Dark and dull dining room

[Misskittycat16]

I am asking the wise group of Mumsnetters what colour I should paint my dining room. I live in a Victorian terrace, dining room in the middle of the house and it's so dark. I am going to add more lighting etc but I'm stumped as to what colour to paint the walls. I've been doing a bit of research and apparently white isn't a great colour for a dark room?? It may possibly be used as a sort of treatment room in the future so I can't go too wild The flooring is going to be pale wood. Not really keen on accent walls - any ideas?

How about a reflective/metallic type of wallpaper? Something subtle that you could use on all four walls rather than a feature wall. There are some lovely ones around.

We've just painted our (dark, Victorian) dining room a pale pinkish colour - similar colour to F&B dittany, but it's a Dulux heritage version. Above the picture rail it's a creamy off- white, all woodwork is white, wooden floor. It's transformed it, somehow it pulls light in.
I didn't want white because of the sense of cold - this seems warm to me.

Dark Victorian dining room, did all the wood white, white ceiling and above the picture rail and dark red/pink walls. It's striking and warm and no longer feels dark.

Our living room is north facing. We have cream walls and lots of purple and copper in the furnishings. An open fire admittedly helps it feel snuggly. Lots of lamps too.

Ah yes - agree with Jelly about the open fire and lights, plus s big mirror over the mantelpiece

Ooo some great ideas, thank you. I hadn't even considered wallpaper but a soft shimmery one might be good. Also like the pale pink idea. Do you think a soft green or white with a hint of green would work? We have a picture rail so I was thinking of painting the ceiling and the top of the wall the same soft white.

Yes, it could totally work, but check what the base tones in your chosen colour are. In our last living room we had a colour called "string" (F&B) which looked like a sort of beige but was actually a greenish off-white which went really well with dark reds and would turn golden in sunlight/artificial light. You can order mini pots from all paint companies and paint a bit onto a piece of lining paper which you can move around the room so you can see how it looks from different aspects at different times of day.

That's a good idea. I've done that before - tried a tester pot on a wall and thought this is nice, only to using the whole room and wonder if I bought the right colour! So will definitely try on different walls.
Wish I had a massive budget and an interior designer alas it's not to be.**

I am going to use this colour at work as the office is a bit dark. It's supposed to be good for dark rooms:

www.farrow-ball.com/borrowed-light/colours/farrow-ball/fcp-product/100235?gclid=CMKjwe76j9ICFYGd7QodwFkOMg

Sorry here is the link

www.farrow-ball.com/borrowed-light/colours/farrow-ball/fcp-product/100235

Oh I really like that, Its a lovely colour, thank you. I'll have a look at the F&B website I think!

I can second Borrowed Light. Cornforth White has a similar effect.

In my long N facing Edwardian dining room, I have put John Lewis 'Cow parsley' wallpaper in a soft green, on one wall. It has a soft shimmer and a slightly Victorian Arts and Crafts feel. The other walls are a pale cream. I don't know what as they were painted before we moved in.
They room has a bright warm feel, despite its aspect.

Sometimes the best thing with dark rooms is to paint them a strong dark colour, counterintuitive but it really works.
A very dark green or blue grey in a dining room can look amazing, especially if you have high ceilings

Farrow and Ball Print Room Yellow from the Heritage range is a lovely warm, strong colour; or just embrace it and go with say eating room red. I love dining rooms which are 'dark' and cosy, almost womb like .....

I have a cold dark North facing dining room and have just painted it f&b Hague blue. It's a real inky blue and has transformed the room. We have a picture rail too and white above it has kept it from feeling too cave like. Have added some copper in the lights and a bright yellow rug to lift everything.