What Colors Work Best in a Dining Room That Is Dark?

White and Off-White

• When rooms are in dark areas of the house and the property, it’s easy to reach for white and off-white paint to pick up the light level in the room. These neutrals also help to highlight special artworks, pieces of furniture like well-designed breakfronts and cabinets, as well as work to emphasize table settings and linens themselves. Paint manufacturers offer whites with many subtle undertones, including green, pink, grey, tan and blue. White and off-white paint does not have to be boring, but can add muted dimension to the room while still using available light.

Yellows

• Paint manufacturers offer many more subtle tones of paint than they have ever offered before, so that yellow does not have to be just bright yellow anymore. Shades that are muted and give a contemporary look to rooms will provide more light for dark rooms, such as at the Behr Paint website.

Mid-Range Colors

• Another way to decorate a dark room is to use a medium tone in the color you desire. This can avoid the “dirty” look that some rooms get with very light colors and little light. It can provide color and interest to distract the eye. Then, you can make up for the lack of light with lighter colored accessories, light fixtures and light patterns that reflect the wall color. Try a green or blue in a mid-range color. A medium tan can make a great neutral color for dark rooms and will highlight graceful furniture. Avoid tones that are too dark or too vivid.

Embrace the Darkness

• Another method of dealing with a dark dining room is to embrace the dramatic qualities of the room and use them to advantage. Use a gray tone for walls with touches of black accessories and emphasize lighting and metallic tones on picture frames and mirrors to pick up the reflected light, suggests the Apartment Therapy website. You can also use white table linens to create more brightness in the room. This creates a sophisticated flavor for rooms where colors may not be visible enough to be appreciated.