---
title: "Set the Tone: 8 Colors for an Inviting Dining Room"
date: "2014-07-18"
modified: "2016-04-25"
authors:
  - name: "Marie Proeller Hueston"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.bobvila.com/authors/marie-proeller-hueston/"
url: "https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/set-the-tone-8-colors-for-an-inviting-dining-room-47792/"
categories:
  - "DIY"
  - "Interior"
  - "Interior Design"
  - "Painting & Finishing"
  - "Paints & Finishes"
tags:
  - "color"
  - "living spaces"
  - "paint"
---

# Set the Tone: 8 Colors for an Inviting Dining Room

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/diningrm2__0581.jpg>)

### Gray

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/3ab77e84665e4bf5030ee7db7b35a369.jpg>)
*kristinpetro.com*

Layering different shades of gray produces a fresh twist on a traditional look. When mixing and matching grays, be sure the undertones are consistent, urges Sheri Gibson, a designer with [Kristin Petro Interiors](<https://kristinpetro.com/>), in Elmhurst, Illinois. "The undertones in gray can lean toward brown or green or even pink," Gibson says. "Make sure your grays work together."

### Orange

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/fc33840c72d8cc25f576fa03bd3d0bb3.png>)
*adeenidesigngroup.com*

Warm pumpkin walls brighten a dining room where natural light is limited. "My general advice for using orange or any other bright color is to go a few shades more muted than you think you would like," counsels designer Claudia Juestel, principal of [Adeeni Design Group](<https://www.adeenidesigngroup.com/>), in San Francisco, California. "Color intensifies when reflected off all four walls of a room."

### White

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/73c534417f7e5614a1d2f27d6fcdeed5.jpg>)
*carlaaston.com / Photography by Miro Dvorscak*

White walls create a museum-like feeling in homes where collections will take center stage. Designer Carla Aston, principal of [Designed with Carla Aston](<https://carlaaston.com/>), in The Woodlands, Texas, chose Sherwin-Williams's Divine White (SW 6105) to highlight her clients' cherished possessions. Custom covers for seats and chair backs extend the white palette and enhance the room's serene feeling.

### Red

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/70c428456b00d369fa62acce4c4b50a0.jpg>)
*farrow-ball.com*

"Strong [colors like red](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/accent-wall-colors/>) work wonderfully in dining rooms, creating a dramatic, intimate atmosphere and the perfect place to entertain," says Sarah Cole, creative director for Farrow & Ball Paints. "And because these rooms are often lit by candlelight, rich, velvety colors on the walls take on a jewel-like quality."

### Black

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/b0f5b4c9f063273294b532e1c1e7f68d.jpg>)
*roughaninteriors.com*

Black walls create an environment that is glamorous, but still warm and inviting. Designer Christina Sullivan Roughan, principal of [Roughan Interior Design](<https://www.roughaninteriors.com/>), in Weston, Connecticut, used silk wall covering from Phillip Jeffries for this elegant room. To prevent the strong color from overpowering the space, she chose Benjamin Moore's Super White (PM-1) to highlight the room's architectural details and positioned a light-colored, textural carpet underfoot.

### Green

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cb284dbb47aabc46cd74ee5cd6af2ff0.jpg>)
*midwestliving.com*

Cheerful apple green sets an energetic mood in a [dining room](<https://www.bobvila.com/>) and ensures lively conversations among your guests. To balance the brightness of the walls, inject contrasting elements of dark wood and light artwork, the editors of *Midwest Living* advise.

### Beige

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/b11a2adc605c653674c96c4df14923c8.png>)
*anddesigns.com*

Beige sometimes gets a bad rap, but there's no denying its appeal as a calming backdrop in a room. "Beige may be considered boring by many," confirms Anne Norton-Dingwall, principal of [AND Interior Design Studio](<https://www.anddesigns.com/>), in Berkeley, California, "but when you use it to highlight a room's original architecture and add pops of color in chairs, art, and rug, it feels fresh and modern."

### Blue

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/d339ff80d7aca83425ec9c0026a3f03b.jpg>)
*julesduffy.com*

This dining room, with its soft sky-blue hemp wallpaper, was designed by Jules Duffy, principal of [Jules Duffy Designs](<https://julesduffy.com/>), in Madison, New Jersey. Playful touches like the iron-and-blue-glass chandelier and the centerpiece of blue jars and ornaments add a youthful quality to the room's traditional look.

## Author
Marie Proeller Hueston is the author of several books on home design decorating, including *[Country Living Farmhouses](<https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1588164772/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2>)* and *[Country Living Cottage Style](<https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1588168735/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1>)*. She is the former Arts & Antiques Editor of [Country Living](<https://www.countryliving.com>). A fan of all things DIY and design, Ms. Hueston lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, son, and daughter.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-proeller-hueston-34a06312/>)