I would paint the entire thing and not do the wainscotting. It is still popular, but, to me it cuts the room in half, and I have removed it from a kitchen and a dining room, in a previous house. Look good at your picture. Do you really like that cut in half look? You have a nice dining room. It does need a bit of color.

Hi Lori! I love how big your dining room is! Beautiful!

As far as wainscoting goes, I happen to like wainscoting in a formal dining room, but I think it really needs to fit the style of the house. If there are some classic transitional designs going throughout the house, I say go for it! Judging by the dining chairs you have selected (which are gorgeous), I think you can definitely pull off wainscoting in this room. Just pick a simple design and you'll be just fine :)

Something like this:

Or maybe you can get away with this:

but NOT THIS:

Hi Lori I like the idea of the wainscotting but another option is to put it about 2/3 of the way up the wall wall so that the plain wall is at the top of the wall and wainscotting below and you could also put some custom mural or wallpaper in the upper part to tie in with your rug and drapery . Elaine

https://www.houzz.com/photos/the-seligman-traditional-dining-room-portland-phvw-vp~504020

I am still torn, the room really needs something to bring it to life.

Can you turn your table lengthways and add quality but simple lined pleated drapes.

i guess my question is, can the wainscotting go all the way around without having awkward ends? it works in dining rooms that are rooms. works less well in dining rooms that are just a section of a larger space which you dont wish to decorate so formally.

and it should not cut the room in half. the height should be 1/3 : 2/3. if you dont have a 9' or higher ceiling it doesnt look as good.

Our house had some simple chair railing in the LR and DR when we bought it. The wall is all painted the same color but it looks two toned with the railing.

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It is a formal dining room, so not open to other rooms other than the entrance from the foyer. 9' ceilings, so that should not be an issue. Thanks!

Can you turn the table?

paint it all one color. you can always add the wainscot. The problem is the way the table is turned, if you had it length wise, with a beautiful linear chandelier it would be beautiful. The room has no life b/c it is a blank slate. nothing in it but a table. the light fixture will be the touch in this room and the true feature to concern yourself with.

The room is 16' x 12', so I cannot turn the table or it would extend into the foyer. Yes, dining light is on my agenda. I had one in there but moved it to another room where it looked better. I was thinking of chandelier in there, would love an opinion on it...

i like that fixture but I think a little bling in this formal room could really be the it factor.

also is that rug square? Is the table centered to the room? the rug seems to be more to the back but this could all be an optical illusion. Can you post a picture from the other side looking out to the foyer?

I'm good with bling in there! No, the rug is a rectangle, my picture must be giving a skewed perspective of the room. The windows are on the front of my house and that is the 12' wall.

Table is centered, definitely an optical illusion.

I think wainscot is great and really dresses up a room, particularly in formal spaces. Hard to tell from the photo, but is the table oriented to the short wall and not the long wall? If so, I'd turn it 90 degrees to have the long side of the table parallel to the long wall.

Separately, I'd think about doing something dramatic on the ceiling, e.g. wallpaper or a dark paint color. Then find a really eye-catching chandelier.

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A lot of wainscoting now is little more than the equivalent of a plastic rectangle frame added to a wall. Would not want that. Instead, you could paint the room either all one color or, if you want two colors, just add a chair rail rather than wainscoting and have the two colors meet beneath the chair rail.

I think that the wainscoting will make it more formal - so it depends what look you are going for. I like the look of the one in the last picture of the post above. But you are right, you really need to measure it out!

Also - I love your rug - where did you get it?!

What is affecting the table to make it look not centered is whatever that mirror thing is in back, because it isnt centered, so the table looks skewed in the photo.

Hi All!

The dining table is the RH salvage wood trestle table and it's 84" x 42". We don't have the leaves in it and it is centered in the dining room which is about 15' x 12'. The long length of the table is along the long length of the room, I don't think it would work to turn it. There is a 4' x 4' ballard arch mirror sitting on the floor leaning against the chairs, which was removed from the wall when we started thinking about the wainscoting :)

Great pieces, Lori - they definitely underline the statement for a formal dining space!

Beautiful room Lori. Adding chandelier, drapes, and art would make the room even more beautiful.

Can you tell where you got the rug?

Hi, Lori--

A full wall of paneling is a gorgeous wall treatment that's currently hot, but I think it's one that we'll come to view the same way we do accent walls now that they're less of a buzzword. In a room proportioned the way yours is, I'd recommend doing the same treatment on all walls to make it feel cohesive - if that means doing a full room of paint-grade panelwork to be painted, it's a more expensive proposition, but hence why the wainscot treatment may be a more budget-friendly choice overall.

When I recently re-did my stairs, I actually did a wall of paneling on the reveal wall below the staircase. It wasn't inexpensive, but the treatment came out beautiful. Here's the inspo photo that kicked it all off for me:

We adapted the dimensional look on the lower wall (inset squares) and it's worked out great.

Please turn the table, note, all the images you show the table is the other way. the table is 7 foot the room is 12 foot, im just not sure why you think that doesnt work.?

Hi, Lori--

You're right. It's a little spartan for your space. Fits nicely as shot with the heavy wood beam window casing up high in the model view, but wouldn't show the same in your space, unfortunately. Not quite eye-catching enough, I'd say. I do like Sabrina's third image for the visual power that it has to use both a chandelier and a wall sconce duo in the DR space a lot for your plan.

What about this one in there, too much bling?

I am guessing too much bling on this one?

no that is a great fixture. Bling is your friend in this room.

I would recommend to go for a wall mural, but not only as a feature wall but on all four walls. Below are a few suggestions, but you are most welcome to contact us for personal assistance to find one that is perfect for your own taste. Happy Friday and best of luck! Emma at rebelwalls.com

I would turn the table and add some great window treatments and a chandelier.

people sitting on the far side are trapped when people are sitting at the ends, there is not a lot of room between end chairs and wall.