Dining Room Wall Decor Ideas
The best dining room wall decor is one confident idea on the main wall: a single large print, a matching row along the table, or a picture wall built around its centre. Choose art that holds your attention over a long meal, and pick up one colour from the room so it feels settled.
Below: how to decorate a large dining room wall, what kind of art suits the room, how to build a dining room picture wall, and prints chosen for the job.
Prints for this look
Decorating a large dining room wall
A big, empty dining room wall needs scale, not clutter. Four approaches work in almost any room:
- One statement print. An A0, or a single A1 on a smaller wall, gives the room a clear focal point. It suits modern and minimal dining rooms.
- A matching row. Three or four prints of the same size in a line, as in the photo above, echo the length of the table. Keep every gap the same, 5 to 8 cm.
- A pair. Two A1 prints side by side suit symmetrical rooms, especially either side of a window or a sideboard.
- A picture wall. A mix of sizes built around one larger anchor suits relaxed, characterful rooms. More on this below.
Centre the art on the table rather than the wall if the table sits off to one side. On a wall with no furniture in front of it, hang the centre at about 145 to 150 cm from the floor.
Art above the dining table: the short version
Aim for art roughly two thirds the width of the table, and hang it a little lower than you would in a living room, because everyone looks at it sitting down. For hanging heights, layouts and size examples, see our full guide to artwork above a dining table.
What kind of art suits a dining room
- Food and drink. Cocktails, wine, Italian kitchens and market fruit are a natural fit and start conversations. See our cocktail prints.
- Large abstracts and landscapes. They give the eye something to rest on during a long dinner without demanding attention.
- Still lifes and botanicals. Quietly traditional, and good with wood tables and linen.
Dining rooms are often used in the evening, under warm lamps or candlelight. Warm tones such as ochre, terracotta and olive come alive in that light, while very cool greys can look flat.
Should dining room art match the kitchen? In an open-plan space, connect the two by colour rather than subject. A blue print in the dining area and blue crockery on kitchen shelves feel linked without looking matched. Browse the full dining room wall art collection.
A dining room picture wall
A gallery wall suits dining rooms well, because people sit and look at it for longer than in any other room. Build it around the centre of the table, start with one A2 anchor, and work outwards with A3 and A4 prints. Keep the lowest frames clear of chair backs, and repeat one or two colours across the set so it reads as one piece.
Lay the prints out on the floor or table first, then try the layout in the gallery wall planner before you drill.
Sizes at a glance
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Shelves, desks, small gaps, sets of 3 |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Hallways, side walls, pairs |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Above a sideboard or small sofa, the anchor of a gallery wall |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Above a standard sofa or bed |
| A0 | 84.1 x 118.9 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Large walls, open-plan rooms, statement pieces |
All our A sizes fit standard off-the-shelf frames, and every print is made to order on museum-grade matte paper.
