Stylish Dining Room Decorating Ideas

The dining room is arguably one of my favorite places to decorate. I love putting out seasonal decorations and setting a beautiful holiday table for special meals. The key is a great foundation so I am sharing some great dining room decorating ideas with you today!

While we painted our dining room before we moved in, I had been searching for just the right dining room decor to fully style the space and I wanted to replace some outdated furniture. With just a few changes, I was able to completely transform our dining room design. Keep reading for how to decorate a dining room. 

A special thank you to my partners for these dining room decorating ideas: Lamps Plus | LoHome by Lauren Haskell Designs | Collective & Co. | Art by Emily Cobb | Sherwin-Williams

Let’s start with a few before and after shots. I just can’t get over the difference! 

Dining Room Decorating Ideas

The dining room is the place where relationships are fostered and connections are deepened. Whether it’s family, friends, or you are welcoming someone new into your home, the dining room serves as a great place for conversations and community. Adding the right touches will go a long way in creating a welcoming atmosphere that reflects thoughtfulness and care. 

I’ve had a traditional wood table and set of chairs for years, but as I’ve transitioned my home to more neutral and brighter color palette, my dark wood furniture made the dining room seem dark and dull. I love my table and wasn’t ready to part with it, so one way to update the space and help lighten the room was to replace the dark chairs with these gorgeous Linen Upholstery Chairs from Lamps Plus. Did you know that Lamps Plus has a huge selection of furniture, home decor, outdoor accessories in addition to fantastic lighting? I’m so impressed with their quality and wide selection of their products!

How to Add Lightness to a Dark Room

The tufted dining chairs instantly elevated our dining room. I love the detail of the hand-crafted button tufts and the silver ring on the back has a modern, elegant flair. It provides so many creative options for seasonal decorating in the future. The chairs are large enough for adults to sit comfortably, but not so large that you can’t fit eight around a typical sized table. The lighter upholstery instantly transformed the room and brought such a beautiful touch to our dining room. 

Another way to decorate a dining room is to add a buffet, chest or sideboard that provides a surface for entertaining and serving. This Mirrored Chest from Lamps Plus is one of my favorite additions to this room. It adds a touch of glam while offering practical storage for linens, candles, and other entertaining items. I love how light bounces off the mirrored chest throughout the day and it brightens the room while doubling as a functional piece.

Dining Room Rug

I’d been searching for the perfect rug for my dining room decor. An area rug adds texture to your space and can help tie your color scheme together and add visual appeal to the room. I wanted a light blue rug to help further lighten the area and I found a beautiful selection at LoHome by Lauren Haskell Designs. I am so impressed with LoHome. One of the goals of LoHome is to provide sustainable decor and furnishings from manufacturers that use socially and environmentally conscious practices, and I just love that.

 

Dining Room Wall Decor

For the dining room wall decor, I chose these gorgeous Chinoiserie Panels from Collective & Co. in their Waterway color. These 100% silk paintings make such a beautiful statement. Every detail is hand painted and framed in a brushed gold frame. They are truly spectacular and I have received so many compliments already! Collective & Co. has other colors and prints available, and beautiful pillow options as well.

 

 

I called on local Arkansas artist, Emily Cobb, to create a custom piece to display over the mirrored chest. She is not only talented, but has an eye for detail and was able to take my vision and bring it to life perfectly. I love how the soft pinks and blues in her custom painting create a calming effect. The muted tones will allow me to use different colors when decorating this space throughout the seasons and when creating future table settings. Emily has an extensive skill set and is able to ship her work in the U.S., so don’t hesitate to reach out to her to see her selection or create your own custom piece.

On an adjacent wall, I utilized wall shelves to display a few of my blue and white plates. Using shelving is a great way to easily switch out decor throughout the year or make seasonal updates. 

Dining Room Decor

I styled the chest with a gorgeous crystal lamp from Lamps Plus and a blue and white ginger jar to use as a vessel for fresh flowers. Some of my favorite design books are displayed along with a small blue and white bowl, and a white quartz trinket box. This is a perfect spot for storing matches and other entertaining needs. Don’t forget to utilize functional pieces in your decor. For my dining table centerpiece, I was so excited to find this vintage blue and white pedestal bowl. It is perfect for an orchid arrangement, and will work for seasonal floral arrangements in the future.

Dining Room Paint Colors

I always get asked about my paint colors. When choosing a wall color, it’s important to test several samples on your walls because natural lighting, the time of day, and even your decor can impact your color. I wanted a creamy white that did not read yellow or blue. We went with Sherwin-Williams Dover White for our walls, and Pure White for our trim. The last item on the agenda for this dining room makeover was to paint the plantation shutters. We had overlooked this, when having the house painted before we moved. The bright white shutters make all the difference and made the perfect final touch to this dreamy dining room design.

Shop My Room

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my dining room decorating ideas. It feels so good to have this space coordinate with the rest of my home. For more inspiration, check out my Gorgeous Spring Decor Ideas and Five Simple Bedroom Decorating Ideas.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram,  Pinterest,  LIKEtoKNOW.it,  Facebook,  and Twitter. Here is a pin to save this for later!