6 dining room trends for 2025, according to interior design experts
Whether you use it everyday, or you keep it preserved for special occasions, there’s one room of your house that can be slightly tricky to style: your dining room.
Maybe you're decluttering this January or considering a "freshen up" with some of the top colours of the year, there are numerous ways the spotlight might be on your dining room this year.
So, if you’re wondering how to turn your often-overlooked space into something more, you’ve come to the right place.
We've asked designers what dining room decorating trends they’re most excited about for the upcoming year... with some surprising responses.
From saying goodbye to open floor plans to going all-in on bold wallpapers, it’s looking like 2025 is the year your dining room will get a major facelift.
Dedicate a room for dining
One of the biggest shakeups of 2025 could be the end of open floor living, as design experts say this could be the year we put up more (well-placed) walls, starting with creating an actual dining room.
“People are starting to want a separation of kitchen and dining, which is a trend away from what we’ve seen since the early 2000s,” designer Natalie Hager tells Country Living.“Formal closed dining rooms are back in style, and I’m here for it. I love having a room 100% centered around a table.”
Fill your dining room with personality
In a similar vein, separate dining areas will experience a bit of freshening up in 2025. Think exaggerated light fixtures (more on that later), daring wallpapers, and exciting paint finishes. You can expect dining rooms to start getting the powder room treatment, meaning an emphasis will be put on making the space feel like a show-stopping respite among the more liveable, everyday backdrop of the rest of the home.
“A dining room brings an opportunity to make an impact with pattern and colour,” says designer Katie Davis. “Don’t be afraid to make a statement.” Her preferred way? “I love to use mixed patterns in the same [colour] tone to create cohesion and drama.”
Dramatic wallpapers are also a favourite of designers Max Humphrey and Kara Adam. However, Max prefers to go for a natural, mural-type look when it comes to picking dining room wallpaper. “Using something like a birch tree wallpaper creates this dreamy, fully enveloped escape. It’s almost like dining al fresco all year,” he says.
And, to those who are wary of making such a splash, heed Kara’s sage advice: “A lot of people are worried they’ll get sick of such a bold print, but you won’t if you love it.”
Take a collected approach
Say goodbye to your grandmother’s matching dining room set. Well, parts of it, at least. Whether it’s mixing art styles or furniture eras, expect to see more perfectly imperfect dining rooms in 2025. Pinterest named this mix-and-match approach to design as one of their top trends for the year, focusing on mixing playful, over-the-top patterns and bringing in lots of layers.
Meanwhile, designers are putting their own spin on the trend. Sally Rotenstreich, an interior designer and wardrobe stylist, is going all-in on mixing eras, pairing modern accent pieces with classically rustic standbys. An easy way to introduce this look to your dining room, according to Sally: “I love having two different styles of chairs. You’ll make a great statement with interesting arm chairs at the head of the dining room table.”
Go for statement lighting
Gone are the days of a simple pendant light or chandelier hanging above a dining table. Multiple designers we spoke to hinted that statement lighting will have a major moment in 2025.
“In the dining room, details go a long way,” says designer Aileen Warren of Jackson Warren Interiors, who loves to use eye-catching modern lighting in more traditional dining spaces.
While designer Brelan Owen Pearson puts an emphasis on scale, recommending you also balance oversize lighting with equally oversize artwork. Regardless of what type of lighting you prefer, it’s good to know that sometimes bigger is actually better.
Bring on the millwork
If you've scrolled on either TikTok or Instagram recently, then you probably have already seen this trend in action: decorative moulding. “Adding moulding is a game-changer,” says Sarah Fishburne, the director of trend and design at The Home Depot. “It’s an easy way to elevate a flat wall, especially with a rich, bold paint colour.”
While we might caution you against copying the exact style of moulding you’ve seen on social media (not every house needs to feel like a grand Parisian apartment), we love the idea of returning some character to a space that might feel a bit more builder-grade. The best way to do that is by looking to your surroundings. Is your home in a historic area? Does your town have more Edwardian or Victorian houses? Let those factors, along with the style of your house, determine what you want your space to look like before you head to the lumberyard.
Set the mood
To round off the list, it’s time we take a serious look at colour. If you're going to do anything to your dining room in 2025, be sure it’s in the appropriate colour palette.
Moody, saturated tones are set to overtake neutrals this year. “Muddy tones — think olive greens, deep chocolates, plummy aubergines — reflect the countryside and bring the outdoors back in,” says designer Ariel Okin. Now that all the various Colours of the Year are announced, it’s clear that muddy colours will be rising to the top of the paint charts in 2025.
Fastnet Stripe Decorative
Cabbage Earthenware Serving Bowl
Dianthus Wide Stripe Rust Rose Tablecloth
12 Piece Cutlery Set
Twisted Wooden Candlestick - Pink
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Siena Woven Tray
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