See how designers are tapping current color trends to create warm and welcoming dining spaces.

Recent seasons show designers moving away from cooler shades of gray and white in favor of warm, soft, organic neutrals — a shift also revealed in the Sherwin-Williams Colormix^® Forecast 2022. In a world that has renewed its focus on wellness, comforting hues like beige and warm grays have never felt timelier. This trend is realized in this New York family’s vacation home on South Carolina’s Kiawah Island (above). Rather than go with a traditional palette of blue and white, designer Kate Livsey of Cortney Bishop Design used a warm greige, Amazing Gray SW 7044 (245-C2), on the dining room’s trim and wainscoting for a contemporary take on beachfront living. The casual yet refined style extends to the room’s other features and finishes, including a modern rattan light fixture and cozy window seating, while the unpainted wood ceiling lends additional texture.

Warm neutral paint colors make a soothing statement in these dining spaces, too.

 

Pop of Peach

“Curated and comfortable eclecticism” is the way designer Natalie Papier defines the style of her home in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I love using color to bridge the gap between traditional and modern elements in a way that says, ‘Sit down and stay awhile,’” she says. When it came to the dining room, Papier knew she wanted to coordinate with the kitchen, which features cabinets painted Malted Milk SW 6057 (195-C1). In the end, she chose Extra White SW 7006 (257-C1) for the walls to keep the room feeling open and light. A bold terracotta hue — Cavern Clay SW 7701 (290-C6) — highlights the high ceilings and crown molding with an unexpected pop of color. “These gorgeous 10-foot ceilings inspired me to bring in a bold color that would pick up the hits of oranges and red in the wall art, and complement the dining room’s warm wood floors and traditional bones,” Papier says. A table for 10, mid-century-inspired chandelier and playful vintage rug set the tone for a fun yet laid-back vibe.

 

Natural Contemporary

A complete renovation of this one-bedroom condo in a mid-century building in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, turned out to be a fun challenge for design firm Kobel + Co. To emphasize northern views and natural light in the kitchen and dining space, the team removed both original kitchen walls and expanded the cabinetry the entire length of the western wall. The cabinets and wooden knobs were painted in Accessible Beige SW 7036 (249-C1), with Pure White SW 7005 (255-C1) on the walls and ceiling. “We were inspired by natural materials, textures, and notes of calm,” designer Mallory Robins says. “Accessible Beige was instrumental in providing warmth and grounding the long kitchen, while Pure White gave a bright, fresh feeling to the walls and ceiling of the dining room. The right mix of paint and fabric colors allowed for a cozy, cocooned feel with a very minimal palette.”

 

Timeless Transitional

A kitchen remodel in this Littleton, Colorado, home gave Lauren Winter of Duet Design Group the opportunity to create a dining space that fit naturally into the home’s new open floor plan. “We wanted to pull in some of those natural color tones so the depth felt balanced while keeping the majority of the space light and bright,” Winter says. A creamy neutral — Oyster White SW 7637 (254-C7) — on the walls fit the bill and pairs perfectly with kitchen cabinets painted Pure White. Reorienting the eating nook shifted focus to a beautiful view of the backyard, rather than the kitchen, and a bench built into the bay window offers ample seating at the oval dining table. The gold finish in the chandelier and art frames adds a hint of glamour.

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