How To Decorate Your Dining Room To Achieve Monochromatic Bliss

When people think of monochrome, neutral shades or the colors white, black, and gray immediately come to mind. They’re timeless, certainly, but many homeowners often feel that decorating with a monochromatic palette can make a room feel dull and uninteresting.

Here at Eloquence, we beg to disagree. Yes, polychromatic theming can give any room its own unique identity. However, we believe that leaning into monochrome can help you achieve, if not exceed, those same results.

To us, monochromatic rooms are as calming as they are chic. When put together with thoughtfulness and intent, they are neat, sophisticated, and hardly lacking in character. If anything, they demonstrate a perfect command of balance, as well as a certain boldness. It is, after all, a daring choice that’s difficult to pull off.

Monochrome can be employed in any area of your home, but we think it suits the dining room remarkably well. As a functional space, it sees a heavy amount of traffic, and necessitates constant cleaning. It’s also a transitional space, usually located between the kitchen and living area. Monochrome hues can seamlessly connect the two, lessening disruptions while being open, airy, and welcoming.

Overcoming the challenges of limiting your color palette to a scant handful may seem daunting. We’re here to help:

Look to Scandinavian design for inspiration

Scandinavian design refers to a design movement that emphasizes functionality, simplicity, and a minimal aesthetic. It originated in the Nordic countries and has since become one of the foremost sources of inspiration for modern and contemporary art, architecture, and interior design.

It employs heavy use of neutrals, which makes it perfect for a monochromatic room. In Nordic design, shades of white, gray, and tan are utilized to brighten up a space and create a sense of uniformity throughout the surroundings. Accent colors include black, muted and dark shades of blue, and greens that evoke earth tones, but they are used sparingly.

After choosing your color palette, you can expand the Nordic vibe towards the furniture. Here, keep the two tenets of Scandinavian design in mind: “less is more” and “function over form”.

Scandinavian dining chairs, such as this Eloquence® Scandinavian Dining Chair in Natural Linen, or this one in Aged Beige Leather, are the perfect complement to any table, and certainly eye-catching in their own right. They tick all the Nordic design boxes, too. Both Scandinavian dining chairs feature worn oak finishes that bring that distinctly Nordic love for the outdoors to mind. They’re classified as dining chairs, but can also be used as reading chairs or to accompany a study table, making them multi-functional and practical. Finally, they come in the aforementioned neutral colors, though you can easily change the way they look with any of our slipcovers. Consider this extra slipcover in Whispy White Linen for a clean and bright appearance, or this one in Dove Velvet for the ultimate in decadence.

Pair your Scandinavian dining chairs with a matching table that also reflects the theme. We recommend the Eloquence® Round Vesuvio Dining Table in Nimbus Grey with Pine Blanc Finish that goes perfectly with our chairs, or this Eloquence® Grande Gustavian Dining Table in Oak Driftwood Finish for a real show-stopper of a centerpiece. (It looks great with our Flins Dining Chair!)

Don’t be afraid of textures and patterns

Just because you’ve chosen to limit yourself color-wise doesn’t mean that there’s no room to play around. Varying shades of the same color can feel flat at first, but you can change that with textures and patterns, which add both dimension and warmth.

In Scandinavian design, wood and stone are prized and treated with respect. They are treated minimally to show off their natural beauty, while also providing a sense of groundedness to any space they adorn. They go well with almost any monochromatic color palette you choose, too. This Antique Metal Table is an excellent example. It features a gorgeous marble top and is an excellent accent piece for holding your coffee essentials or used as a minibar.

You can also use rich fabrics to bring interesting textures into your dining room. Our Scandinavian dining chairs come in a variety of fabrics, including leather, linen, and velvet. You can also order extra slipcovers from us in these same materials.

Light it up

Lighting is one of the most important aspects in any design, but it often goes overlooked. It has the ability to dictate the mood of the space, regardless of which colors you decide to use in the room.

Dining rooms should be warm and welcoming, and the lighting within should reflect those feelings. Stick to bulbs and fixtures that give off a soft glow in tones of yellow and warm white. There should always be enough to see by, but not so much that it would cause glare and feel blinding.

On that note, steer clear of overly bright, cool-toned lights. These can be harsh and are best reserved for work or study areas.

Reframe your view of monochrome today and shop at Eloquence now for beautiful furniture to bring your dining room to life! Our dining section should have everything you need.