Mom always told us not to judge a book by its cover, but how about a dinner party after the dining room? While pimento cheese, gumbo, and Grandma's buttermilk biscuits are always delicious and devoured to the last crumb no matter where they're served, good food is certainly more fun in a beautiful space. Stop your dining room from looking dated or boring by adding personality and color.
There are certainly a few things every dining room in the South should have and dining room trends to look for, but most of all, it should feel inviting – a space where you want to sit and linger in good company. These five dining room colors will help create the setting for your most beautiful dinner occasions.
Kate Leichhardt, courtesy of Amanda Khouri Interiors
A touch of pink adds warmth and softness to the dining room without overwhelming it, while still allowing other design elements to take center stage. More muted, mature tones give the cheerful hue a grown-up feel and set it apart from the bubbly, more saturated pink tones of children's rooms. Incorporate rich brown tones to complement the lighter shade. “Getting this color just right can be tricky, but [this one] has never let me down,” says Nashville, Tennessee-based designer Amanda Khouri Interiors, who used Setting Plaster from Farrow & Ball in this dining room that blends tradition and modernity.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
You can't go wrong with a deep, grounding blue, whether on the walls, trim, ceiling—or all of the above. In her 1920s Tudor home, designer Catherine Branstetter used Farrow & Ball's Inchyra Blue as a dramatic, jewel-like backdrop for her cozy dining room. The hue feels equal parts casual and elegant, easily fitting into a home with an overall lighter, more neutral color palette. “I like it when the dark colors create a great contrast to the light parts of the house,” says Branstetter about the blue-gray tone.
Alison Gootee; Styling: Page Mullins
For smaller dining rooms, play with finishes rather than saturation to add character to the space without overwhelming it. Add a glossy finish to any off-white or relaxed neutral, like Benjamin Moore's Gerbera Daisy, and you've instantly elevated the room with a playful approach. This slightly peachy orange-yellow sets a refreshing tone and feels both brightening and warm – and goes well with almost all accent colors for textile layers.
JAMES RANSOM; STYLING: Veronica Olson
Soft blue tones can add a dose of color and energy to any room while creating a neutral backdrop. As a nod to the Southern tradition of blue porch ceilings, consider adding the shade to the ceiling as well. In her personality-filled bungalow, artist Dorothy Shain Henderson applied the dining room wall color (Sherwin-Williams' Lullaby) to the décor throughout the house.
Want to try a nature-inspired palette? Try an earthy green like Momentum by Sherwin-Williams. Just tackle the trim like designer Lauren Liess did with the 2020 Southern Living Idea House, bring it to the ceiling as an unexpected detail, or wrap the walls with the hue to create a moody dining room.