I decorate using a lot of white. My china and everyday dishes are white. My couches in my main living room are white as well. Would I have ever decorated with white when I had small children? NO!! But my children are older now and I can have pieces that I have always wanted. Some people see white as a boring color and sometimes almost stark or sterile. I see it as an opportunity to have a neutral space to use pops of color or layer different hues of creams, beiges, grays, or black.
There are many ways to add a cozy, warm feeling to a home filled with tons of white space. One of which is adding tons of texture. You want to layer textures and patterns so you have dimension in your decor. You can do this by adding pillows with patterned fabric as well as solids of varying colors. You can also buy throws for different seasons. A plush fur throw or knit throw would be perfect for winter, while a cotton or linen throw would work well for summer.
Adding natural wood, marble, leather, and metals are another way to bring in materials to warm up your space. I love how leathers and an industrial piece gives a room a masculine feel. I have bookcases in my family room that have metal sides and marble tops and I think they really add depth to the room. I wanted to make sure the couches weren’t too feminine so I added this piece to even out the room.
Use Varying tones in a room. You never want to go with one hue in a room. I watch shows like Property Brothers, Fixer Upper, and Flip or Flop all the time and I think it’s crazy when the home owners come in and say I want everything to be all white. They literally want the cabinets, the paint color and the flooring to all be one shade of white. The designers know best and they always try to break up the space with varying color tones and accessories that give the space dimension. This gives you an opportunity to bring in different shades of cream, gray, beiges, and black. Some whites I’m loving are Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and Simply White and Sherwin Williams’ Repose Gray. They are very different but I love them all. There are so many whites that it can really be hard to choose. Some look like “just” white while others look like they have a gray tint. Whites can be cool or warm. Who thought picking out a white could be so difficult?
Another great way to cozy up a neutral space is to bring in greenery. I haven’t had much luck with live plants except for my lemon tree. My kids got this for me two years ago for Mother’s Day. When I got it, it was about 6 inches tall. Now it is about 3 feet tall and going strong. It hasn’t produced any lemons yet, but it has had lots of blooms on it. At least I haven’t killed it yet so that is a step in the right direction. Adding live or artificial greenery to a space makes it seem like a more lived in space.
You can’t forget the accessories. Accessories add the personality to your home that shows off your style and makes your home unique. These items are the things I would change out seasonally to add color and character to my home. In the spring, I would put lovely purple and pink tulips out. In the fall, I add lots of brown and orange. It’s these pops of color that give me the look I’m going for. These items don’t have to be expensive to make a difference. It’s the little details that make your home special.
As you can see, decorating with white doesn’t seem boring at all to me. It seems quite the opposite. A great way to start trying out using white is getting a set of nice white dishes. You can add tons of color through placemats, napkins, serving pieces and your centerpiece. You can start small and work your way into using whites and neutrals as your situation allows.
Do you decorate using whites and neutrals? I would love to hear how you use whites in your everyday decorating. Now that we’re in spring, what are you putting out to give your decor a fresh, bright feel? I love when you guys comment down below. Check out my instagram account as I update this more frequently.
Yours Truly,
Jenn
This was a really great write-up, Jenn! I’ve always adored spaces that are decorated with white as the base with pops of color and texture as accents. There’s just something about it that’s so inviting. I’m terrified of getting a white couch though, maybe a few years down the road! Saving this post to refer back to for when we move into a bigger space later this year! 😉
xo – Michelle
Michelle,
I feel ya. I definitely waited for the white until I knew my kids could handle it. I knew I would be a wreck if they did something to it that I couldn’t easily clean up. It looks awesome in magazines, but scary to take the leap. I wanted people to know eventually you can take the plunge and have your cake and eat it too. Just not on the white couches.
Jenn