Dining Room Feature Walls and Dark Dining Rooms

A dining room feature wall works best when it is designed for the evening, because that is when most dining rooms are used. Rich, deep finishes such as high gloss lacquer, polished Venetian plaster, a hand painted mural or chinoiserie, or gilding that catches candlelight all come alive under low, warm light. Dark dining rooms work for the same reason. At night a deep colour softens the edges of the room, the table becomes the bright centre, and the walls glow rather than glare.

For choosing a feature wall in any room, see our general feature wall ideas. This guide is about the dining room in particular, with ideas, how dark colours behave at night and how to light them.

Which wall to choose in a dining room

In most dining rooms there are three good candidates.

• The wall behind the sideboard. It already has a reason to be special, and a mural or gilded panel above a sideboard looks deliberate.
• The wall facing the door. It is the first thing guests see and sets the mood of the room.
• The alcoves. Either side of a chimney breast, alcoves can carry a richer finish without overwhelming the table.

Some dining rooms suit going further and treating all four walls, or the ceiling, as the feature. In a small room that is often more striking than a single wall.

Dining room feature wall ideas

Lacquered walls

Lacquered walls are made for dining rooms. Zavoré's high gloss lacquer is built up coat by coat, rubbed down between coats and polished to a mirror finish, so candlelight and lamps are reflected deep in the surface. Oxblood, bottle green, navy and aubergine are classic lacquer colours. Our lacquered walls guide explains the finish in detail.

Venetian plaster

Polished Venetian plaster gives depth and a soft sheen rather than a full mirror. It suits dining rooms that need to look calm by day and rich at night, and it can be machine tinted to any of 1,950 NCS colours. Our guide to a Venetian plaster feature wall has more.

A hand painted mural

Painting a dining room into a garden is an idea with deep roots. Smarthistory describes a painted garden removed from the dining room of the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta, near Rome, dating from around 30 to 20 BCE. A hand painted mural of trees, flowers or a distant landscape can do the same today, turning the room into somewhere you would want to linger.

Chinoiserie

Birds, blossom and branches painted directly onto the wall, or onto gold leaf, silver leaf or grasscloth, give a dining room a sense of occasion. Chinoiserie suits both light and dark grounds. Our guide to hand painted chinoiserie goes into the style.

Gilding

Gilding brings warmth that changes with every flicker of a candle. Ideas include a gilded alcove or ceiling, gold leaf picking out the cornice, ceiling rose or panel mouldings, or a gilded background for a mural. Silver and copper leaf give cooler and warmer alternatives to gold.

Panel mouldings

Plaster panel mouldings give a dining room structure and a period feel. Painted the same deep colour as the wall, they add quiet shadow lines. Picked out in gold, or framing panels of mural or lacquer, they become the feature themselves. Our guide to wall panelling ideas has layouts to consider.

How dark colours work at night

Dark dining rooms can feel like a risk, but they behave very differently after dark than by day.

• The edges disappear. In low light, corners and walls in deep colours recede, so the room feels softer and more intimate rather than smaller.
• The table becomes the stage. Light falls on the food, faces and glassware, while the walls frame them.
• Finish changes the mood. A matt dark wall absorbs light and feels velvety. The paint maker Resene notes that the higher the gloss, the more light bounces off a surface, so a lacquered or polished wall throws back candlelight and sparkles.
• Daylight still matters. Look at samples by day too. A colour that glows at night can look heavy at noon in a north facing room.

Lighting a dining room feature wall

• Put the pendant on a dimmer. Light over the table sets the focus, and turning it down lets the walls take over.
• Add wall lights. Wall lights or picture lights wash the feature wall and stop the room feeling like a pool of light in the dark.
• Light from the side for texture. Raking light brings out the movement in Venetian plaster or the brushwork in a mural.
• Watch reflections on gloss. On lacquer, check where a bright bulb will reflect from your seat, and choose softer, shaded sources.
• Use candles. Nothing shows off gilding or lacquer better.

Feature wall paint ideas for dining rooms

• Colour drenching. Walls, woodwork and ceiling in one deep colour for an enveloping room.
• Two tones with a rail. A deeper colour below a dado or picture rail and a lighter one above.
• A painted ceiling. A deep or gilded ceiling over a paler wall draws the eye up.
• Contrast the cornice. A cornice picked out in gold or a sharp contrasting colour frames the room.

Questions we get asked

Is a dark dining room a good idea?

Often, yes, especially if you use the room mostly in the evening. Dark colours feel warm and intimate by lamplight. Pair them with good lighting and a finish that suits the mood.

What is the best finish for a dining room feature wall?

For drama, lacquer or gilding. For depth with a softer sheen, Venetian plaster. For a room that tells a story, a hand painted mural or chinoiserie.

Can a mural in a dining room be protected?

Yes. Murals in busy areas can be sealed, which helps where chairs and hands brush the wall.

Do you work outside London?

Yes. Zavoré works across the UK, including London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Where to go next. Explore our feature walls, lacquered walls, gilding and murals, or get in touch to talk about your dining room. You can also call or WhatsApp 07592 929191, or email support@zavore.co.uk.