Best Wall Colors for a Formal Dining Room

If your home includes a formal dining room, you can use wall colors to give it the kind of ambiance that you wish to project into overall style of the room. Wall colors can add a lot to a room, not only in terms of style but also to set the overall mood for the room. By choosing colors that will complement the furniture and flooring that are already in the room, as well as considering your overall entertaining style, you will be able to select the best colors for your formal dining room area.

Assessing the Dining Room Style

Before choosing a wall color, take a good look at the other features of your dining room. You will need to take into account the existing colors of the flooring, curtains, wood colors and fabrics used in the room, unless you plan to change them after you paint. Additionally, it can be a good idea to consider the colors and patterns in your dishes and china, since these will be used frequently in a formal dining room. It is also important to note whether your room includes mostly warm or cool colors before selecting paint colors.

Assessing Your Entertaining Style

If you use your dining room for primarily family-related events, then you may have a bit more freedom to choose colors that reflect your personal preferences, even if the colors are a bit out of the ordinary. However, if you often entertain business contacts or other types of non-family guests, you might want to stick with more traditional colors. Selecting paint colors that complement your normal cooking style is also something to take into consideration. For example, if you generally cook with an Asian flair, decorating your dining room with colors that reflect traditional English or French cottage styling might not be the best choice.

Colors for a Traditional Look

Warm colors such as brown, beige, cream and other neutrals can be used to give a dining room a traditional look. Accent colors could include rich red or green shades, as well as darker shades of brown. These colors often blend well with formal dining room furnishings, including formal drapery colors and patterns and the darker wood colors that are common in traditional formal dining rooms. In most cases, a white or off-white ceiling is preferred for a formal dining room.

Colors for a Modern Look

Modern formal dining rooms often focus on sleek lines and a minimalist look. Good wall colors for a modern dining room include white and off-white, as well as cooler neutral shades such as gray and taupe. These colors can add to the overall sleek look that is popular with modern dining rooms. Ceilings can be white or off-white, or could be the same color as the walls for an interesting modern effect. Choose a sleek focal point, such as a modern wall clock, keep the walls streamlined and uncluttered.

Colors for an Individualized Look

If your formal dining room has more of an eclectic look, you can choose whatever colors appeal to you, as long as they blend in well with the other furnishings in the room. Even unusual colors can be used effectively in the dining room, especially if lighter variations of the color are used for the walls. Mix vintage pieces, such as antique glass wall sconces for candles, with exotic or modern accents for an eclectic look.