Decorating a gloomy dining room

[GiraffeNecked]

Room gets hardly any direct light, about an hour in the morning early on. North east facing, lots of trees around. It’s gloomy, always needs a light on.

It’s got a picture rail, a fancy original plastered ceiling with lots of detailing and a big box bay with coloured glass in the top lights.

We are putting in a fireplace and woodburner.

It’ll be a home office and used most weekends as a dining room.

I’m really stuck with how to go with it.

Go dark and dramatic. I know some will say it's overdone, but no amount of light paint will make it light and airy so go the other way. It'll look lovely in candlelight

I would try light and fresh first but something thats got a bit of colour and warmth so greens/yellows like F&B cooking apple green, or maybe a white with a bit of something like the orange white - maybe with some dutch orange for cheerfulness
yellow - to bring in some warmth - but not too harsh...like dayroom yellow be careful of too ochre tones as can look like nicotine stains if electric light mainly.

interesting wallpaper ? can really enliven a room - a freind has just used this looks amazing
www.wallpaper-uk.com/van-gogh-almond-blossom-by-tektura

blues can be tricky as can often be cold in northern light something like lulworth blue..

do not use grey! or things with a greyish tone...

If it was just a dining room i love dark dramatic but think as also a workroom that could be a bit much all day....

I'd go dark and cosy, but if you are going to be working in there you'll need good lighting or it'll be depressing.

That’s the thing, dark and dramatic for dining room mainly used in evenings...bring it on.

But by far the most use is 8n the day as an office. It’s gloomy!

@averythinline I love that wallpaper.

Will you have a desk in the window, or work at the dining table? You could buy a daylight lamp to have on next to you when you're working. Also make use of mirrors etc to bounce the light around. Our dining room is pretty gloomy too, but we went with ir and it feels warm and cosy, granted we don't use it as an office, and really only use it in the evening.

All that white makes a difference doesn't it? It looks lovely.

I'm thinking of putting a desk in the window, the outlook is nice - on to the front garden and some trees across the road.

And there's a bit more light in the bay obviously.

It needs to feel welcoming - like a room you want to walk into. It doesn't now.

I would go for a dark navy blue or green, enhance the darkness, with white wood work.

yes the blue verson probably my fave as like the painting and spring !

she had the yellow and it just 'lifted' the space it had a sort ofglow even in her n facing room... the rest fairly neutral but warm tones eg dorset cream rather than white

yes to desk in window or side on to avoid glare/shadow....do you have an alcove ?
.. . the downside of desk in bay is possibly blocking more light to the rest of the room .....and shadow on your laptop

I have a North-facing dining room that is dark and gloomy that I've painted a soft pale pink. It's warm, yet bright and flattering without being dingy. When I tried a dark and dramatic paint colour it was even gloomier and depressing and Dulux timeless just looked dingy and dirty.

A huge mirror to reflect any light will help.
We have a darkish living room so I have gone with rich plum cushions and rug for cosy at night but white walls and a large mirror to brighten the room in daytime.

Sorry walls are cream not white.

Dark red would be lovely.

If you're going to sit at the window and look out of the room not in to it then paint it a colour which you want for when you use it as a dining room, and use a lamp and daylight bulb on your desk.

If you want the whole room bright and light reflecting, I recommend F & B Tallow. I've used it in a eat facing room which only gets morning sun and light is blocked to the window by a protruding kitchen extension to the side of the window. It's a lovely room to be in during the day and makes me feel happy. It looks cosy at night with several lamps on. I've got plum coloured sofas in that room which cobtrasy well with tallow and help the room not be bland. You could use deep pink and dark green accents to compliment the more yellowy walls and make the room a more inviting dining space.

Our old dining room was red and we loved it. But it was a lighter room. That was really only used in the evening.

The yellow based neutral sounds a good place to start. And I'll think about the lighting.

We did jasmine white and Wimborne white in our dark dining room. I like it