A dining room paint color sets the tone for furnishings, lighting, and decor. It also has the power to make the room look smaller or larger, depending on the color you select. Deep, saturated colors absorb light instead of reflecting it, which results in the space looking smaller. This is especially the case if the dining room is already small, doesn’t get a ton of natural light, or has low ceilings.
“Colors that make your dining room feel smaller are typically going to be non-reflective, darker ones with a more muted finish”, says Katie Gutierrez, principal interior designer at Errez Design.
We turned to interior designers to get their professional insight on which paint colors have a shrinking effect.
Forest Green
A deep forest green shade adds character and sophistication to a dining room, but according to Lynette Willett, ASID, NCIDQ, design director at Est Est Interior Design, it can also make the space look smaller. She explains that dark and rich paint colors such as forest green give a room a heavy, weighted feel.
“These deep colors absorb light and provide less reflectance values in a room, which gives the illusion that things are closing in or closer and smaller than they are,” Willett says.
Burgundy
Burgundy will make your dining room appear smaller, says Katie Gutierrez, principal interior designer at Errez Design, because it absorbs light instead of reflecting it.
“Zero bounce colors, like a deep burgundy, make the room feel tight and cozy,” Gutierrez says.
The designer notes that if you want to shrink your dining room on purpose in order to make the space feel more cozy, a brooding burgundy shade is an excellent option.
Navy Blue
Rich navy blue tones are timeless and elegant, but design experts say they will definitely make your dining room look smaller. Willett explains the color theory behind deep hues such as navy blue, saying that these are colors that scale from a black base as opposed to a white one.
If your dining room is already small, has low ceilings, or doesn’t receive a lot of natural light, painting the walls in a navy blue shade will only make it look smaller.
With that in mind, Willett shares that navy blue can be a good choice for an oversized dining room that may be overwhelming in volume. Additionally, the designer says the deep paint color’s visually enclosing effect can be used when you’re looking to create more intimacy in a dining room.
Charcoal
Charcoal paint colors are deep and moody, as well as timeless and sophisticated. They add a contemporary edge, but design pros say they can also have a shrinking effect in a dining room. Gutierrez explains that, unlike reflective colors with bounce that make your eye take in more volume, dark paint colors, such as charcoal gray, have the opposite effect.
If you want to lean into the cozy shrinking effect of a charcoal gray paint color in your dining room, the designer suggests going all in and color-drenching the room.
“To push the effect, paint the ceiling the same color and keep the trim close in tone so your eye doesn’t have a bright exit,” Gutierrez says.
Peppercorn Gray
Not quite black, and towing the line between warm and cool, peppercorn gray is a sophisticated shade with timeless appeal. Paired with crisp white trim, crown molding, and a ceiling medallion, it will instantly elevate a dining room. However, it’s also visually heavy and a color that Willett says will make the room appear smaller.