How White Became Fashionable in Decorating Again
Pale and interesting homes are back in vogue, so grab a tin of pure brilliant white and get designing
Cheryl F
20 May 2016
Houzz Contributor. I'm a London-based journalist with years of experience writing for the UK's top interiors titles. I love shopping for quirky accessories, have a passion for rummaging through vintage stores and I'm ever-hopeful of finding that elusive perfect paint shade.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a London-based journalist with years of experience writing... More
Decorating with white almost feels like cheating. A serene, all-white room instantly feels light, spacious and calming, plus there’s no need to worry about coordinating accessories or styles. However, there’s been a move away from this old favourite recently. Colour and a craving for cosiness have crept back into our homes, with pattern and grey paints in particular knocking white off its top design perch.
All white, if you’re not careful, can also tip into bland, impersonal, sterile and, perhaps inevitably, grubby – never a good look. (It’s a given that children/pets and white will probably work best if you’re prepared to regularly wash sofa covers and touch up paint.)
However, with a spell out of the limelight, white is looking fresh again, with off-whites in particular popping up on ‘colour of the year’ lists. Here are some ideas for making an all-white room shine.
All white, if you’re not careful, can also tip into bland, impersonal, sterile and, perhaps inevitably, grubby – never a good look. (It’s a given that children/pets and white will probably work best if you’re prepared to regularly wash sofa covers and touch up paint.)
However, with a spell out of the limelight, white is looking fresh again, with off-whites in particular popping up on ‘colour of the year’ lists. Here are some ideas for making an all-white room shine.
Work black frames
A black-and-white scheme that’s still mostly about the white is a good compromise if you worry about white being too insipid. In this modern living room, the black picture frames, lamp and lines on the rug are enough to add definition and solidity.
A black-and-white scheme that’s still mostly about the white is a good compromise if you worry about white being too insipid. In this modern living room, the black picture frames, lamp and lines on the rug are enough to add definition and solidity.
Mix in luxurious touches
The last thing you want is for an all-white scheme to look cheap or undesigned. Adding opulent touches and using quality materials will help you avoid making such an interiors faux pas. This room, by designer Kelly Hoppen, features billowy translucent drapes, splashes of silver and a few dashes of mossy green to keep things indulgent and gorgeous.
The last thing you want is for an all-white scheme to look cheap or undesigned. Adding opulent touches and using quality materials will help you avoid making such an interiors faux pas. This room, by designer Kelly Hoppen, features billowy translucent drapes, splashes of silver and a few dashes of mossy green to keep things indulgent and gorgeous.
Shade things up
White layered with soft putty and mushroom shades is a classic stylist’s trick for instant elegance. Here, a cream carpet and taupe cushions stop the palette feeling stark or boring. Lots of texture, such as sheepskin and velvet, and interesting shapes, such as this curvy chair, are another way to give white extra attitude.
If you have an open-plan room, using a white palette across different kitchen and living zones also helps create a feeling of uniformity and space.
Be inspired by more white kitchen ideas
White layered with soft putty and mushroom shades is a classic stylist’s trick for instant elegance. Here, a cream carpet and taupe cushions stop the palette feeling stark or boring. Lots of texture, such as sheepskin and velvet, and interesting shapes, such as this curvy chair, are another way to give white extra attitude.
If you have an open-plan room, using a white palette across different kitchen and living zones also helps create a feeling of uniformity and space.
Be inspired by more white kitchen ideas
Calm down a sleep retreat
White makes perfect sense in bedrooms. They tend to be less high-traffic, so more forgiving of pale colours, plus, with our busy lives, we all want our bedrooms to be calming.
In this all-white haven, a few books and a propped up picture are the only touches of colour, and won’t interrupt sleep one bit.
Check out 11 ways to create a serene bedroom
White makes perfect sense in bedrooms. They tend to be less high-traffic, so more forgiving of pale colours, plus, with our busy lives, we all want our bedrooms to be calming.
In this all-white haven, a few books and a propped up picture are the only touches of colour, and won’t interrupt sleep one bit.
Check out 11 ways to create a serene bedroom
Unleash your soft side
This all-white modern box is saved from coldness thanks to the deliciously squishy seats and textured pale grey rug. A more structured sofa would have created a completely different feel.
The clear Perspex tables and lamp also work brilliantly with white, letting light flow and not ‘closing off’ the room.
Browse more white living rooms
This all-white modern box is saved from coldness thanks to the deliciously squishy seats and textured pale grey rug. A more structured sofa would have created a completely different feel.
The clear Perspex tables and lamp also work brilliantly with white, letting light flow and not ‘closing off’ the room.
Browse more white living rooms
Throw in a houseplant
Retro houseplants are having a moment, with cacti, spider plants and even our old friend the cheese plant popping up in stylish homes. They are a particularly great way to add colour, energy and vitality to all-white rooms – and, as this study space shows, the bigger the better.
Discover why white rules in bathrooms
Retro houseplants are having a moment, with cacti, spider plants and even our old friend the cheese plant popping up in stylish homes. They are a particularly great way to add colour, energy and vitality to all-white rooms – and, as this study space shows, the bigger the better.
Discover why white rules in bathrooms
Go shabby chic
If you have a snug loft room like this one, white won’t overwhelm or ‘shrink’ the space. Stop the French shabby chic look becoming twee or overly cluttered by sticking to a simple, all-white palette, then mix up quality white linens, pretty ornaments, vases and candle holders.
If you have a snug loft room like this one, white won’t overwhelm or ‘shrink’ the space. Stop the French shabby chic look becoming twee or overly cluttered by sticking to a simple, all-white palette, then mix up quality white linens, pretty ornaments, vases and candle holders.
Introduce vintage buys for character
A sprinkling of quirky ornaments can give all-white spaces the character they sometimes lack. Here, having white shelves lets the objects stand out without the space feeling cluttered. A black pendant light and rug add extra contrast, but the overall effect is still white-led.
Mixing up chairs in different styles is also a great way to make an all-white dining area feel more interesting.
A sprinkling of quirky ornaments can give all-white spaces the character they sometimes lack. Here, having white shelves lets the objects stand out without the space feeling cluttered. A black pendant light and rug add extra contrast, but the overall effect is still white-led.
Mixing up chairs in different styles is also a great way to make an all-white dining area feel more interesting.
Play with wood
If you’re worried all white could drain your room of life, one solution is to combine it with pale woods, which won’t interrupt the sense of light and space you crave. In this pared-back dining room, the table and chair seats look beautiful amid the white surroundings.
If you’re worried all white could drain your room of life, one solution is to combine it with pale woods, which won’t interrupt the sense of light and space you crave. In this pared-back dining room, the table and chair seats look beautiful amid the white surroundings.
Accessorise with candy colours
Want to do cottagey character in a modern way? Create a gorgeous backdrop with white-painted floorboards and tongue-and-groove panelling on walls. Then simply add painted vintage furniture and artworks for a Scandi-chic effect. I love these soft pink chairs, while the hacked Ikea shade adds a tantalising glimpse of gold.
Want to do cottagey character in a modern way? Create a gorgeous backdrop with white-painted floorboards and tongue-and-groove panelling on walls. Then simply add painted vintage furniture and artworks for a Scandi-chic effect. I love these soft pink chairs, while the hacked Ikea shade adds a tantalising glimpse of gold.
Choose one subtle accent
One or two subtle accent colours can be all that’s needed to give white some extra pizazz. In this room, the watery blue lamp and bowl are enough to give a subtle lift, along with some silvery cushions and candle holders. Simple.
One or two subtle accent colours can be all that’s needed to give white some extra pizazz. In this room, the watery blue lamp and bowl are enough to give a subtle lift, along with some silvery cushions and candle holders. Simple.
Rock a black floor
Love white, but not keen on endlessly cleaning white tiles, painted boards or carpet? Then go to the dark side. This gorgeous, modern space shows how a strong, black floor can ‘ground’ a white room, adding tons of attitude. Plus it won’t show up those muddy footprints…
Love white, but not keen on endlessly cleaning white tiles, painted boards or carpet? Then go to the dark side. This gorgeous, modern space shows how a strong, black floor can ‘ground’ a white room, adding tons of attitude. Plus it won’t show up those muddy footprints…
Add colour with books
Don’t head to the charity shop with those old tomes just yet. Stacks of books can take on a new, stylish dimension in an all-white scheme, adding welcome colour and personality. Try displaying one or two on a white coffee table, or creating a carefully curated pile in a corner, as here.
TELL US…
How have you used white in your home? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
Don’t head to the charity shop with those old tomes just yet. Stacks of books can take on a new, stylish dimension in an all-white scheme, adding welcome colour and personality. Try displaying one or two on a white coffee table, or creating a carefully curated pile in a corner, as here.
TELL US…
How have you used white in your home? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
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I love white! I've recently re decorated my bedroom and lounge adding in some grey, silver & teal
I loved this article! As someone who's used to house-sharing and has a passion for photography, my bedroom often has to work double duty as a sleep space and photography studio so a plain white wall is an excellent backdrop and it bounces the light around really well. I love accessorising with furniture that's easy to shift and artwork that isn't too fragile to be moved frequently!
Oh, and @Gerry Rust, great explanation of the purpose of fashion! I love seeing new interiors trends and taking inspiration but they still have to fit with my own personal style before they'll make their way into my home.