When it comes to picking out the perfect dining room paint color, look for a shade that sets the space's mood. It should match your entertaining style since this room is for guests, special occasions, and transient use. Since you're not in the room long, feel free to go bold with color to set an elegant and dramatic tone. Lighter tones work well, too; neutrals are inviting and comfortable.
- Color Family: Varies; can go neutral and muted or go bold with deep blues and reds
- Complementary Colors: Varies; neutrals go with just about anything; blues play well with orange and gold shades while red makes greenery in the room pop
- Pairs Well With: Each of these colors work well with white or cream-colored trim
- Mood: Depends on the color you choose, the deeper tones give the room more drama
- Where to Use: Dining room walls, accent walls
Here are the top 10 picks for the best dining room paint colors.
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01 of 10
Best Neutral: Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray
A neutral hue like Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray is a great choice for a modern, light dining room. This gray is almost a greige, and its versatility makes it perfect in almost any setting. This cool, beige-gray plays beautifully with light woods and neutral accents to create a monochrome palette.
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02 of 10
Best Beige: The Spruce Best Home Macrame Beige
A classic dining room needs a classic hue. Nothing is more timeless than a soft beige. The Spruce Best Home Macrame Beige is a light beige with subtle peach undertones that are more apparent in smaller rooms. It's an excellent choice for formal dining rooms and offers a sophisticated feel without becoming too stuffy. These dining tables can help you finish the space.
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03 of 10
Best Moody: Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue
The Spruce
A traditional statement color like this inky blue can work well in most dining rooms. Farrow & Ball's Stiffkey Blue is an incredibly rich and moody navy. It feels both sophisticated and modern and pairs nicely with cool white accents. This hue is named for the Norfolk beach, where the mud and cockle shells share a particular deep navy hue. When used in well-lit areas of the home, it will appear much bluer.
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04 of 10
Best Brown: Magnolia Elemental
Brown is one of those shades that's often overlooked in home decor, but it can be a great choice for a dining room. Magnolia's Elemental is a warm brown with soft yellow undertones that gives off a more traditional or stately feel, depending on the furniture you pair with it. It can also feel earthy and natural when used with sage or olive tones.
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05 of 10
Best White: Benjamin Moore White Dove
Even if you think a dining room is a great place to experiment with color, that doesn't mean you have to pick a bold wall color; the rest of the room's accents can do that. A hue like Benjamin Moore's White Dove is a go-to for dining rooms because it's an incredibly versatile and forgiving white that plays wonderfully with a wide variety of colors. It has just enough yellow to keep it from feeling sterile and will easily lighten up a dark dining room space.
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06 of 10
Best Earthy: Farrow & Ball Mizzle
If you want to give your dining room a grounded, unassuming mood while still adding dimension and color, Farrow & Ball Mizzle is a great choice. This soft green shade has strong gray undertones, lacking cool blue tones, and feels intriguingly misty (almost smoky). It gives a room a sense of calm and tranquility and is a great color for an open concept dining room. This green pigmented shade is named for a mix of both mist and drizzle, giving the room a feel soft, contented feeling
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07 of 10
Best Pink: Benjamin Moore First Light
Pink is not only for little girls' rooms. Benjamin Moore's First Light is almost neutral but offers just enough pigment to fall solidly into the pink category. It's a light shade that is a little whimsical and a little trendy but incredibly versatile in nearly any dining room. Benjamin Moore describes it as "a soft, airy pink that flatters any space and plays well with other colors."
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08 of 10
Best Red: Valspar Cut Ruby
If you've been looking for an excuse to experiment with a bold red paint color, a dining room is a perfect opportunity. Valspar's Cut Ruby is a rich scarlet hue that looks beautiful against candlelight for those romantic stay-at-home dates. It's a vibrant color that can feel traditional or modern, depending on the accents you pair with it.
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09 of 10
Best Green: Behr Inland
We don't predict hunter green is going away anytime soon. It's still a top favorite for a dining room. Behr's Inland is a medium hunter green that's neutral enough to pair with a wide variety of shades. It's sophisticated and can be turned down with a whimsical mustard yellow pairing.
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10 of 10
Best Blue: Sherwin-Williams Stardew
If you want to create an airy, tranquil dining room, consider Sherwin-Williams' Stardew. This cool, muted blue has green and gray undertones and is a lovely alternative to a typical gray dining room. It works well in a modern farmhouse home and lends an airy feel to any room.