Traditional Dining Room Reveal: Classic Decor and Styling Tips

Turn a simple dining room into a timeless traditional space by layering classic details and mixing patterns in fabrics and wallpaper. This photo tour covers lighting, wallpaper, decor, paint choices, and more from a recent dining room makeover.

This room marks a shift in style for me—from farmhouse to a more traditional aesthetic. Learning to decorate within a new style has been enjoyable and rewarding.

The makeover began when I realized the farmhouse furniture I brought from my previous home was both too large for this space and stylistically mismatched. While planning, I temporarily painted the upper walls in Kendall Charcoal above the wainscoting to give myself a neutral base.

As I was letting go of the farmhouse table and media console, I received my grandmother’s antique dining furniture. The set is the perfect size for the room and suits the traditional character of the house—so I designed the room around it.

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The Design Plan

Before starting any room makeover, I create a design plan to visualize how all elements will work together. The goal is to see the full room composition—fabrics, wallpaper, rug, lighting and finishes—so decisions feel intentional. I refined this plan as the project progressed and hired Sydney Collins Interiors to help finalize details such as trim tape, chair fabric, rug selection and lampshades to ensure everything coordinates with adjacent spaces.

A solid plan keeps me focused when mid-project doubts creep in. If you’re new to this approach, creating a simple mood board or layout sketch can make a big difference in maintaining momentum and achieving a cohesive result.

Blue & Green Dining Room Makeover Design Board

Traditional Dining Room Tour

The dining room sits on the main floor, just left of the front entry, so I wanted it to feel polished and welcoming. Architectural features include layered board-and-batten on the lower third of the wall and detailed crown moulding. Two windows on the southeast wall and doors to the entry and butler’s pantry shape the layout.

My vision focused on layering several patterns while centering the color palette around blues and greens for a classic, inviting look. If you like this aesthetic, look into the grandmillennial style for more inspiration.

Dining Room Before

When we moved in the walls were painted a pistachio green that’s trending again, but it wasn’t my preference. I initially painted the top two-thirds Kendall Charcoal to work with the furniture I had at the time.

After receiving my grandmother’s antique dining set, I designed the room to showcase the dark wood. The finished space blends the furniture with coordinated wallpaper, trims and textiles.

Paint Color

I considered a darker trim color but ultimately chose Oyster Bay from Sherwin-Williams for the walls and trim. I wanted a light-to-medium green to contrast the dark wood furniture—though the lighter tone softens the contrast between blues and greens. Oyster Bay coordinates nicely with Comfort Gray used elsewhere in the house, creating a subtle flow between rooms.

The green walls and wallpaper also reduce the perceived redness of the wood—a predictable but dramatic effect when comparing half the room painted gray and the other half green.

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Wallpaper

I initially leaned toward a popular floral tree wallpaper but later chose a green toile scene that reads as traditional and timeless. The toile depicts a forest landscape with deer and birds and pairs beautifully with Oyster Bay paint for a cohesive backdrop that nods to our own yard.

Tip: Paste-the-wall wallpaper is a user-friendly installation method I recommend for many patterns.

Ornate Mirror

One of the first purchases was a large ornate mirror with a metal frame. At over three feet tall, it makes a statement and bounces light throughout the room, enhancing brightness and scale.

Drapes and Trim Tape

Taupe buffalo check curtains balance the floral toile with a classic geometric pattern and echo a plaid-painted wall visible in the entry. To make the drapes feel custom and tie in another color, I added a blue embroidered trim tape along the edges.

Reupholstered Seat Cushions

Original maroon needlepoint seat covers were family-made and treasured, but I wanted a fresher look. I chose a smaller blue geometric fabric for the seats and replaced the 80-year-old cushions, completing my first reupholstery project to update comfort and style.

Lamps and Lampshades

Handmade blue-and-cream pleated lampshades were a splurge but the perfect color and texture for the room. The double-gourd lamp bases are a special purchase as well—white ceramic that complements the wallpaper background and will be cherished for years.

Double Gourd Lamp with Pleated Lampshade

Chandelier

An eight-light brass chandelier with elegant curves and detailed craftsmanship crowns the table. I selected it after watching for a sale and waited for delivery—it was worth the patience. A ceiling medallion was added above the fixture to give the installation a finished, classic look.

Rug

A natural fiber rug with a subtle fish-scale pattern anchors the table and introduces a contemporary contrast to the traditional finishes. I tested several sisal options and chose one with a rubber backing to prevent slipping while keeping the texture understated so it wouldn’t compete with other patterns.

Traditional Dining Room with Brass Chandelier

Finishing Touches

Finishes are intentionally minimal so the room can evolve. Favorite details include square glass finials on the curtain rods, a collection of decorative plates between the windows, a colorful key tassel on the china cabinet, and a faux orchid in a blue-and-white bowl as a centerpiece. Antique brass candle sconces with blue tapered candles echo the room’s secondary blue accents.