20 Dining Room Wall Decor Ideas

Sure, the table and chairs are most important. But don’t forget the walls when styling a dining room. If you’re looking to refresh your dining room wall decor, check out these nifty, pretty and practical ideas.

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By: Deanne Revel

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Symmetrical Art

Instead of one big art piece, make a statement in doubles. Symmetry never goes out of style, and using two pieces of art to flank a chandelier will always make a dramatic impact. You can achieve the same effect with photography or poster prints, too.

From: WAKE + LOOM

Woven Baskets

That coffee table bowl? Mount it to the wall! We are here for the basket trend. Like hanging hats on a wall, clustering woven baskets creates more texture than flat photos or paintings. Plus, it's a great way to add more natural fibers in a space if you have a jute or sisal area rug. You can usually find woven baskets for cheap at the thrift store, but we also love this set from Pottery Barn.

Buy It: Pottery Barn, $499, Set of 4

Curated Vintage

Some say open shelving is messy, but you just have to group similar items together to make it look tidy and intentional. This narrow niche is both storage and decor as all of the mismatched teacups are clustered together. And that row of green vintage glass bottles is just stunning.

From: Katherine Carter Design

Antique Mirror

You can't go wrong with a gold-framed mirror. It's classic, timeless and works on any wall in a dining room, from behind the head chair to above a long buffet. But actual antique, ornate mirrors are very expensive. Like luxury car expensive. Enter the Gleaming Primrose Mirror. This Anthropologie find is like a modern-day heirloom, and HGTV hosts from Jillian Harris to Joanna Gaines love it and use it in their spaces, too.

Buy It: Anthropologie, $498 and up

All the Books

Dining rooms don't have to be stuffy. If formal isn't your style, take cues from other rooms such as the den. This dining room could easily be a study or a makeshift office with the cozy wall of books in a custom built-in.

From: Duet Design Group

Antique Oil Painting

But if you do like the idea of having a formal dining room, nothing is more traditional and stately than an oil painting. While actual antique oil paintings are pricey, you can fake it with a print of a popular painting.

From: Antonio Martins

Living Art

Instead of another framed art wall, how about a framed garden? This art piece from West Elm actually houses live plants, from succulents to tiny ferns. The frame comes in white and matte black, too, but we love this slate blue option.

Buy It: West Elm, $239.00

Neon Sign

For something funky with a lot of character, try a custom neon sign. You could display your initials, family names or an inspirational word. And if you don't have the budget for actual neon, there are tons of acrylic options with LED light wiring on the market now.

See More: Color + Pattern: Eclectic, Emerald Green Condo

Sophisticated Fabric Art

Textiles are always a great alternative to ho-hum flat photos. But too often tapestries and woven wall hangings read a little too 'first college dorm room'. Instead of just nailing cool fabric to the wall, try elevating it by stretching it over a canvas. All you need is a staple gun for this easy DIY that looks incredibly chic.

See More: Tour the Brownstone Boys' Salvaged-From-Scratch Brooklyn Brownstone

Pretty Menus

If you've been practicing your calligraphy skills, show them off with a giant roll of kraft paper! We love this mounted roll from Terrain.

Buy It: Terrain, $58.00

Functional Art

Not everyone has a dedicated dining room. If your dining space is an open concept or shared with the kitchen, chances are the "dining room" table is more like a hub for homework, working from home and a million other things. Let the wall decor serve double duty for this command center. A stylish mega calendar is both functional and pretty to look at.

Favorite Words

While we love a good watercolor painting or bold abstract canvas, printed words can be beautiful, too. And words can inspire wall hangings, from movie quotes to song lyrics to inside jokes. This simple metallic clip above makes it easy to change out posters and prints for seasonal quotes and personalized words of wisdom.

From: Leanne Ford

Wall Planters

Love house plants? Hang them on the walls! These gorgeous brass planters from Terrain look like wall sconces, but they're actually tiny gardens perfect for succulents and air plants.

Buy It: Terrain, $38.00

Funky Gallery Wall

If you and your partner have different design styles, a great way to compromise on wall decor is by creating a gallery art wall. That way, you can both choose pieces you'd like to display. The key to creating a cohesive art wall is theming so it doesn't look like mismatched chaos. A great way to tie every piece together is color. This gallery wall features a playful candy-colored palette that ties each piece together regardless of the style or size.

See More: Contemporary Duplex With Splashes of Color Throughout

From: Pippa Lee

All the Neutrals

Another great way to arrange an art gallery wall is with neutrals. The sketches, watercolors and paintings above work together because they share the same brown, cream and sienna tones.

Classic Black and White

Or, skip color altogether! Sticking to a black and white scheme makes it super easy to incorporate different art mediums, from photographs to maps to vintage silhouettes.

From: Suzanne Childress

Heirloom Silver

We love a wall decked out in antique saucers and plates, but a china display can often read too cottagecore or shabby chic. For something a bit more sophisticated, swap out plates for platters. This wall of antique silver tea trays looks incredibly chic. And you don't need real silver to get the look. You can score nickel-plated trays at the dollar store.

From: Joni Spear

Modern Mural

Instead of hanging up a painting, just paint the walls! Custom murals like this hexagon display are a great way to create a statement wall. And if you live in a rental and can't paint the walls, you can still achieve this look with removable wall decals.

See More: Pattern + Texture: Row House With Geometric Accents

From: Kerra Michele Huerta

Family Portraits

If you can't decide on artwork, go with what you know: family. Baby portraits, family portraits or even pet portraits are perfect for enlarging, matting or framing for your own custom wall art.

Framed Sheet Music

Photos are the first thing people think of when personalizing a room, but there are so many other things you can frame that are special. Consider mementos that mean something to you and your family, such as pressed florals, hand-written recipes or even sheet music from your favorite songs.