Dining room ideas and inspiration

When deciding on the best paint colour for your dining room, let your entertaining style be your guide.

No matter how often or formally a dining room is used, we still want it to have a special occasion attitude. The right colour can serve up an elegant mood as well as a strong design statement. Find inspiration in Benjamin Moore's Aura paints, formulated for deep, rich colour that resists fading.

Our tips for choosing a dining scheme

Designed for drama

The dining room isn't a space you settle into for long periods of time, so it's an opportunity to use a strong colour that is both elegant and dramatic. Rich, warm reds, corals, golds and silvery greys make great colour choices; they work with lighting to coax your space to glow. Wall paint with soft sheens, such as eggshell, satin or semi-gloss, give walls more luster and depth. Keep in mind that a higher gloss level can add to the drama, but the proper prep work is important because a higher sheen will highlight imperfections. For a more modern look, highlight the right wall colour with trim painted a gloss white.

Find Your Inspiration

Many elements can inspire you when it comes to your dining room, from the furniture that's front and center, to the window treatments. This means the paint colour you choose plays an important design role. For a pulled-together look, let wood tones or fabrics inspire a paint colour choice.

Be a Good Neighbour

To create design flow in the main living areas of your home consider rooms that are adjacent to the dining room when picking a colour. Though you don't have to match the colours of the spaces exactly, your home may flow better visually if the colours relate. Pair warms with warms and cools with cools, and match existing room colours to Benjamin Moore paint swatches to find complementary colours.