10 WAYS TO WARM UP NEUTRAL AND WHITE DECOR

BLUE PILLOW ON A WHITE SOFA

I didn’t always love white decor. But today I love love love white. It’s an easy to live with classic. White done right is fresh and warm and inviting! There are a few tips and tricks for living with, warming up, and doing white decor the right way. Let’s look at them…

COFFEE TABLE WITH NEUTRAL DECOR

A few years ago Benjamin Moore’s color of the year was SIMPLY WHITE? And no wonder! What many thought would be a fad a few years back is still going strong!

I’ve been on the white bandwagon for many years now. White-done-right is so easy to live with and is quite a chameleon. It can change the mood and feel of a room. If you are a lover of white and neutras there are a few things you can do to guarantee that your room looks light and inviting.  

THE WHITE YOU CHOOSE MATTERS

There are literally thousands of shades of white!

And sifting through all those paint chips to find the one perfect white is quite a task! Not only are there oodles of white paint but tons of white fabrics too. Some whites are warm, some are cool, but they are all different!

Make sure you choose a white, especially if you are using white on your walls, that will work with the other whites, neutrals, and colors in your room. It’s great to get a little professional help at the paint store to narrow down the choices!

Here are a few ways to to choose and use whites and neutrals in your home.

USE DIFFERENT SHADES AND HUES OF WHITE AND NEUTRALS

WHITE BUFFET WARMED UP WITH TEXTURE

Here’s some good news…

Choosing several whites when decorating keeps things interesting! All the same white is deadly! Too flat, too dull! You can and should mix whites! And adding other neutrals to white is magical! Don’t think neutrals are “light”. They can be warm browns and even grays!

Neutrals instantly make whites warmer. These colors are in my wheelhouse!

KEEP IT CLASSIC

NEUTRAL LIVING ROOM

I’m a classic furniture girl. White looks amazing and upscale when done in classically styled furniture. Choose at least one piece of furniture in your white room that has a classic feel.

And the best tip I can give you no matter what colors you like in your home is to choose your big ticket items, like a sofa, in soft neutral colors. Because the will work with almost any colors you choose and neutrals will stay in style for a long time.

To keep white decor interesting decorate with lots of textural items. I love a neutral jute rug for tons of texture. Baskets work too. So does any nubby material. We actually “feel” texture with our eyes as well as our hands.

Whites and neutrals can look boring if texture is absent from decor. Here is a very informative post about how to use texture in your home. See TEXTURE THE BEST KEPT DECORATING SECRET.

A TEXTURED RUG IN A ROOM

ORGANICS ARE A MUST

FAUX PLANTS ON A TABLE

Beautiful plants or flowers have an amazing effect on white decor. It softens white and makes it feel alive and welcoming. We love living things and white is a gorgeous backdrop for Mother Nature’s decorations!

You can get the same effect by adding faux blooms, plants, sticks, twigs, willow balls, moss balls and any other thing that looks alive.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ADD A POP OF COLOR

A BLUE PILLOW ON A NEUTRAL SOFA

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A tad of color goes a long way in a white room. Almost any color will work with a room that is fresh and white. Look at this GORGEOUS home from BHG! The blue literally makes our eyes float from one blue thing to another. A pop of color only enhances the drama a white! And don’t you love love love the white planked walls.

More saturated color works best with white. Pastels and soft colors get lost in all the white.

WHITE LOVES NATURAL LIGHT

A LIGHT AND BRIGHT WHITE KITCHEN

Let the light in. Light bounces off of gorgeous whites! Keep window coverings to a minimum and enjoy the beauty of luminous white!

MAKE ROOM FOR WOOD

A NEUTRAL SOFA IN A ROOM

Wood creates a beautiful contrast for white. Every white room should have some natural wood. It makes the room go from cold and stark to friendly and warm.

Even the lightest wood will add warmth and a contrast to white decor. Just one or two pieces in a room will make a huge difference.

WHITES AND METALLIC ARE BEST FRIENDS

A NEUTRAL FAMILY ROOM

White and neutral decor benefits from the contrast and shine of metallics. Whether nickel, gold-tones, oil rubbed bronze or black, metals break up a neutral room and give our eyes something different to look at.

Metals are uplifting and interesting in a neutral room.

HOWEVER YOU DECORATE DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

NEUTRAL ROOMS IN A HOME

I always want to remind you that you are decorating YOUR home. Make it a place you love! White and neutrals can be classy, relaxed, upscale, soft, light, fun, dramatic and so much more. But most of all it needs to be a representation of YOU!

PIN FOR NEUTRALS DONE RIGHT

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22 Comments

  1. Please tell me where I may purchase your family room rug. It’s perfect!

  2. Yvonne, I absolutely love the curtains you have in your sunroom. Can you tell me where you found them?

  3. Elaine Heron says:

    Hi Yvonne,
    I have followed you for a number of years from across the pond, however this is the first time I have posted. I really like your style and colour choices, and enjoy all your ideas.
    I am doing the research for a sofa cover. I really would like to go for a lighter more neutral colour like yours (I have burgundy) my comfort zone! However am so concerned about it showing marks and getting dirty too quickly. Do you have any hard earned advice, apart from covers that go in the washing machine?
    Many thanks Happy Easter ??

    1. Great question, Elaine. I think I’ll do a post about this topic. I have lots of ideas and tips. Yes, I was a lot of white decor.

  4. I love your style and enjoy your blog and pictures. (We had the pineapple soufflé for Easter by the way! GREAT recipe!)

    Please tell me where I can find that lamp on the side table with the glass front doors? I’ve been looking for one like that!

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Debbie, I’m thrilled you used the pineapple recipe for Easter. I found the lamp at Pottery Barn years and years ago. I don’t see it on their site anymore. Sorry, I can’t help you more.

  5. Several years ago I wanted to start a bit of a transition to more white in our home. I went with a warm creamy white in 3 rooms, but had our family room, country kitchen and kitchen itself in a soft yellow. Our trim is stained, and I thought the warmer tones worked well with the trim. I changed out all the lighting throughout the house. First was new white drum lampshades in the family room, and I went from there. We bought all new lamps in the living room and bedrooms, with white drum shades, including a new dining room light in brushed gold with a very large white drum shade. All the draperies throughout the house are simple creamy white lined sheers. We had new countertops installed, and our backsplash is white. It was easy to do, and really added a lot of brightness without breaking the bank. I added a lot of white in the bathrooms as well. We love it.

  6. kerma wilson says:

    Where did you find the white cabinet with glass doors? I love it .

  7. Love your posts. I always get a sense of calmness when looking through pictures of your beautiful home. The very first picture in this post has a grey pillow with cream and brown ferns and flowers. Can you share where I could find this pillow? Thank you!

  8. Everything looks beautiful. Thank you for all the white tips. Can you share where your dining table is from? Thanks

    1. I found the dining room table at Birch Lane. Sorry, I don’t see it anymore.

  9. I am a lover of white also and have started to replace pieces I have to white. I started with the walls in our new patio home. Love your ideas and suggestions. Thank you Jean

  10. Jerri Mester says:

    I love love it all can you tell me about the woven neutral tone pillow the material and where I can find I love…beautiful work

    1. Hi Jerri, I’ve had the woven pillow for years and years. It came from Pottery Barn. It is no longer on their website. Sorry I can’t help more.

      1. Jerri Mester says:

        Thanks it looks like a pottery barn item…I love it you have great taste