By the time we got to the dining room after a major home renovation that consumed most of our money and patience for the entire house, we were totally demotivated. We’d spent more money than we planned on issues we didn’t know the house had, like 150-year-old floor joists (as we always do), so I couldn’t imagine cooking or having a dinner party for people. The dining room had become a low priority.
“Let’s paint the walls,” I told my equally overwhelmed husband. “It’s cheaper and easier than murals, and if you go for a dark color it will add a touch of sophistication to the space.”
And I was right. And so it turned out: painted with Mylands Paints’ dark green emulsion, Portcullis, it was a bold color that had a warm glow in the evening, lit by candlelight and hanging candelabras.
But every time I go there, I really regret not choosing a mural, a key dining decor trend that designers love to use, and to be honest, that’s my biggest regret throughout the entire renovation.
(Image courtesy of Pip Rich)
Yes, I absolutely love the colour I chose for my dining room and as with all Mylands paints, the pigment has many nuances and changes hue depending on the time of day and lighting levels.
The cloud pendants hang dreamily above the table, creating a soft orb of light and a wow moment as soon as you walk in. We’re really happy with the parquet flooring we chose (which lays over replaced floor joists).
But because this room has no architectural details, no paneling or panels to make the walls taller, I wish we had gone with the mural wallpaper as originally intended. It would have added character and created a space where people could gather and feel like a little world; a bubble that invites intimacy, a collective consciousness of coming together for conversation and good times. As it stands, I feel like this room is lacking that. As a result, when we have people over, we always eat at the island in the kitchen.
(Image courtesy of Nick Parrisse. Design: Apartment 48)
Dining room murals are a big interior design trend: They’re typically less used and less crowded than kitchens and living rooms, allowing for bolder designs — the same theory that often applies to restrooms.
But murals have a social function as well as a decorative one. “Murals are the perfect wallpaper to create a physical and emotional focal point — perfect for setting the tone for a great luncheon or dinner party,” says Rayman Boozer, a New York-based interior designer and founder of studio Apartment 48. He decorated the dining area in the upper nook with a graphic depiction of a forest landscape. “Murals tell a story and spark conversation — often featuring very specific human or natural imagery that everyone can relate to and discuss.”
A mural that has been on my wishlist for when I redecorate someday is House of Hackney’s Plantasia wallpaper. I found it in the brand’s showroom at 200 Lexington in New York, sent a photo to my husband, who agreed and surprised me (even though we rarely agree on how to decorate). It’s a fantastical little world full of surprises, and the prism colorways give it an unexpected jewel box feel that doesn’t usually apply to woodland scenes.
“Plantasia in Prism” at House of Hackney
(Image courtesy of House of Hackney)
I asked Frieda Gormley, co-founder of House of Hackney, why she thinks this approach is so successful for dining room decor.
“I think murals are a great way to bring art into a room,” Frida says. “If you’re sitting at the dining table and you have a forest scene all around you, it’s a great way to bring art into a room.” [on the walls] You feel as if you are sitting in the woods and at night it creates a magical and enchanting atmosphere.”
Frida has an Arborea mural by the brand hanging in her dining room at home, and says she enjoys bringing unexpected joy to dinner parties and putting people in an instant mood.
(Image courtesy of Jon Day Photography)
“Opting for a softer pattern works well, especially in smaller spaces,” suggests designer Enas Mahmood, who says her “current favourite” is Zoffany’s Hawksmoor in Copper, whose swirling organic shapes “feel really luxe.”
The concept of softness can be interpreted in many different ways, but what you are trying to create in your dining room is a space where your guests and yourself feel immediately relaxed. Therefore, stick to colors that are not too bright or have a neutral base for your patterns, motifs such as leaves, trees or abstract curves that are easy on the eye, and avoid anything too jarring or intense, i.e. geometric shapes or zigzags.
This is an approach I’ve always wanted to take in my own dining room. It’s a space I barely use, so I feel like I can’t justify spending money on it. But if there was a mural there, would I use it more? This eternal question keeps swirling around in my mind, and it’s my biggest renovation regret.