From Neutral Wood Tones to Double Drenching and matching your Wooden Table to the décor
Dining Rooms Get Personal in 2026
Dining rooms aren’t just somewhere to eat anymore — they’re becoming softer, more intimate spaces where people gather, work, chat, host friends and sometimes even pay bills with a cup of tea. And in 2025, they’re changing again — but quietly. Think calm foundations, natural textures and then, if you want it, a confident swipe of colour.
This year is all about creating spaces that feel personal rather than perfect. We’re seeing less flat-pack and more pieces with soul — a bespoke dining table, painted frames, softened corners, real wood grain instead of fake wood prints. Clients still love neutral palettes, but instead of cold greys and high-gloss finishes, neutrals are warming up: pale Birch, creamy Poplar, tulipwood with a blush tone, and for those who like deeper accents — the subtle reddish richness of Meranti.
Colour is still here too. But it’s grown up. Colour drenching — where walls, skirting and ceiling are painted in one continuous shade — has been big for a while. In 2025, it evolves again into something new: double drenching. Not just the walls, but the furniture — including the painted frame of your custom wood table — joins the palette.
The dining room of 2026 feels grounded, textured and deeply considered. And the humble wooden table — especially when it’s a custom made wooden table built to fit your space and style — sits right at the heart of it.
1. Neutral Wood Reimagined – Birch, Poplar & Tulipwood
Neutral tones are still everywhere in interiors, but the cold grey woods and overly pale veneers of the past few years are being replaced with something softer, more tactile and more natural. In 2025, wood isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a quiet statement. And the materials leading the way aren’t oak or ash anymore. They’re lighter, calmer species like Birch, Poplar and Tulipwood.
These timbers bring something different to a dining space:
- Birch – Smooth, pale and subtly patterned. It has a warmth to it that doesn’t overwhelm a room.
- Poplar – Creamy in tone with gentle waves of grain. Ideal for a wood table that doesn’t look rustic.
- Tulipwood – Slightly warmer with hints of blush or greenish undertones.
For customers who want something a touch richer but still natural, Meranti offers a darker, reddish-toned option for warmth and depth.
A solid wood table made from these timbers anchors a space without dominating it — neutral, but never flat.
2. From Colour Drenching to Double Drenching
Colour drenching — painting walls, ceiling and trim in one tone — has dominated interiors recently. But it is shifting.
Double drenching is where the wall colour continues onto furniture — especially painted table frames, chairs or sideboards. It creates a visual link between architecture and furniture, especially when paired with a natural wood top.
Examples include:
- Sage walls with a painted frame under a birch tabletop.
- Clay walls with a deep russet frame and Meranti top.
Because your table frames are painted, this trend feels like it was made for Design In The Sand.
3. Painted Frames + Natural Tops – The New Dining Focal Point
Instead of fully stained wood tables, 2025 is embracing contrast — painted frames with natural wood tops. The wood grain stays visible, while the frame ties into the room's colour scheme.
Why it works:
- Lightens visual weight.
- Highlights the beauty of Birch, Poplar, Tulipwood or Meranti.
- Lets the table feel like part of the room's architecture.
It’s a modern way to make a bespoke wooden table feel intentional, not just placed in a room.
4. Texture Over Pattern
This year, texture is taking priority over pattern. Instead of loud prints, people want surfaces that feel real and tactile — the kind you want to touch.
Trends include:
- Edge grain plywood with visible layered detail.
- Matte finishes on Birch, Poplar and Tulipwood.
- Meranti’s natural reddish grain providing depth without stain.
Matte over gloss, touch over shine — this is furniture designed to age beautifully, not perfectly.
5. Bespoke Comfort — Bespoke Dining Tables Without the Complexity
Bespoke no longer means intimidating. Increasingly people want custom furniture — but they want it to be simple, guided and stress-free.
Customers searching for a bespoke wooden table want:
- Exact size.
- Choice of wood: Birch, Poplar, Tulipwood, Meranti.
- Painted frame in a tone that matches or complements walls.
Design In The Sand makes bespoke easy — clear pricing, friendly advice, and delivery of finished table into your home – no flat pack building !
6. Earthy Neutrals & Soft, Muted Colour Palettes
Neutral isn’t going anywhere — but greys are out. In their place: clay, plaster pink, stone, sage and mushroom.
These tones pair beautifully with pale woods like Birch and Poplar, and they allow wood grain to stay the star.
Think linen, stoneware, beeswax candles and a solid wood table grounding it all.
7. Why Wood Still Wins — Emotion Over Aesthetic
Wood is more than a material — it’s emotional. It’s warm, it’s grounding, it absorbs light and life.
Birch, Poplar and Tulipwood bring calm. Meranti brings depth. And a custom wooden dining table becomes more than furniture — it’s where life happens: homework, wine, birthdays and everything in between.
8. How to Bring 2026 Trends Home (Without Redecorating Everything)
You don’t need to repaint your whole house to embrace 2025’s dining room trends. Start simple.
Try this:
- Choose a bespoke wooden table with a painted frame.
- Use 'mini drenching' — matching frame and skirting rather than full wall-to-ceiling colour.
- Add texture: linen runners, soft ceramics, boucle cushions.
Little changes, big atmosphere.
9. Final Thoughts – Calm Foundations, Confident Details
2026 is about homes that feel personal, warm and relaxed. Neutral doesn’t mean dull, and colour doesn’t mean loud. It’s about balance — real wood, painted accents, texture and soul.
And right at the centre? The dining table. A bespoke wooden table built for your space and your rituals.
10. Bespoke Dining Tables, Made Easy
At Design In The Sand, every table starts with someone’s home.
- Choose your wood: Birch, Poplar, Tulipwood or Meranti.
- Choose your frame colour — or we match it for you.
- We guide you through it. No stress, no jargon.
- It’s designed, made and delivered by the same hands.
Bespoke dining tables, made easy.
