Neutral aesthetics are a huge trend at the moment, with white wallpaper a big part of this look. Opting for a neutral-coloured wallpaper provides you with a blank canvas to put your own stamp on; you don’t have to let white wallpaper dictate the design of the rest of a room.
White wallpaper can feel cold depending on how they’re accessorized, so it’s important to think about how you can bring warmth to walls decorated in typically ‘cold’ colours. Creating a lived-in, cosy look can feel much more homely than trying to make your house resemble a show home, but white walls can still be at the heart of decor that has warmth. Here are our top tips for bringing warmth to a room with white or grey walls:
A room that’s decorated with white wallpaper, white furniture, a white sofa, and white accessories may feel very bright and spacious, but it’s also likely to feel quite cold.
With this in mind, our first rule for decorating with white wallpaper is to avoid an all-white space. Instead, treat your white wallpaper as the ideal background for statement furniture, art, and colourful accessories.
1. Look For White Wallpaper With Detailing
A white wallpaper that has a little detailing, such as a subtle stripe or even a brick effect, will immediately feel slightly warmer than a white wallpaper with no detail at all.
2. Make It Monochrome
Considering white wallpaper because you want to make a statement but are worried it might look too cold? Monochrome could be a more suitable option; the stark contrast of black against white immediately brings extra warmth.
If you’re unsure whether a monochrome wallpaper is the right option, enhance a white room with black accessories instead, such as:
- A black coffee table
- Black cushions
- Black lamps
- A black bookcase
3. Introduce Warm Colours
Choosing warm colours for soft furnishings such as cushions, throws, bedding, and curtains can brighten and add extra comfort to a white room. We recommend looking for accessories in:
- Reds
- Oranges
- Yellows
- Purples
- Deep pinks
4. Create Soft Lighting
Soft lighting can bring beautiful warmth to a space that’s decorated with white wallpaper. Candles can help you to achieve this, as can a coloured lampshade to bring a warm glow to the room; a mustard or orange-coloured lampshade would be especially effective for adding warmth.
5. Use Contrasting Textures
White wallpaper can contrast beautifully with a fluffy or sheepskin-style rug to bring more texture to a room. Textured wallpaper can also bring that little something extra to a white space.
6. Bring Nature Indoors
Nature can really help to warm up a white space, while being surrounded by nature may also help to boost your mood. Bring nature indoors and add extra warmth to your decor with:
- A jute rug
- Brightly coloured real, artificial or dried flowers
- Neutral-coloured pampas grass
- Green plants
- Wooden furniture in a warm-feeling wood
7. Showcase Your Personality
Your home decor should be a reflection of your personality, and you should have your favourite items around you, rather than confining them to a cupboard to avoid ‘spoiling’ a white room. Items that mean something to us should be celebrated, so line your white walls with:
- Shelves full of books with colourful spines
- Family photos
- Pieces picked up on your travels
- Wall hangings
- Framed film posters
- Quirky prints
8. Clash And Contrast
There’s no reason why you need to stick to having a sofa and chairs in just one colour; in fact, white wallpaper is the perfect blank canvas for mismatched chairs covered in different fabrics or made from different woods to create a cosy, laidback feel in a living space.
If you’re unsure which colour of wallpaper to choose, bear in mind the following:
- White wallpaper will always help to make a space look bigger.
- When choosing a white wallpaper, you don’t have to choose flooring, furniture, and accessories in the same colour.
- Choose a white wallpaper with extra detail, such as a stripe or another colour running through it, if you’re unsure.
