a neutral backdrop for vibrant green curtains and warm wood tones. The mix of warm and cool hues brings balance to the room.

Bring a bit of sunshine to your dining room with lively yellow walls. Inspired by the homeowners’ yellow dining chairs, designer Hannah Masterson painted this space with Lemon Twist by Sherwin-Williams. “I love how it peeks through the open-back bookcase,” she told HGTV Magazine.

Periwinkle walls (Searching Blue by Sherwin-Williams) are a playful foil to this dining room’s traditional wood table and farmhouse-style Windsor chairs. Designer Brian Patrick Flynn used a cohesive color palette of blues, grays and browns to unify the room’s old and new design elements.

Traditionally red has been a popular hue to use in dining rooms since it’s thought to stimulate appetites, encouraging your guests to eat up. This modern farmhouse dining room is coated in Passionate by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams for bold energy. Bright blue chairs, plaid curtains and woven pendant lights introduce a fresh, colorful aesthetic.

Even if you love a quieter color palette, you don’t have to sacrifice character. A neutral floral wallpaper is the perfect pairing for this muted powder blue hue (Smoke by Benjamin Moore). Classic wooden furniture and an Old World-inspired chandelier lend a farmhouse vibe to the space.

Forest green walls (Calico Blue by Benjamin Moore), woven leather chairs and brass accents make this dining room look oh-so sophisticated. An orange-and-white-striped Roman shade adds a splash of bright color that keeps the space from feeling stuffy.

This dining room is the grooviest of spaces — from the massive disco ball to the mod art on the wall. Blush paint (Sultan Sand by PPG) brings a rosy tint to the space and allows the furnishings to really shine.

Elegant and moody, this deep purple dining room (painted Brinjal by Farrow & Ball) is full of glam elements. Glossy wood furniture, brilliant gold accents and a spectacular Sputnik-inspired chandelier set an unforgettable scene for hosting dinner parties. A mix of patterns — like the hand-painted abstract ceiling and pagoda-print curtains — make the space feel eclectic and cool instead of formal.

If you’re a little more conservative when it comes to color, try pairing a monochromatic palette with layers of pattern and texture, as designer Traci Connell did here. This elegant dining room features soft blue-gray paint on the walls and ceiling (like Coastline by Benjamin Moore) and other gray tones throughout the space, yet it’s anything but dull thanks to the floral wallpaper, velvet chairs and intricate molding.

Get ready to get cozy with this super comfy breakfast nook. A large banquette is tucked into the bay window and paired with a vintage-inspired table and chairs. The mix of rust-colored and striped pillows adds the perfect pop to the pretty-in-sage walls (Privilege Green by Sherwin-Williams).

Look to wallpaper for a quick way to add visual interest to your dining room. In this space by Lotus and Lilac Design Studio, sky blue wallpaper punctuated with flowers, leaves and birds lends lovely color and pattern to the space. Pink and blue dining chairs and blue-gray paint on the other walls echo the hues found in the wallpaper, pulling the look together.

Douse your dining space with saturated jewel tones to recreate this luxe look. Designer Gioi Tran combined deep sapphire walls, chartreuse velvet chairs and a gold sconce to create this glamorous room. A jade green hutch completes the unexpected palette. (Try Verdigreen by Sherwin-Williams for a similar look.)

Muted aqua walls (Rainwashed by Sherwin-Williams) and whitewashed, wicker chairs bring coastal flair to this dining room. A hand-tufted rug in shades of sage coordinates with the wall color. No matter where you live, you can create a beachy look in your dining room with woven accents and a color palette of blues, greens, white and beige.

Farmhouse style is usually known for its soft, neutral hues, but you can blend farmhouse charm with vibrant color, like designer Brian Patrick Flynn did in this dining room. The ocean blue walls are balanced by white wainscoting and curtains, so they don’t feel overpowering. (For a similar look, try Adriatic Sea by Sherwin-Williams.)

Even with neutral walls and furniture, your dining room can still burst with color. Bright yellow curtains and a multicolor rug energize this otherwise-muted contemporary dining room by designer Sarah Wittenbraker.

Vibrant dining chairs and a patterned rug in shades of pink and teal add major oomph to this dining room by designer Natalie Myers. The key to this space’s success is its clean look, which prevents the vivid colors from overwhelming the eye.