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1. Layer textures in a white scheme. A white-on-white theme gets added layers of texture from a variety of whites and creams. This nursery has level after level of deeper and creamier whites for a perfectly cozy space.
by Ish and Chi  
2. Add contrast with bold accent colors. For a modern look, layer bright whites with tiny pops of color. Any color will work, but bright oranges, reds and yellows are especially vibrant.
by Ish and Chi
A bold, blue floor in one small section of a mudroom turns a normal room interesting and quirky.
by CapeRace Cultural Adventures
White, white, white, white, white, stop — teal! White can lure you into complacency and then — bam — introduce color to shock you off your feet.
by LASC Studio
White encases this room, but the orange in the bedding takes the look straight to modern with one little swipe of color.
by RGN Construction
3. Add interest with quiet accents. White chairs. White table. White hutch. White walls. White accessories. You would think the look would get boring, but the contrast of a well-oiled wood floor and hints of pastels make the room a shabby-chic paradise.
Dining Room  
When a space is outfitted in white head to toe, it might be boring without a twist. A quiet rug in muted tones is just the ticket to keep this space both calm and interesting.
by AMW Design Studio  
4. Accent intricate designs. Interesting architecture becomes a study in shapes when done in a white-on-white scheme. Instead of being busy, the designs appear more intricate and slide into one another when given coats of cleansing white.
by Eck | MacNeely Architects inc.
White allows textures and shapes to sing in a quiet way. In this simple bedroom, the scalloped edge of the blanket gets attention because it is the only "moving" line in the space. In a room full of color and distractions, that simple, beautiful line would be lost.
by NURIT GEFFEN-BATIM STUDIO
5. Add a little contrast. A bathroom is the perfect space for a multitude of whites. Easily cleaned and giving the space a fresh feel, white towels and accessories perfectly blend into spa-like white surroundings. One solid frame of deeper color around the mirror is all the contrast this room needs. The "silence" of the room allows you to focus on the framed views of the trees outdoors.
by Urrutia Design  
Here is another example of a white room with white furnishings that utilizes just a hint of deeper brown and black to accent the starkness of the white. This classic color combination reads "clean but well-lived in." There is a reason it is a classic!

Whether you are adding white to a room or subtracting color from a space, consider the benefits of white. The perfect "noncolor" for design elements and the perfect canvas for surprising color stories, white might just be the color you were looking for after all.

Find guides to using white in the Houzz Color section
by Iris

Comments

hopingtogetfit Love all the whites and off whites! Recently had our living room, kitchen and breakfast area painted BM Ballet White, and I am in love with my "new" house! It's clean, crisp, and soothing, but with just a tad hint of color (gray), just enough to set off the white moulding we have. I could not be happier!
4 months ago · ·
Amy Renea I hear you #hopingtogetfit! I love the crisp, renewing qualities of white-white-white! Breaking out the paintbrush today in fact! FORGET EMERALD! Go white!
4 months ago · ·
scarbowcow Thank you for this. Reading the recent comments about how boring all the favorite living rooms were because of being 'neutral' or 'beige,' I was succumbing to peer pressure and feeling like I was missing something because I really do like the lightness of white (my bedroom is all white, relieved only by a splash of fresh green; my living room is shades and textures of white and green).

I've enjoyed looking at all these lovely white rooms - so calming and pure - and feel a bit more confident in my choices - never mind my friend who always comments on my choice of so much white. I don't LIKE riots of color; they distract me and disturb my calm. I feel vindicated by this ideabook.
4 months ago · ·
A. Peltier Interiors There is something so striking about all white!
4 months ago · ·
susanintoronto I love the white with the teal (although I wouldn't have described it as teal). Does anyone know what paint colour that is? We are going to repaint within the next couple of months, and that looks like the blue that I want for an accent wall. The rest of the walls will be paint, which is a really big change for me - I love colour.
4 months ago · ·
Francesca I love color. But there's something soothing about an all-white room. In my last home my bedroom was all white with stained wood furniture and only one pop of spicy color. I'm still debating on a white kitchen but who knows?
4 months ago · ·
olldbobbi Love, love white! And these rooms are all gorgeous! Scarbowcow, I don't like riots of color either, but the great thing about white is it can make a single color pop, be it a bold color or a pastel!
4 months ago · ·
susanintoronto I just realized my comment was incomplete - what I meant to say was that we would be painting the rest of the walls "white" (not "painted") so the blue would be a good accent.
4 months ago · ·
leesueseven I too have just added a lot of white to my home. It really accents art work. Throughmyporchwindow.blogspot.com
4 months ago · ·
patricia beharry I am one of the ones who talk about boring whites. Although I must say it is better than beige, Well, guess what,, I have decided to give white a try, I am thinking of painting a guest bathroom all white walls, I have off white tiles with a hint of terracotta, which I will try to pick up in the mirror frame. I use a shower curtain only when I have guests, since I hate curtains. I think I can pull this off. If not, it is only paint.
4 months ago · ·
sue home We just purchase a townhouse , B.M (cloud white)walls with BM (Simply White) trim, the whole house with one end wall in kitchen @ Granny Smith Green with white cupboards, white /grey granite counters. The decor accents are green , cranberry and red.................................love it

Susie (Burlington)
4 months ago · ·
Jacqueline Smith All white in a nursery is a style choice for the parents, not a good choice for the baby. Color stimulates the baby's vision and can sooth the baby. White on white with white, to me, says the parents are too cool to care, as long as it looks stylish. USE SOME COLOR PEOPLE!!!
4 months ago · ·
ahemmer I love the white look in my bedroom, but it just doesn't hold up well in a child and pet-filled house.
4 months ago · ·
j0dy Thank you! I'm always wondering how to decorate with white and if certain whites go together. I like an all white with pops of color. It's so easy to decorate around.
4 months ago ·
Bev Butdorf We are having a house built and I am going for an all white kitchen and dining room. Can't wait! Lots of ideas floating around in my head. Can't find the perfect white dining table for eight yet. Any ideas? I tend towards cottage chic.
3 months ago ·
Dura Supreme Cabinetry With a white kitchen you can make your décor pop, and stand out. Like these tulips.


3 months ago ·
Dura Supreme Cabinetry This kitchen is bold and bright with blue cabinetry and bright red and yellow dishware and accessories. The all white walls, doors, lights, backsplash, and trim are what make the colors pop.
3 months ago ·
Kevin Karst Design Inc. This kitchen uses high-gloss Alpine White Parapan and Pure White Caesarstone in contrast with quarter-cut walnut sequence-matched veneers. A play on colour, texture and sheen.
3 months ago ·
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