Our Favorite Dining Room Decorating Ideas

Experimenting with various patterns, colors, layouts, and lighting can give your dining room a fresh, brand-new feel.

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Monochromatic Style

wood dining room sliding doors into reading room — Dera Burreson

Pick a theme and run with it. That's what the owners of this dining room did when they chose to cover their walls in wood paneling. A mid-century modern table and matching chairs provide a nonchalant look to the space, and wood floors keep it warm and inviting.

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Glam Dining

natural dining room with glass and rattan table — Dane Tashima

If you prefer fancy restaurants over more casual affairs, turn your dining room into a dream dining experience. Load up on gold accents to create that glamour feel of a 5-star establishment. An extra large area rug brings added warmth to the space.

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Vibrant Designs

Blue and yellow is a common color combination for kitchens and adjacent breakfast nooks, but a little variety can spice up this standby scheme. In this nook, fire-orange leather chairs and bold printed pillows contrast the pale yellow walls and blue accents and bring a burst of energy to the space. The blue medallion-print window valances and the angular design of the table base also add vibrancy to the space.

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Vivid Accent

A bright, bold color can bring a cheery vibe to a neutral space or a room that just needs a little facelift. This dining room is brought to life with vivid green chairs upholstered with a colorful floral print. Consider updating existing chairs with paint and fabric, or scour for secondhand finds that you can give the same sort of treatment.

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Style Shift

Dining room sets, with a table and matching chairs, provide uniform style. But mixing and matching asserts personalized flair. Pair a traditional pedestal table with modern seating, such as the clear acrylic chairs in this fresh dining nook. A oil-rubbed bronze chandelier solidifies the room's traditional ties, while the brightly colored pillows bring out the flair.

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Try Tile

Wood and carpet are common dining room flooring options, but taking a cue from Spanish casas and Italian villas, where tile flooring prevails, can be just as appropriate. Here, the flooring continues from the adjacent kitchen for a seamless flow, and the shiny finish of the black arabesque tiles reflects light, keeping the room from seeming too dark. Wooden chairs add a warm touch to the room, and white walls bring a modern touch.

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Bring In a Bench

Adding a bench to a dining room table, rather than more chairs, provides extra room for seating for a large group. Perfect for entertaining, a bench allows more people to sit together at the table and is especially perfect for children. Modern, curved chairs mirror the curved ceiling above and give the space a contemporary look. The neutral and wood tones color scheme accentuate the room’s simplicity and unique architecture.

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Comfort in Darkness

Instead of going light and bright, aim for dark and cozy. Use rich colors and deep, saturated finishes, such as walnut. The foundation and scheme of this dining area is dark and solid. The stone wall, wood floor, and wood-paneled ceiling bring a dark tone to the space and also bring varying hard textures. Cushioned chairs and a love seat bring a sense of comfort and a softer feel to the room, but the muted gray and blue upholstery maintains the room's commitment to cozy.

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Light and Dark

Another way to mix and match in a dining room is to pair ethereal elements with solid silhouettes. Large windows fill this dining room with an abundance of natural light, giving it an airy and open feel. White paneled walls and a white ceiling, along with the floor-length powder blue curtains, accentuate the light and make the room seem larger. Clear gray chairs give a unique reflection of the light and contribute to the airy tone in the room. The dark wood table and its curvy base contrast the light aspects throughout the room, and the upholstered wooden chairs at the head of the table add a classic, traditional touch. An antique brass-and-crystal chandelier culminates the dark-light dichotomy and crowns the room with grace.

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Sleek and Solid

Good lighting is essential in a dining room because it sets the mood. Draw attention to the mood with a standout light fixture, whether it's an antique chandelier dripping with crystals or a feat of engineering, such as the tubular wire light fixture in this dining room. A gray color palette and solid, simple furniture and decor complete the modern look.

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A Personal Touch

Let your dining room symbolize memories of meals you've shared with people you love and incorporate heirlooms and family treasures. It can be a collection of photos, a treasured china set, or even a single piece of furniture, such as an inherited Windsor chair that can seamlessly fall in line with a collected group of chairs. Personality and personal style come into play in this warm, inviting dining room. Different types of chairs give the room an unexpected punch of variety and contribute to the room’s unique feel. Wood tones with green accents and neutral walls give the space a comfortable and outdoorsy tone.

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Incorporate It All

Play up your dining room's strengths and embrace all of its details. This dining room uses color, texture, pattern and architecture to create style at its finest. The white wainscoting and neutral color scheme play off the black window frames for a chic look. Yellow upholstery on the chairs brings a subtle touch of color and gives the room a more pleasant, inviting tone. The branch mural on the wall is a unique accent that adds character and a sweet touch to the space.

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Space Sophistication

Even if your dining room is just a space off the kitchen, don't be afraid to give it sophisticated style. In this dining space, handsome, substantial furniture and colors set the space apart and make it stand out against the simple white kitchen. The bold yellow print on the back of the chairs contrasts the navy cushions and is a burst of color against the dark wood floor and white walls.

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Unique Emphasis

For a unique approach to color scheming, lay a foundation of monochromatic neutral, using the same tone for the walls, floors, and window treatments, then sneak in a surprise with a pop or two of color. In this dining room, sandy beige is invigorated with peacock blue seat cushions and table accessories, as well as a sunset-hue painting. Combining warm and cool colors with natural light gives this dining room a unique yet inviting vibe.

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Supersized

Make a statement by going overscale. Playful use of scale is a key component in many successful contemporary spaces. An oversize metal drum shade combined with a chest-high buffet rise to the occasion in this dining area. Both pieces comfortably lower the room's tall ceilings while creating drama. A rug peppered with large-scale flowers also does its part to make the midsize table set live large.

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See-Through Simplicity

For a clean sweep, forgo the traditional rug under the dining room table in favor of letting gleaming hardwood floors shine. This open approach allows the eye to travel freely through this eating area. The result: a room that feels open and airy. Simple slipper chairs and a centerpiece of see-through glass bottles amplify the effect.

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Fresh and Clean

Instead of infusing color, embrace white as a refreshing palette cleanser in your dining room. This bright, simple dining room is given a fresh and clean look with its white color scheme and pale green accents. The white walls, ceiling, windows, and light fixture all blend together to give the room a bright, crisp foundation. White slipcovers continue the neutral theme and can easily be tossed in the wash. The shapes of the chandelier and the beams on the ceiling create shadows that add depth to the space. Green accents bring energy to the room, and the pastel shade continues the fresh look.

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Various Tones

high-contrast breakfast nook with green accent

Don't be afraid to create a varied mix in your dining room. From black to white, gray to tan, tile and carpet, this dining room is made of differing tones and materials that come together to create a cohesive look. The white table juxtaposes itself with a round top and rectangular base. Wooden chairs along with a slate gray couch provide different options for seating -- one a more traditional, practical option; the other a more comfortable, modern option. Floor-length, white, flowing curtains add a light, airy feel to the room.

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Vibrant Pop

In a nook or bay with limited wall space and lots of windows, take the plunge and apply a vibrant color to the walls. The "pow" color won't come off as harsh, since it's confined to small areas. In this nook, melon-orange walls are paced with white framed windows. Light blue valances with a complementary orange print bring a cool sense while still tying in the orange color scheme. Wire chairs with orange seat covers are a modern touch and contrast the solid-black wooden table.

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