Green dining room ideas – 10 ways to use this trending tone in your entertaining space

If you're concerned that green dining room ideas might be a passing fad, don't be. As decorating trends go, green is – evergreen. 

This natural colour is almost infinite in its variety, from blue-green pine and teal shades, to mid-tone sage and the palest spearmint. And just as in nature, it's a reliable base that works well with a huge range of other colours. That makes it perfect for stylish dining room ideas. 

Green walls can form the backdrop to stylish tablescaping. Green curtains or dining chairs can lift the look of a neutral dining space, and a bold green patterned wallpaper can turn your eating zone into an exciting space in which to entertain guests and enjoy celebratory meals with family and friends.

Green dining room ideas

There's a reason that green room schemes help us to relax and feel at home.

'In colour psychology, green reflects health, generosity and peace, as well as connecting to nature and the environment, so it’s a wonderful choice to create a space where you feel rested and secure,' explains Zoe Eaton, Creative Director at independent wallpaper design house Ohpopsi .'We all want our family and dinner guests to feel like this!'

We've curated green dining room ideas to help you nail your dining room decor and create a deliciously stylish eating and entertaining space. 

1. Colour drench your dining room with green

Colour drenching takes your room scheme to a whole new level of immersion, painting the walls, woodwork and even the ceiling in one single shade. Here the look is amplified even further, as the tablecloth mirrors the rich green of the walls – the shade is Christmas Wreath by premium paint brand, Colourtrend.

'Colour drenching works best with intense and deep tones, so a rich mossy green like this is ideal,' says Ginevera Benedetti, Deputy Editor, Ideal Home. 'In a dining room, the wall-to-ceiling colour makes for an elegant backdrop to the main event, which is the meal itself. It also creates a warm, intimate atmosphere that's perfect for a dinner party.'

2. Embrace pattern with a green wallpaper

Used as a feature wall, in decorative panels, or around the entire room, a green dining room wallpaper idea will bring style and impact to your dining space.

'Don’t be afraid to move away from neutrals and to embrace pattern and colour,' encourages Zoe Eaton, Creative Director at independent wallpaper design house, Ohpopsi. 'Keep an open mind with green and blue tones and try lots of wallpaper and paint samples to find the perfect option for you. 

'A great wallpaper will create a mood-enhancing space. Wooden furniture and crisp white crockery look amazing with richer tones and patterns on walls.'

3. Add a banquette and paint it green

A built-in bench or banquette is a great option for a kitchen-diner where it can make the best use of space against a long wall, and provide additional storage beneath the seat. Rather than let it fade into the background, painting it a bold shade will turn it into a feature in its own right.

Here, a moss green banquette creates a visual base point for the dining room wall decor above. The green shade is picked up in the painting and the lush green houseplant, to create an eclectic yet cohesive green-accented scheme.

4. Opt for dramatic black with green

It pays to be brave when it comes to dining room colour schemes – after all, this room may not be used every day, so you can afford to make a statement. Bold green fabrics shine out against a black, deep grey, navy, or bottle green walls, adding drama and flair to your dining room decor.

'Maximalist designs featuring tropical foilage across fabrics and accessories, or jungle-style wallpapers, work well in a dining room, agrees Sue Ellinas, Director of interior design company, Minnie & Grouse Interiors. 

'I love to use classic dark bottle green tones, such as Nori from Paint & Paper Library, paired with dark wood finishes and velvet curtains. Then I dress the dining room with lots of real or faux palms. A delicious combination to create an intimate atmosphere!'

5. Pair green with natural wood

You don't need to walk in a forest to know that the colour green works well with wood! But what's brilliant is that the combinations are endless. 

'You could opt for a classic country house or gentlemen's club look with dark green walls and polished walnut or mahogany furniture; opt for fresh minty tones with white oak or pale pine; or go for an inviting, contemporary look with sage green walls and warm wood and leather pieces,' says Ideal Home Deputy Editor, Ginevra Benedetti. 'A dark floor will ground the look.'

6. Choose green for an indoor-outdoor look

'Green is a lovely colour to introduce to dining rooms that open out to a garden, as it creates a connection and brings the outdoors in,' says interior designer, Jojo Bradley, founder of Jojo Bradley Interior Design. 

'I like to do this with a sage-toned green on walls; this keeps things light and soft. You could then bring deeper greens in on upholstery – don’t be afraid to mix different greens! We often like to place sisal effect rugs under dining tables to frame the area; coloured borders can be added to these to add interest.'

7. Half paint a wall with green

If you want to switch-up your white dining room ideas, why not paint the lower half of in a bright apple green? This inexpensive alternative to installing panelling can be achieved in an afternoon and will immediately elevate the look of your dining room. Add the same shade of green in other areas of the room – for example, the window treatments, furniture, or accessories and tableware – for a cohesive look that pulls the scheme together.

8. Tablescape with green ceramics

'If you are looking for a quick makeover that doesn’t involve painting, papering, or permanent fixtures to bring your dining room bang up to date, simply add new accessories,' suggests Sue Ellinas, Director of Minnie & Grouse Interiors. 'Green crockery or glassware, napkins, tablecloths and cushions in soft tones, and green foliage displayed in a vase can give you an instant fresh look and feel.'

Updating your dining room lighting ideas can also dramatically change the mood of the room. 'Dim down the lighting and add a new floor or table lamp for that cosy intimate feeling,' Sue says.

9. Go bold with green panelling and red stripes

It's easy to be timid in a tight space as you don't want your decor to overwhelm the room. But taking your decorating ambitions up a notch can be the making of your ideas for small dining rooms.

'A small dining room is an opportunity to go wild with minimum investment,' agrees Ideal Home Content Editor, Holly Walsh. 'Think about striking colour combinations – for a green room, that might mean introducing red to your scheme. And have fun with your decorating. Here, candy stripes add a playful touch that contrasts with the formal panelling.'

10. Team green with blue for your dining chairs

Add interest to a pared-back scheme by adding subtle colour combinations. 'They say blue and green should never be seen but perhaps it's time to mix it up; in the right tones they can be the perfect match,' says interior designer Sue Ellinas from Minnie & Grouse Interiors.

Here, two green chairs are joined by a blue seat – all from Marks & Spencer – that gently disrupts the coordinated palette. 'You could also add a patterned tiled "rug" in shades of green and blue beneath your dining table, for a look that's both beautiful and practical,' says Sue.

Is green a good colour for dining rooms?

'Tones of green are a great choice for dining rooms. They are naturally calming and relaxing and offer a stylish, sophisticated warmth, from the lightest fresh tones through to the richest hues,' says Zoe Eaton, Creative Director at wallpaper brand  Ohpopsi. 

'There are hundreds of shades and styles to select from, so you can have fun finding find your personal favourite and then adding in accent colours to complete the look.'

Should the living room and the dining room be the same colour?

It can help to have harmony between the living room and dining room, if the two spaces are next to each other. If the rooms are connected by a double door, which can open up to connect the two spaces fully, then decorating the rooms in the same colour can create the most cohesive, designed look. 

If the rooms are close to each other but not connected, then decorating them in shades from the same palette can create flow between the two spaces, while allowing them to retain their own identity.

'For example, you could paint the living room and pick up the same tone in a wallpaper that you use to decorate the dining room,' says interior designer Jojo Bradley. 'Or you could use the accent colour from the living room and make it the dominant tone in the dining room.'

Linking the spaces with the same furnishing fabrics can also create synergy between the spaces. You might use the same fabric for blinds and cushions in the living room, then repeat it in blinds in the dining room.