Let Your Wall Hangings Take Centre Stage
Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie
As white is such a neutral shade, it gives you a better opportunity to display your personality without having to compete with distracting wall colours. Hanging artwork or sculptural pieces are a great way to draw attention to them and allow them to stand out against their all-white backdrop.
Paint An Exposed Brick Wall White
A coat of white paint can enhance an exposed brick wall, adding a light, bright and contemporary feel to a living room, as well as understated interest and texture.
To complement the laid-back feel achieved by exposed brick, pick out fittings in raw wood, and layer natural colors and tones against it, as with these house plants and the grouping of pendant lighting.
Looking for tips on how to create an exposed brick wall? Just head to our guide and if your space doesn’t come with an exposed brick wall, consider opting for brick slips or wallpaper with the same effect.
Pair A White Sofa With Rustic Textiles
White sofas are things that only dreams are made of really who’s lifestyle can handle a white sofa? But there are ways to get around their impracticality, plus soften them up a bit because they can look quite stark. Rustic patterns and textures are always going to give a more worn feel, so throw on a few boho-style cushions and used a couple of throws to protect your glorious white sofa.
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Show Off Your Library
Do you love to read, or do you have a collection of favorite art objects to show off? Then let a tall bookshelf do double duty as a spot to stash your reading materials and as a cover-up for an otherwise bare white wall. If the wall is long enough, you can even set two bookcases side by side for more storage and greater impact. Its a win-win.
Make A Living Room Snug Feel Bigger With White

Image credit: David Giles
Open up a narrow or small living room with white, being careful not to break things up too much with other colours. Here, matching white walls, curtains, furniture, shelving and a fireplace blend into one, making the space feel wider and brighter.
Keep furniture to a minimum an oversized sofa and floor cushion offer more than enough seating.
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Black White & Red All Over
With white cabinets, black soapstone countertops and a space-saving layout, this quirky kitchen is a dream. The owners added a new subway tile backsplash highlighted by gray grout. They also found a 1930s match-light Magic Chef enamel stove at an antique shop for $180 and had it restored to like-new condition.
Experience With All Colour Trend Cycles
This is why my Specify Colour with Confidence workshop covers ALL the recent trend cycles and how to update or work with homes that are still in a past trend. Unless you have the luxury of always starting with a brand new blank slate, you will still need to identify the undertones in your design projects. That means you will be working with all kinds of beige, taupe, and grey tile, countertops or carpet thats already installed.
So, its best to have a wide collection of colour skills.
Throughout the cool grey trend and the earthy brown trend before that, the main decorating challenge was how to introduce a fresh palette into sometimes heavy and drab rooms full of mid-tones.
However, the white wall trend has swung all the way to the opposite extreme meaning now we are faced with the problem of grounding and warming up ample and airy, but somewhat stark, white boxes.
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Creating The Perfect Space With A Couch
A couch isn’t solely a simple piece of staple furniture. A couch is a place where friends and family gather, a sanctuary to take a nap, an impromptu movie theater, and an inimitable part of your home decor. Since the invention of the couch or sofa moved beyond being a display of opulence and practical comfort, the need to find a couch that helps elevate one’s home decor, pairs well with accessories, and matches personal taste and preferences is key to a satisfying home.
What is the best color for a couch when you have a room with stark, white walls? Not to fret, as the color of couch you choose can not only make a room seem larger and stand out in a good way and transforms bland, white walls into a more welcome design element that works with your couch. Whether you need a reliable and attractive couch for a family room, a dorm room, or a victorian parlor, certain colors are clear winners. Check out our curated list of choices.
Make White Glow With Gold
Image credit: Simon Scarboro
Warm up an all-white living room by introducing a subtle colour palette of soft gold and pale grey. Start with soft furnishings from cushions, throw and rug in co-ordinating patterns. Then add prints and accessories in the same soft shades, from vases and candles to baskets and books.
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Use Color As A Finishing Touch
Mann, who in addition to her interior design work is also a furniture and product designer, says that decorating in black and white doesnt mean there is no place for color. Dont be afraid to infuse hits of color, Mann says. Accent pillows and art are a great way to add color to a space without detracting from the overall color scheme.
Diamond enjoys seeing how adding something as simple and ephemeral as a vase of colorful flowers can transform her black-and-white home at a moments notice. I never worry about using only white flowers, she says. I think thats whats great about having a neutral black-and-white home, any color you add in the way of flowers is beautiful!
Go For A Traditional Vibe In A White Living Room
If you live in a period property, consider how to draw attention to distinct and stylish architectural features that really enhance a white living room. We love how a display of artworks and finds make a focal point of this original fireplace the just off-white chimney breast wall and warm-toned upholstery make for an inviting space, too.
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Add Neutral Colours To Create A Layered Effect
Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie
With white as your base, adding neutral colours and tones to your home can create a more put-together, layered look. For example, shades of brown and light grey, green, or blue can play together to create a tranquil feel, whilst using black objects strategically can give the room an added edge.
Opt For Wood And Wicker In A Boho

If your style is more boho-inspired, choosing furniture and home accessories in wood, wicker and other natural materials is the easiest way to achieve the desired outcome.
Less is definitely more in a boho-inspired space, so keep color, furniture and other possessions to a minimum. House plants make a stylish addition, however, so don’t be afraid to buy an abundance.
Not sure which house plants will suit your space? Our guide to everything you need to know about common house plants talks you through the options.
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Layer Up Tones Of Soft White And Linen
Image credit: Future PLC
Choose a patterned wallpaper in neutral tones to add depth to your scheme, then give the room texture with warm-wood accents, furniture painted in chalky shades, distressed surfaces, smooth ceramics and a soft wool rug.
Add a hint of pale colour on seating with cushions in blush pink and champagne. Keep the look relaxed by showcasing collectibles on open shelving and artwork in mismatched frames.
Choose wallpaper, flooring, furniture and soft furnishing in restful off-white shades to create a peaceful space
Lesson No 1think In Color Families
At first glance the homes entryway looks like a riot of color, but after talking to Mele you realize he was actually working with a tight palette. I wanted a lot of white, first of all, and then a mix of blue and orange, he reveals. The secret? Working with various hues within each of these two complementary color families. His blues included cobalt, turquoise, delft, navy. Within the orange family, corals, tangerines, grapefruits. Really rich hues, not muted.
The homeowner loves blue, so that was the first color Mele decided to focus on when developing his decorating approach.
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Here Are 7 Ways To Make White Walls Feel Like A Home:
1. Buy pieces that are versatile and arent too big. God Bless Ikea. There will be a time in my life when I invest in high-quality furniture but now is not that time. It is easier to make smaller pieces fit into spaces and move them around to work for you instead of trying to cram a sectional into a too-small living room. I recently bought three Hemnes bookcases that are easy to move around and can be mixed and matched in other rooms when we move again.
2. Lots and lots of artwork. The easiest way to add color is to hang it on your walls. I take lots and lots of pictures and try my best to not let them live on my phone or hidden in hard drives. I buy frames when I see them on sale. I have mostly white frames with a few grey ones thrown in for variety.
I order prints all the time. Two of my favorite places are Nations Photo Lab and Social Print Studio. From Nations, I order large prints , metal prints, wood prints, and canvas. The best part about metal, wood, and canvas is that you can take it straight from the box to the wall. No need to frame anything.
I like how on a gallery wall they add different textures and depths. I prefer a gallery that is made of a few different types of images and types of prints. Sometimes I will also add some mirrors, maps , and flags .
I also dont just print pictures, I also have some quotes that I love printed .
Let Statement Furniture Do The Talking
Keep it simple, and let quirky furniture and statement artwork be the focus of your living room. In this space an animated video artwork, The Night of Perpetual Day, hangs over the sofa. Its a rework of ancient Chinese landscapes you can peer at it and see a different tiny event unfolding each time. A portrait of Philip Glass takes over the wall next to it.
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Warm It Up With Wood Or Rattan
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Instantly warm up a white room with natural materials like wood or rattan. White walls allow mid-century pieces to shine. A contemporary white apartment with no architectural details can make an ideal blank canvas for a pale Scandinavian wood table or dark wood antiques inherited from your grandparents or picked up at a thrift shop or yard sale. Or try using a tripod lamp with a laser-thin wood veneer shade for a lighter touch.
Use White Walls To Perfectly Showcase Black & White Photography
Striking black & white nude photography adds a refined look to this white living room. On skinny legs, the furniture in this room seems to float above the floor, bringing a sense of weightlessness to the lofty space.
Explore more of this luxe Scandi villa apartment for plenty more neutral interior inspiration.
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Take Into Account Your Lighting
Interior Impressions
In addition to selecting the right shade of white, you should also consider the lighting in your home. This is crucial to keep in mind because the shade you fell in love with at the home improvement store may look quite different in your house.
“A space with lots of natural light is likely to look warmer, so you can use a cooler shade of white to balance the room. Rooms that are artificially lit with LED or fluorescent lighting can look cool, so go warmer.” Taylor says.
While we are all for an all-white color palette concept, we can’t argue that pairing black and white together is a classic move. It creates a sophisticated atmosphere that is clean, sleek, and a little dramatic in the best way. You can try white walls and accent with black deor and furniture or even paint certain architectural structures black to allow them to stand out.
The versatility of white is one of the many reasons we love decorating with it. Pairing white with natural accents, especially wood, is a great way to create a minimalist or rustic atmosphere. Using wood in your furniture, or even as an accent wall, are effective ways to make this pair work well for you.
How Do You Make A White Living Room Feel Cozy

To make a white living room feel cozy you need texture. White can be quite a stark color, which can totally work in a more modern space, but if you want your living room to be more… liveable, you are going to want to tone down that cool feeling.
Layering up soft furnishings like rugs, cushions and throws is the easiest way to do this. And introduce some warmer neutrals like beige and cream to soften up the freshness of the white.
‘Its all about layering the textures and keeping it fresh.Go for lots of white linen on very relaxed sofas with warm natural wood, seagrass flooring, raffia rugs, a wicker basket full of logs’ says David Harris Design Director at Andrew Martin .
‘Storm lanterns, glassware, ceramic pots and candles all add to the fresh look whilst some warmer and brighter textured Andean cushions really add a splash of color and warmth. This way you get the best of both worlds, cool fresh vibes in the summer and warmer and cozy on longer winter evenings.’
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Add Style And Color With The Rug & Accessories
To aquire similar tile, please contact
The design began to influence Denise away from a Modern style toward an Eclectic Modern Bohemian style in her pattern choices.
This is more evident in the actual space as it is an open living room/dining room.
Since the pin of the tile and a google search for it was not fruitful, I was able to find a local tile store that sells a similar backsplash.
Denise plans to use this tile in the adjoining kitchen, as well as the fireplace surround in the living room.
We found a rug that picked up the colors in this tile.
My wall art choice also picked up the tile colors.
Denise has chosen to accessorize with blue pillows, throw blanket, and a blue ceramic on the mantle.
Ways To Make White Walls Feel Like A Home
7 Ways to Make White Walls Feel Like A Home When you move a lot it can be hard to make your white walls feel warm, cozy, and have personality. 7 tips for adding color and life to your white walls.
I feel like this blog could be as much about moving as it is about food and photography. It is a big part of our lives and we are pros at it after constantly being on the move for the last 15+ years. We have bought houses, rented houses and lived on base. More often than not, we rent something sight unseen or are assigned to base housing with little to no choice.
Thankfully, I am not picky and have adopted the attitude that we can make anything work. It might not be ideal, but as we know all too well, it is not forever. Truthfully, I think that it has made me really resourceful. I feel like no matter what dwelling we are in, I have been able to make it feel like us and is a cozy home for my kids and husband to live in.
When you move into a rental or base housing, the one constant is that there is a lot of white. White walls, white appliances, and a lot of blank space with little character. I happen to love white, so I am happy to have the blank canvas to work with. Im too lazy to paint anything because I dont want to have to paint to back to white when we leave. So how do you bring life and color into a home with white walls and make it feel like a cozy home? How do you give it some personality?
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Gorgeous Gray Living Room Ideas For A Stylish Neutral Space
Go monochromatic to achieve a sophisticated, layered look. This gray living room combines a deep charcoal sofa with pewter window treatments and dove-gray walls. The various shades all work together because they have a similar undertone. Break up the neutral color scheme with creamy off-white and natural wood tones on accent furniture and accessories.
Stick To Grey Accents For A Calm Space
Get the look: The sofa is by Minotti. The cushions are from The Conran Shop. The Delay artwork is by Shannon Ebner.
Grey and white are a match made in interior design heaven, a total classic that works in any space of any size and suits any style too. Pair clean white walls with a soft grey sofa for a living room color scheme that’s never going to go out of style.
In this white living room, clean-cut interiors are punctuated with covetable furniture and contemporary art. This family room mixes luxe seating with conceptual art from LA.
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