Our formal dining room is one of my favorite rooms in our whole house. It’s where we gather to share meals with friends and family, hosting holidays and laughing over board games and stories of retold memories. It’s where our daughter tried her first foods and where we debrief as a family at the end of the day. Over the years since we first moved in, our dining room has truly become the heart of our home and we recently decided to swap out it’s Farmhouse charm for a more moody, vintage-inspired vibe that truly captures the vision of our overall home space. All it took was a little bit of paint, some intentional furniture and decor pieces, and a few small touches to bring it all together.
I am excited to walk you through all of it below, showcasing the varying elements that have brought this space together and our vision to life. I hope it inspires you to create your own cozy space that evokes a sense of nostalgia, personal intentionality, and creative functionality!
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Finding the Perfect Moody Dining Room Paint Color
This room was originally painted with Sherwin William’s color, Riverway; a very Farmhouse inspired blue green color that is honestly so beautiful. But as our home design style changed over the years, we knew that eventually we would want to swap the color out for something more moody. As I started creating my vision board, I discovered that a deep, dark green was definitely going to be the way to go. I felt that it would be timeless, elegant, and versatile!
I initially fell in love with the color Dark Olive by Benjamin Moore, but I didn’t want it to be too green and pull from the blue underneath, so we landed on Cast Iron from Sherwin Williams and I truly think it is the PERFECT shade of dark green. It has gray undertones that pull in a moodier palette. I knew that this shade would also go well with the gold accents I was hoping to decorate the room with.
Looking for a roundup of all the tools we used to tackle this paint project? Shop it all here:
Our Dining Room Decor
Creating the Vision
My ultimate vision for this room was definitely inspired by an antique design but I did still want the space to feel timeless and lived-in. Looking at the finished product, I feel like it almost blends the two: Modern Farmhouse and Vintage Antique. Which I think was actually the key for bringing the vision I had to life. I also wanted the focal point to shift to moody art and deeper hues so that the dining space truly felt more formal. While we still enjoy casual meals and board game nights in here, I think that prioritizing the bolder design choices in this room really make a huge difference in tying together the overall vision for our entire home.
The Focal Point
As I mentioned previously, I chose the paint color based off some ideas I had for decor. I knew that the main focal point of the wall was going to be a vintage-inspired piece of art, framed in a gold antique frame that complimented the art and the colors of the room well. This gorgeous piece of framed art from a small business on Etsy is perfect and I love how it turned out. I ordered the Peony Vintage Art print in the 40×24 size, framed in the Gold Versailles frame. It truly embodies the vintage antique vibe we were going for while still pulling in modern textures and a timeless elegance. I also added some simple black candle sconce holders to the side to add dimension and balance the overall length of the wall.
Complimentary Decor Pieces
We kept a newer, more Farmhouse inspired chandelier installed and I think it compliments the space so well and adds that touch of “modern” that I was still wanting to keep present here. I also kept the tablespace design simple with a smaller olive branch faux plant in a ceramic vase and I added a faux olive tree to the corner of the room to break up some of the symmetry. The plates set up here are from Zara Home and are one of my favorite antique-inspired modern finds. I LOVE how they pull in the vintage floral theme we have going on this space.
Lastly, we decided to add some vintage, toile curtains to the windows in here and I think this really helped tie it all together. I splurged a little on a fancier curtain rod because i wanted it to act as a smaller statement piece. It looks so beautiful in person and compliments the curtains so well.
We still have a few ideas for more decor in this space that we will add eventually, but I love how it has turned out so far!
Dining Room Furniture: Finding the Blend of Vintage & New
We kept our original Farmhouse vibe dining table and chairs. I feel that the black chairs add to the moodiness we were hoping for and the lighter finish on the table counteracts some of the bolder colors present in the space. The table is also the perfect size for our space and while it is no longer available for purchase, I have linked a similar one for you here!
One of my favorite furniture pieces is something I snagged on Facebook Marketplace for under $200! This gorgeous, antique sideboard is exactly what I had been looking for and looks SO good with all of the other antique elements we have in here. The piece has been sanded down to it’s original raw wood finish which I do love so much but I may eventually go in and stain it with a slightly darker finish. For now, it works well and compliments the other accents in here perfectly.
I like how the furniture decisions we made in here aren’t too bold as to takeaway from the focal points of the wall color and decor. This is where I feel that choosing some softer, more Farmhouse inspired pieces for the furniture ended up pairing well with some of the bolder antique pieces we have in here. Overall, it all turned out even better than I had imagined. I am sure that over time, we might make some small changes here and there but that is all part of the story we tell as we decorate our spaces – they evolve with us!
Shop the Furniture, Decor & Tools Used to Bring this Space Together:
Before & After…
That’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this tour of our formal Dining Room and that you maybe found inspiration for creating your own space. I encourage you to branch out when decorating your own space. Don’t be afraid to break design rules in order to curate a space that tells YOUR story. Paint the room that bold color you have been debating, snag that piece of Facebook Marketplace to add your own touch to, splurge on that piece of decor you aren’t sure will fit in the space well and just go for it. Be bold, be intentional and have fun!
Looking for more design inspiration and decorating ideas? Check out my home archives to read through some of our other DIY projects!
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