If you have a formal dining room but only use it when guests come over, it may be time for a change. Get a bit creative, use bold colors, and even incorporate some unique home decor to make your dining room one of the most enjoyable spaces in your home. Let this space be an extension of your style and complement the rest of your home decor.
Give your dining room the makeover it deserves with styles ranging from rustic farmhouse to something more sleek and modern. Whether you’re in need of a dining table embellishments or wall art inspiration, the right decor features will set your dining area apart from the rest of the house and clearly define the space without disrupting the design flow. To spark some inspiration, we gathered up some of our favorite home decor ideas to spruce up any dining area.
Rustic Farmhouse Dining Room Ideas
One of the most popular rustic interior designs is the farmhouse style. It’s characterized by the nurturing, simple, and romantic feeling that it evokes and a go-to design aesthetic for kitchens and dining rooms. Beautiful features like wide plank flooring, vintage cabinets, and a charming wooden table surrounded by cross back dining chairs define this aesthetic. Rustic home decor is characterized by wooden or muted metal tones and lots of personality shining through.
A gallery wall of canvas prints that displays your fondest family memories adds the perfect personal touch to your rustic dining room. Hang prints of family quotes or large wooden letters to add depth to your gallery wall. For a more unexpected type of gallery wall, you can print your favorite pictures on wood wall art that looks absolutely stunning among your rustic decor.
As for the dining table, a soft table runner and some fresh flowers in a large vase will add softness to the space. If you have a dish cabinet in your dining room, you can display customized mason jars next to your precious tea sets.
Formal Dining Room Decor Ideas
To create a truly timeless and classic dining room, think formal and contemporary. These design aesthetics are defined by their clean lines and sophisticated feel.
A dark wood or glass dining table fits perfectly into a contemporary dining space. You can add a little brightness with large greenery in simple planters and a delicate but extravagant light fixture, like a chandelier, pendant light, or wall sconces. Wall art is kept to a minimum in contemporary home decor but you can add a couple of large framed prints for a fresh focal point.
Formal design lets you showcase a little more glam and elegance. To incorporate bold colors into your dining room design, you can choose vibrant slipcovers on your chairs, hang elegant drapery, or even paint an accent wall in a rich tone. Touches of metallics are encouraged in this design aesthetic and can be implemented by adding frameless metal photo prints or golden picture frames to your dining room walls.
Modern Dining Room Ideas
Simple elements, a muted color palette with accents, and clean lines characterize this style. The perfect modern wall decor is a single, oversized framed print, like a bold poster from your favorite artist. A clean white or black frame is the ideal choice for this design aesthetic. A single table centerpiece — like a white vase with a few olive branches or dried flowers — is a chic focal point that’s perfect in this space. Accent everything with light window treatments to optimize natural light. This is the perfect way to make your home decor cohesive, especially if your dining room leads into your living room.
If you’ve been wanting to declutter your dining room for a while and finally have some time on your hands, a minimalist approach to your design will keep the room clutter-free and pairs well with your modern aesthetic. Incorporate light wood elements, lots of light, and earthy touches. Functionality and simplicity are core characteristics, so spend some time reorganizing and decluttering. Simple frames are still the way to go, but you can mix and match different wooden frames to create a small gallery wall in your dining room. Add houseplants of various sizes and you’ll create a cozy and clutter-free dining room in no time.
Coastal Dining Room Decor
Whether you live by the coast or just love the idea of being near the ocean, creating a coastal-themed dining room is a beautiful homage to your favorite place in the world. Plus, it gives your home decor a unique characterization. This interior design aesthetic is defined by rich blue and sandy hues and plenty of ocean-themed decor elements, such as driftwood and shells.
A dining room with large windows overlooking the ocean is hard to beat. You can recreate a similar setting by hanging glass prints of your favorite beaches as dining room wall decor that will bring the feeling of salt on your skin and sand between your toes to mind every time you glance at them. Pair with a neutral area rug and a reclaimed wood table to help the space have a relaxed vibe.
Fill a glass bowl with sand and add a few seashells from your last vacation for beautiful, sentimental table decor. A stack of customized coasters with your best beach memories is the perfect detail to bring a coastal dining room together.
Additional Ideas
Whether you’re diving into a full remodel or just need to refresh your space, there are plenty of ways to distinguish your dining room from the rest of your home and make it a welcoming space. Shop Shutterfly to find your favorite home decor and home goods and check out some of our other favorite design resources here:
