Your dining room is a place to gather and create memories. Whether you and your loved ones are sitting down to a Thanksgiving feast or Friday night take-out, your dining room sets the scene.

The right color palette will make your dining room welcoming. You can create a tranquil sanctuary, a high-energy gathering place, or something in between. These color ideas will get you started!

Dining Room Color Ideas

Here’s a list of the best colors for dining rooms.

1. Greige

“Greige” is a made-up color name for a very common shade: a blend of gray and beige. The table and curtains in the example dining room serve as a great example, as each one is not quite beige and not quite gray. As you can see, greige is a prime candidate for creating layered palettes.

However, a dining room that is only greige, beige, and gray will often need a darker color to ground the overall color scheme. The black entryway in the picture is a great example. If you find a mostly-greige palette to be a bit too dull, you might consider choosing an accent color or two!

2. Warm White

Especially in a dining room, cool white walls can look too cold or sterile. Warm white walls go along with the warm energy of most dining rooms. The room in the picture creates a subtle dynamism with its warm white walls and cool white wall trim.

As you can see, warm white creates a fitting backdrop for a neutral palette. Using a combination of light and dark neutrals will add visual interest and keep the room in balance. Jute rugs or other woven rugs also add some texture!

3. Slate Blue

There are several variations of slate blue, but this color is essentially a blend of slate and navy blue. It’s not technically a neutral, but it’s very close, and it’s dark enough to ground lighter palettes.

The pictured dining room uses just a bit of slate blue to add some interest to an otherwise neutral space. Including this deep cool color in more than one place is essential when it comes to maintaining balance. The slate blue chairs connect to the slate blue coloration of the smoke-like abstract art on the wall.

4. Petal Pink

You don’t see pink dining rooms too often, so if you’re going for something off the beaten path, this is a great color to choose. The pictured room’s dollhouse-like walls are particularly striking. Floral wallpaper adds both motion and interest, and the solid pink portion of the wall prevents the pattern from getting too overwhelming.

Petal pink looks good with a variety of wood tones, and it also does well alongside cool colors. The addition of cool white and purple stops the space from becoming too warm.

5. Tangerine Orange

Just about anyone familiar with the design world will tell you to exercise caution when decorating with orange. Orange is cheerful and energetic, and a splash or two can make any room seem more memorable. But on the flip side, orange can quickly become overwhelming.

If you’re using orange (especially a very bright orange like tangerine) in your home, start with just a touch before adding more. The pictured dining room does this well: the orange tablecloth adds a burst of personality to a room that is otherwise mostly cool white.

6. Maroon

Maroon is a rich, purplish red that’s right at home in farmhouse-style spaces and opulent rooms alike. If you’re going for a bold look, maroon walls with cool white trim will look especially striking. But as you can see in the example dining room, maroon is effective in smaller doses, too. Its warmth makes it a fitting companion for natural wood with a warm, honey-like stain.

However, if you go with this combination, it’s critically important to balance out that warmth with cooler neutrals. The dining room in the picture does this with black furniture and cool white wainscoting on the walls.

7. Forest Green

Even though forest green is a cool color, it has a cozy and ensconcing effect. It’s also a somewhat uncommon color for a dining room, making it a perfect choice for those hoping to do something a little different.

In particular, forest green really makes a statement when used as a wall color. Unsurprisingly, it’s a natural companion for wood floors and wooden furniture. If your dining room incorporates a lot of forest green, make sure you include a healthy dose of white to keep the room from appearing overly dark. White wall hangings, rugs, and tablecloths are all great options.

8. Cocoa Brown

Cocoa brown might seem a little staid, but the ultra-modern dining room in the picture shows that it can be part of some exciting palettes! This warm brown shade works surprisingly well as a wall color. If you’d rather keep your walls more traditional, including cocoa brown in several different places will help create balance.

The simple color scheme in the picture is an excellent example. White walls and a pale wooden floor create a quiet backdrop. Cocoa brown chairs and shelving keep everything grounded while still making a statement, and a few green plants add a pop of color.

9. Royal Blue

Royal blue is a color that might seem better for a bathroom or a living room. But in a dining room, it’s perfect for creating a look that’s serene without being boring. The delightfully modern palette in the photo adds a burst of aquatic-inspired color with a blue glass accent wall. The cool white chairs and walls create crisp contrast while the black wall clock works as a grounding influence.

Of course, glass accent walls aren’t a feasible choice for everyone. Royal blue makes a dynamic wall color, especially when the bottom halves of the walls are white. This look will pair well with a wooden table and chairs with a royal blue rug and/or table runner.

10. Dilute Olive

At first glance, the wall color in the photo might look gray. However, it’s a very diluted shade of olive green with ample yellow undertones. When it’s this pale, olive green works almost just like a neutral. It’s an outstanding choice if you like neutrals but want something besides the usual gray, white, or beige.

That said, pale shades of olive are right at home in layered palettes with gray and beige. If you want to add a little more color, just a few touches of gold or bronze go a long way!