14 Ways to Decorate With White at Home
A blank slate for endless potential.
Transition from season to season seamlessly by decorating with white in your interiors. White’s versatility makes it easy to pair with every colour, pattern and material in your home's aesthetic. Check out these white decorating ideas to get inspired on how to make the most of white decor in your home.
1. Decide on a Shade of White
Start by selecting the right shades of white for your interiors. Add a bright, clean feel to your home with pure white. Make an inviting space with warm shades like ivory, cream or eggshell. Create a sleek, refined look with cool-toned shades of white like porcelain or snow-white.
Tip: For the best results, decorate with either warm or cool-toned shades and layer in pure white for added depth. Pure white paint works well as a wall colour or it can add pops of brightness via decorative vases, picture frames, and other decor. Select a primary shade like cream for warm-toned rooms or porcelain for cool-toned rooms and build your existing colour palette around them.
2. Embrace White & Warm Wood Tones
Bring comfort into all-white spaces by infusing them with warm wood furnishings like a dining table and chairs for your dining room and a coffee table for your living room or warm wooden accents like wooden wall mirrors or picture frames. Bamboo, rattan, mahogany, birch and oak provide warm, neutral tones to amplify your space.
Rethink your wall space by creating a gallery wall with white artwork. Decorate with all-white decor to act as a bright contrast to colourful walls, or use white walls as a backdrop for striking abstract prints. Think about your current colour palette in your home to help you determine the best colours for your wall art. For example, an abstract wall print with multiple shades of blue can add depth to an otherwise neutral space, but the same print can also help tie in blue throws and furniture items with cool-toned shades of white.
Tip: Check out our guides How to Perfectly Hang Pictures and Wall Art and Master the Art of The Gallery Wall to learn more about the best practices for displaying wall art to enhance your space.
4. Balance White Furniture & Decor With Neutrals
Create an inviting space by balancing white decor with creams, grays, soft browns and even shades of black or charcoal. Start with white walls as a base and use cream furnishings and wood armchairs to achieve the look. A cream-coloured sofa pairs well with a light gray area rug, while shades of black reflected in a wall print, area rug and side table balance the room.
Update your bedroom's interior design aesthetic with a white upholstered bed frame to act as a focal point for additional neutrals and white furnishings. A black-and-white plaid bed frame serves as a primary color palette to mirror the rich gray hues of a charcoal area rug and accent chair, while white light fixtures and a white nightstand complement the white bed frame and bedding.
Refresh existing furniture and decor by decorating with white. Make white pop by contrasting it with bold colours like spring green, rich blue or fuschia. You can easily achieve bold colour accents by adding a couple blue accent chairs or a decorative yellow tray. Infuse white rooms with shades of mauve, olive green, sage blue or peach for a more muted yet striking look when paired with warm whites.
Pair white geometric-patterned nightstands and patterned bed frames against solid white walls. Achieve a more textured look by decorating your space with white or cream scatter cushions in different shapes, patterns and materials.
Make a statement by decorating with white wallpaper. Choose wallpaper with a black-and-white pattern for a bold, sleek look to amplify your entryway, kitchen backsplash or create a focal wall in your bedroom. Choose peelable wallpaper if you rent your current home or want the option to change up your wallpaper in the future with ease.
Brighten your outdoor space with white outdoor lounge chairs, sofas or dining sets. Use colourful cushions and plant pots to transition your outdoor space from spring to summer and from summer to fall. Try bright colours like cobalt blue, turquoise, citrus orange or sunshine yellow for spring and summer, and burnt orange or olive green to transition into autumn months. For a minimal approach, infuse your existing outdoor space with a white end table for your morning coffee, a white planter for potted plants or a couple of white cushions on the chairs for comfortable lounging.
Introduce white marble to create a put-together look while also adding to your white colour palette. Incorporate white marble into your kitchen dining space with a white marble dining table or amplify your living room with a white marble coffee table. Add marble coasters to your current dining space for a low lift.
Transform your bathroom floor, kitchen backsplash or shower room with white tiling. This adds an additional dimension to white rooms and works well when you want to scale back your design for a minimalist approach. Use subway tiles in your kitchen or bathroom for a clean, fresh feel, or go with a bold, geometric design to revive neutral kitchen cabinets or shower walls.
Introduce rich greenery among white walls and decor for an added element of nature. Tuck a real or faux fiddle-leaf fig plant in the corner of a room to complement white space, and use pothos and Peperomia to spill over wall shelves or elevate your tabletop. Pot your houseplants in white planters to help them stand out even more. Use botanical prints to complement white space if you want the look of nature without real or artificial plants.
Amplify your modern home by contrasting white with metal decor or furnishings. Stainless steel paired with white walls and decor enhances the modern feel of your home while metals like gold, bronze or copper create an inviting contrast for warmth.
Simplify the process of decorating with white by adding a white pendant light, floor lamp, table lamp or combination of the three. White light fixtures blend nicely with white walls and furnishings and add a refreshing contrast to rooms with bold wall colours and furniture items.
