How to Choose Wallpaper for a Dining Room

Colour, pattern, light levels and paint pairings that bring the room together.

Featuring wallpapers from Nicholas Engert Interiors and complementary paint colours from Little Greene Paint Company.

The dining room is one of the few spaces in the home designed specifically for shared time — long meals, celebrations and everyday moments alike. Wallpaper plays a defining role here, adding depth, texture and personality in a way paint alone often cannot.

Having specified wallpaper for both residential and hospitality dining spaces, we’ve found that the most successful schemes balance atmosphere with practicality. By considering mood, light, pattern scale and paint pairings from the outset, you can create a dining room that feels cohesive, welcoming and built to last.

Expert tip: Always test wallpaper samples alongside paint swatches on the wall itself. View them in natural daylight and again in the evening under your dining-room lighting to understand undertones, contrast and overall mood.

1. Start With the Mood You Want to Create

Before looking at colours or patterns, decide how you want the room to feel when people sit down to eat.

• Relaxed, everyday dining
  Soft tones, gentle repeats and subtle textures help the space feel calm and easy to live with.
• Entertaining and social spaces
  Expressive designs that spark conversation work beautifully in dining rooms used for hosting.
• Formal dining rooms
  Classic motifs, heritage-inspired patterns or refined scenic designs bring structure and elegance.

Wallpapers from the Nicholas Engert Interiors work across these moods. Designs such as Hare in Hiding and Butterfly Effect offer strong character without overwhelming the room, making them particularly versatile for dining spaces.

2. Consider Light Levels and Room Orientation

Light has a significant impact on how wallpaper colours are perceived. The same design can feel entirely different depending on orientation, window size and lighting type.

• North-facing dining rooms
  These often benefit from warmer neutrals and chalky tones to prevent the space feeling cool or flat.
• South-facing rooms
  Cooler greys, blues and more detailed patterns tend to appear crisp rather than heavy.
• Rooms with low natural light
  Choose lighter grounds, open motifs or designs with clear contrast to maintain brightness.
• Evening-led dining rooms
  Deeper tones and atmospheric patterns can feel especially inviting when paired with warm lighting.

Dining rooms are often experienced most in the evening, so it’s worth prioritising how the wallpaper looks under artificial light rather than daylight alone.

3. Pattern Scale, Placement and Furniture Balance

Dining rooms usually include large visual anchors such as tables, pendant lights and sideboards. Wallpaper should complement, not compete with, these elements.

• Large-scale patterns
  Best paired with simpler furniture shapes and uncluttered styling.
• Intricate or detailed repeats
  Work well when upholstery, flooring and accessories are kept calm and understated.
• Feature-wall approach
  A practical option if you love pattern but want to keep the room feeling open — paper one wall and paint the rest.

As a general rule, let one element lead. If the wallpaper is the statement, keep paint colours and furnishings quieter. If the furniture is ornate, choose a design with more breathing space.

4. Wallpaper & Paint Pairings

Carefully chosen paint colours help wallpaper feel intentional and integrated. Paint can be used on adjacent walls, ceilings, woodwork or panelling to frame the design rather than distract from it.

Below are suggested Little Greene Paint colours that sit comfortably alongside selected wallpapers from Nicholas Engert Interiors.

Hare in Hiding – Smokey Blue Wallpaper

• French Grey Pale – surrounding walls for a calm, airy feel
• Slaked Lime Mid – woodwork or panelling for gentle warmth
• Aquamarine Pale – a subtle accent that adds interest without competing

This combination works particularly well in dining rooms with limited natural light, where softness and depth are equally important.

Butterfly Effect Wallpaper

• Rolling Fog – a warm neutral that grounds the space
• Portland Stone – ideal for ceilings or adjacent walls when white feels too stark
• Pearl Colour – a refined contrast that remains understated

These tones allow the wallpaper to remain the focal point while ensuring the room feels balanced and considered.

From Sweden with Love – Licorice Wallpaper

For a more masculine dining room, From Sweden with Love – Licorice offers a bold, graphic take on nature-inspired design. The dark ground and structured motif create a sense of depth and confidence, making it particularly effective in dining spaces intended for evening use, entertaining or more formal settings.

This wallpaper works well when paired with strong silhouettes in furniture, natural materials such as timber or leather, and considered lighting to enhance its richness.

• Dark Lead - Ideal for adjacent walls or panelling to reinforce a deep, cohesive and architectural feel.
• Dock Blue - A muted blue-grey that softens the scheme slightly while maintaining a masculine edge.
• French Grey Pale - Suitable for ceilings or secondary walls where a quieter contrast is needed without introducing brightness.

This combination creates a dining room that feels grounded, confident and atmospheric — well suited to spaces where mood and presence are as important as comfort.

5. Practical Considerations for Dining Rooms

Dining rooms are lived-in spaces, and durability matters just as much as aesthetics.

• Durability
  Choose high-quality wallpapers designed to withstand regular use, especially in family homes.
• Cleanability
  Check whether the paper is wipeable or washable — a practical advantage for everyday dining.
• Placement
  If chair backs are likely to scuff walls, consider a feature wall or combine wallpaper with painted panelling.
• Lighting
  Warm bulbs are generally most flattering in dining rooms. Always test wallpaper samples under evening lighting conditions.

Final Thoughts

Wallpaper gives dining rooms depth and personality, while carefully chosen paint colours create cohesion. By considering mood, light levels, pattern scale and practical needs — and pairing wallpapers from Nicholas Engert Interiors with complementary Little Greene colours — you can create a dining space that feels thoughtful, welcoming and enduring.

Explore the wallpapers from Nicholas Engert Interiors to find a design that suits your dining room and order samples to test at home before committing.