Dining Room Paint Colours
Dining rooms are mostly used in the evening, which makes them one of the best rooms in the house for rich, deep colour. Wine-dark reds have a long history here, while plums, inky greens and burnt orange feel warm and sociable. For kitchen-diners and daytime meals, quieter stones are easier to live with. Every shade below is available as a 60ml sample.
The best dining room colours are chosen for the evening. Deep reds are a long-standing dining room favourite because they glow by candlelight and feel warm and sociable; designers now use plums, inky blues, dark greens and burnt orange in the same way. If your dining room doubles as a kitchen-diner, workspace or playroom, a quieter stone or soft earthy shade will be easier to live with in daylight.
At a glance
- Start here
- Design for the evening. Think about when you eat in the room. Rich, deep colour comes alive by lamplight and candlelight, while daytime dining suits softer shades.
- North light
- Deep reds love north light. Cool, steady light keeps deep reds rich rather than bright. Warm, earthy colour also stops a north-facing dining room feeling chilly.
- South light
- Cooler depth balances the sun. Warm sun can make reds and oranges very intense. Inky greens, deep plums and quiet stones stay balanced.
- East light
- Breakfast bright, dinner deep. Morning sun suits daytime meals, then the room cools. Rich colour comes into its own at dinner under warm lamps.
- West light
- Golden light for dinner. Warm evening sun flatters reds, oranges and plums. Check your sample before and after sunset.
- Woodwork
- Drench for a cocooning room. Paint the skirting, panelling and doors in the same colour as the walls for an enveloping, seamless room.
- After dark
- Candlelight changes everything. Check samples under the lamps and candles you will dine by. Avoid relying on one bright ceiling light.
- Sample tip
- Check every change of light. Move your sample between walls. Check it in morning and afternoon daylight, then under the lights you use at night.
Tap any tile to read more.
Wine-dark dining room reds
Deep reds that glow by candlelight.
Best in north-facing rooms
Deep red is the traditional dining room colour: it feels warm and sociable and glows by candlelight. Choose a red with depth, softened with brown, purple or black, rather than a bright pillar-box red.
Best in north-facing dining rooms, where steady light keeps these reds rich. In sunnier rooms, try the plums and greens below, or sample the reds under evening light only.
Plums, inky blues and dark greens
Dark, dramatic colour for evening entertaining.
Best in north-, south-, east- and west-facing rooms
For a dining room with real drama, these plums, near-blacks and inky greens wrap the room in colour. They look wonderful with timber tables, brass and candlelight.
Best in north-facing rooms with Halam™, south-facing rooms with Merry™ or Cavern™, and east- or west-facing rooms with Apatura™, Skibbidy™, Petrichor™, Cavern™, Skipper™ or Mercia™.
Burnt orange, ochre and clay
Earthy warmth that suits timber and brass.
Best in north-, east- and west-facing rooms
Burnt orange, ochre and clay bring a warm, sociable glow to a dining room, with less formality than deep red. They suit country kitchens and family dining rooms especially well.
Best in north-, east- and west-facing dining rooms. Chopped™ is best kept to north-facing rooms, and Broxtowe™ suits every direction.
Quiet stones for kitchen-diners
Gentle shades for daytime dining and open-plan rooms.
Best in north-, south-, east- and west-facing rooms
If the dining room doubles as a kitchen-diner or workspace, a quieter colour is easier to live with all day. These stones and soft greens give warmth without the drama.
Best in any direction with Pippin™, north-, east- and west-facing rooms with Podged™, Crude™, Maltster™ or Gruit™, and south-, east- or west-facing rooms with Ancaster Stone™ or Medlar™.
Sample it the way we would
Step 1
Paint your peel-and-sticks
Each £5.99 sample comes with three paintable peel-and-sticks. Give them two coats and let them dry fully.
Step 2
Stick them around the room
Put them on two or three walls, including the wall opposite the window, at eye level and lower down.
Step 3
Live with them for a day or two
Look in the morning, the afternoon and under your evening lamps. Move them around until you are sure.
Your questions, answered
What is the best colour for a dining room?
For a room used mainly in the evening, deep, warm colours such as wine reds, plums, dark greens and burnt orange work beautifully. For a kitchen-diner used all day, a soft stone or muted green is easier to live with.
Should a dining room be dark?
Dark colour suits dining rooms better than almost any other room because they are mostly used after dark. Paint the woodwork to match for a cocooning effect, and light the room with lamps and candles rather than one ceiling light.
Colour drenching guideIs red a good colour for a dining room?
Yes. Red is a traditional dining room colour and feels warm and sociable. Choose a deep, earthy red rather than a bright one, and sample it under evening light, where it looks its best.
Burgundy & deep red paint