Decorating
Decorating: What White Can Do For You in the Bedroom
Calm, serene and practical is a winning combination, which is why white has captured our hearts
White is the ultimate blank canvas, often used as a backdrop for dramatic hits of colour and pattern. But how about using just white and little else? Far from cold and clinical, the all-white bedroom is crisp, cool and unbelievably calm – the perfect ingredients for the best night’s sleep ever. If a lack of colour sounds a bit dull, take a look at these 10 gorgeous all-white boudoirs and you may be turned off your paint charts forever…
Layer shades and textures for depth
To stop an all-white bedroom from appearing stark in cool light, the trick is to use different shades (combine palest buttermilk, delicate off-white and bright white, for instance). Also try to mix up tactile textures, such as satin, wool and velvet, and add touches of mirror and crystal for a subtle shot of glamour.
To stop an all-white bedroom from appearing stark in cool light, the trick is to use different shades (combine palest buttermilk, delicate off-white and bright white, for instance). Also try to mix up tactile textures, such as satin, wool and velvet, and add touches of mirror and crystal for a subtle shot of glamour.
Go glam with a hint of gold
Just a sprinkling of gold, gilt or any burnished metallic can elevate a plain white bedroom into something grand and luxurious. Scour car-boot sales, second-hand shops and flea markets for unusual pieces and vintage treasures that don’t cost the earth and have an authentic patina.
Just a sprinkling of gold, gilt or any burnished metallic can elevate a plain white bedroom into something grand and luxurious. Scour car-boot sales, second-hand shops and flea markets for unusual pieces and vintage treasures that don’t cost the earth and have an authentic patina.
Make the view the star
For rooms with a view (this one would take some beating…), a undistracting, clutter-free white bedroom makes the perfect space in which to lie back and simply take in the great outdoors. Crisp tiled flooring and the most minimal of fixtures ensure this scheme is easy to keep clean and tidy (a must for any white bedroom).
For rooms with a view (this one would take some beating…), a undistracting, clutter-free white bedroom makes the perfect space in which to lie back and simply take in the great outdoors. Crisp tiled flooring and the most minimal of fixtures ensure this scheme is easy to keep clean and tidy (a must for any white bedroom).
Create a feeling of space
White is one of the simplest decorating tools for making a room appear larger. Here, the floorboards, walls, ceiling and woodwork are all painted white, helping the many features seamlessly meld into a single, continuous background, and opening up every corner and alcove.
White is one of the simplest decorating tools for making a room appear larger. Here, the floorboards, walls, ceiling and woodwork are all painted white, helping the many features seamlessly meld into a single, continuous background, and opening up every corner and alcove.
Create a feature
An all-white room can look stunning with a single panel of dramatic wallpaper. Make sure the rest of the room remains white so the feature adds interest but doesn’t dominate. A pale wood floor warms the scheme, while the planks draw the eye down the room to the huge window.
An all-white room can look stunning with a single panel of dramatic wallpaper. Make sure the rest of the room remains white so the feature adds interest but doesn’t dominate. A pale wood floor warms the scheme, while the planks draw the eye down the room to the huge window.
Showcase with dark flooring
White is the colour we tend to associate with purity and cleanliness, so what better hue to use in our bedrooms? In this design, dark tobacco wood flooring provides the perfect base to highlight the crisp, pure white textiles and furniture.
White is the colour we tend to associate with purity and cleanliness, so what better hue to use in our bedrooms? In this design, dark tobacco wood flooring provides the perfect base to highlight the crisp, pure white textiles and furniture.
Highlight with a mix of lighting
Lighting is key to a successful white bedroom, so install a mix of bright downlighters, softer uplighters and table lamps for a more intimate glow. Make sure they are on separate dimmer switches so you can control the atmosphere according to the time of day and the mood you’re in…
Browse tips for perfect lighting in your home
Lighting is key to a successful white bedroom, so install a mix of bright downlighters, softer uplighters and table lamps for a more intimate glow. Make sure they are on separate dimmer switches so you can control the atmosphere according to the time of day and the mood you’re in…
Browse tips for perfect lighting in your home
Add a decorative element
French-style, carved furniture topped with white cotton bedding is sweet yet sophisticated – perfect for any age and easily updated with different linen. Texture is central to this look, from intricately carved furniture to the delicate lace of a pretty duvet cover and the folds of a floaty voile canopy.
French-style, carved furniture topped with white cotton bedding is sweet yet sophisticated – perfect for any age and easily updated with different linen. Texture is central to this look, from intricately carved furniture to the delicate lace of a pretty duvet cover and the folds of a floaty voile canopy.
Introduce some warm neutrals
Accents of pale pebble, warm toffee and biscuit add depth while retaining the serenity of a predominantly white scheme. Keep the darker shades to just a few pieces. And you can’t beat carpet in the bedroom for cosy toes – just choose a pale shade to balance the more intense accents.
TELL US...
Do you prefer a white bedroom? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments.
Accents of pale pebble, warm toffee and biscuit add depth while retaining the serenity of a predominantly white scheme. Keep the darker shades to just a few pieces. And you can’t beat carpet in the bedroom for cosy toes – just choose a pale shade to balance the more intense accents.
TELL US...
Do you prefer a white bedroom? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments.
An all-white scheme enhances the light in a bright room, while sheer white curtains diffuse the sunshine for a serene mood. In a light space, you can afford to add a few accents of colour though artworks and pieces of furniture without spoiling the overall effect.
Take a look at crisp white design schemes