Art For Your Home: Dining Room Collection
I’m knee deep into planning out our dining room space, so today I thought it would be fun to share a little collection of art prints that I think work well in a dining room. You may be wondering if there is a specific formula that makes an art print appropriate for a dining room. As far as I’m concerned, no, there is not. The art you hang in your home can be whatever you feel most drawn to, regardless of theme or style. But when I was thinking about my vision for our own dining room space, I gathered together some of these pieces based on my primary goal for that room.
The reason I am designing and setting up our dining space is so that it can be a hub for gathering. I want it to be a people-focussed space where everyone feels comfortable and welcomed. I want the art to be reflective of that and establish the feelings of warmth and coziness. I curated the following collection of art prints based around those ideas. They aren’t necessarily based around food or dining, but they do have elements of depth and invitation written all over them. Even the more abstracted pieces are beautiful enough to spark a conversation. I love the possibility of that in a space where people are meant to gather, engage, and live.
I am not planning to use all these art prints in our own dining room, but I do like how cohesive they feel. I think it would be really easy to mix and match any combination of these pieces in a variety of ways, regardless of how many you do or don’t use.
01 // This is a classic print! It’s likely that you have seen this one before (like maybe hanging in your grandparent’s home), but I love how timeless it is. This print is a painted copy of an original photograph taken by Eric Enstrom in 1918. I really love the reference this piece makes to saying grace over food, which is a tradition we practice in our own family around the table together.
02 // I love how this apple blossom sketched-style print is neutral, but full of beautiful detail. It’s definitely one of those subtle pieces that you can get lost in once you let yourself dive in.
03 // This piece is really simple, but in this case, don’t read simple as boring. This piece has a lot of movement and captivating depth in the brushstrokes and tones. It would establish a strong sense of calm and peace in a dining space, especially if you have it printed in a really large format.
04 // I personally don’t think you can ever go wrong with a landscape in any space. I love how this print offers a landscape subject in a portrait format, which helps to slightly break what is expected and establish just a little bit of tension and interest. The colours are rich and the contrast is beautiful, not to mention that when it comes to natural subjects, green will always work as a neutral.
05 // Artworks with depth don’t always need to be rendered as such. Sometimes the conversation can revolve around an interesting artistic method or technique rather than the subject matter itself. I love this piece for that very reason! It’s a really simple woodblock print involving two overlapping rectangles, but something about that overlapping space and slightly off-centred alignment really captivates you. If you are drawn to this print too, I recommend you do a bit of research on woodblock printing - it’s such an interesting technique that will inspire a whole new appreciation for traditional printing methods (and many conversations, I’m sure).
06 // I understand that florals aren’t for everyone, but I am just so drawn to the depth and contrast in this piece. The history of still-life painting is rooted in this idea of light and dark and I think that would make them a beautiful addition to a dining room space.
07 // I couldn’t help but add another landscape piece to this collection. All you need to do is frame this piece and hang it on the wall and it suddenly looks like you have a new window transporting you to another time and place. A place where life is simpler, less chaotic, and more focussed on peace and fresh air.
08 // I think that typographic prints are great when used sparingly. I love that this one is a beautiful letterpress print (another cool print process!) and highlights a sentiment that epitomizes what it means to welcome others in and gather around a table together.
09 // If you aren’t into the floral still-life, this print is an excellent alternative. Once again, it has a great play of light and dark, highlight and shadow, but features a subject matter that is a little more neutral and universal. It would be beautiful in a small format on display in a glass cabinet or on open shelving.
10 // This print is pretty specific to where we live here in Ontario, but I love the simplicity of the line drawing style and simple reference to nature. These types of drawings exist for so many geographical locations, which I think make them a great conversation starter with those who are visiting you in your specific home.
Could you see any of these pieces living in your dining room? I’d be curious what types of art you would choose for a dining space. I’m definitely excited to pick and choose from this collection as I start to make the final decisions on some of the smaller details in our dining room over the next couple of months. I hope you gathered some inspiration from these picks too.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, read our Affiliate Disclosure here. If you enjoyed this collection, you may also enjoy viewing our Warm Tones Collection, Kiddo Room Collection, and Landscape Art Collection.
