White is a timeless colour that’s incredibly popular in interior design. Some people combine white living room furniture with colourful statement walls, while others prefer immaculate neutral backdrops. Whatever you choose, it’s the perfect hue for maximising space and lending your lounge an ultra-contemporary edge.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind when designing a white living room. If you approach the process haphazardly, your chill-out area will feel more clinical than chic! Break up the monotony with complementary tones, like sage green and navy blue. Or remove the bite from white by introducing textures, lighting and fireplaces.
Ready to renovate? Keep reading as we reveal ten cosy white living room ideas. We’ll also recommend several high-quality furniture pieces from our Florence, Edvard Olsen and Gainsborough collections.
Is white a good colour for a living room?
Before we dive in, here’s the question on everyone’s minds – is white a good colour for a living room? Although a bold choice, we think yes! As well as being brilliantly versatile, complementing everything from modern to cottagecore interiors, it gives the illusion of space.
White walls are an excellent option for compact lounges because they maximise and reflect the surrounding light. Plus, combining white walls with white woodwork and ceilings expands a room’s dimensions.
As for the atmosphere, white embodies minimalism. The blank canvas effect surpasses the physical and seeps into a person’s psyche. With no distractions, it’s easier than ever to unlock your limitless potential and creativity.
If all-white walls sound too austere, opt for white living room décor. Furniture from the Florence collection offsets white with warm materials, like pine and acacia wood. Best of all, most units feature a wealth of storage to organise your knick-knacks.
White living room ideas for extra cosiness
1. Add depth with rich colours
A white living room risks looking two-dimensional and flat, but you can add depth with rich colours. If you’re a fan of neutral schemes, stick to deep browns, creamy taupes and dusty pastels. Feeling brave? Step outside your comfort zone and make a statement with royal navy blue.
There are countless ways to approach a navy and white living room. Paint stripes for a masculine, nautical vibe. Or scatter your interiors with mustard yellow soft furnishings and monochromatic wall art – the kooky mish-mash of colours is sophisticated yet playful.
Navy blue walls provide an eye-catching backdrop for a crisp white sideboard. There are various designs to choose from, including space-saving tallboys and corner cabinets.
If you regularly entertain guests or enjoy a tipple after work, check out this white sideboard with wine rack. The drinks compartment holds up to ten bottles of your favourite vintages, while the wicker-style baskets offer abundant storage space. We also have a range of navy blue sideboards for unbeatable convenience.
2. Introduce grounding, earthy tones
White is a cool colour that borders on cold if not toned down with warm accents. As such, introducing grounding, earthy hues like sage green walls or furniture can help.
Alongside combatting chilliness, a green and white living room brings the outside in for enhanced mindfulness. Unlike emerald or forest greens, which can overwhelm the senses, sage is subtle enough to encourage relaxation.
Of course, this is also your opportunity to go wild with plants! Complement white walls with a sage green feature wall and plenty of hanging kokedama for a stylish, Japanese-inspired aesthetic.
Alternatively, mix and match sage green and white living room furniture. Invest in a stunning sage green coffee table, then complete the look with a brand-new white TV unit. Both include generously proportioned drawers and shelves to store records, remote controls and magazines.
Most importantly, the brushed acacia wood tops add to the charming woodland theme. Besides being naturally antibacterial, the intricate wood grains stand out against the simple silhouettes and palettes. Functional first and foremost, the long-lasting structures promise to look gorgeous for a lifetime.
3. Embrace the Scandinavian concept of Hygge
Hygge is a Scandinavian concept that promotes togetherness. It’s not just a design principle but a way of life that prioritises simple pleasures and experiences over material possessions. Embracing this philosophy will transform your white living room into a cosy cocoon where people gather to celebrate, commiserate and catch up over coffee.
How do you create a hygge home? One of the easiest ways is by stripping away the excess. Swap complicated shapes and redundant features for minimalist pieces with sleek lines. Think balance over extravagance, and incorporate natural materials like light oak and golden oak.
Furniture from the Edvard Olsen collection ticks all the boxes. Every beautifully crafted piece invites you to sit back, relax and relish the company of your loved ones. Above all else, a white and brown living room feels wonderfully welcoming, especially on chilly winter evenings.
The honey-coloured tones of this golden oak coffee table melt icy interiors. Curved legs give way to a lacquer-finished top that’s scratch-resistant and easy to clean. Sandwiched between are four deep drawers, two on each side, to surpass your storage needs.
4. Create a lived-in feel with coffee table styling
Your coffee table shouldn’t be an afterthought or a place to accumulate junk. Instead, use it as a clever design tool. A thoughtfully styled coffee table is the difference between a lived-in and chaotic ambience, so it’s essential to get it right.
Firstly, choose a centrepiece that reflects your personality, such as a white coffee table from the Florence range. White living room décor allows endless styling possibilities, thanks to the versatile and unfussy finish. The sandy acacia wood top is similarly adaptable, harmoniously balancing the white’s sometimes impersonal qualities.
Next, carefully orchestrate a theme. Coffee table styling is all about telling a story and the items you place on it will dictate the mood of your space. How would you feel walking into a white living room littered with stray coffee cups and magazines? Compare this to a tidier environment where everything has a home and purpose.
If you’re a keen reader, position a coffee table book to spark conversation at your next soiree. Perhaps, you’re passionate about plants? Construct a miniature indoor garden from succulents and terrariums. Whatever you decide, limit yourself to a few meaningful objects to avoid clutter.
5. Choose rustic storage options
White living room ideas usually focus on decorating, but choosing suitable storage options is equally important. Cheap, glossy shelving units and plastic baskets are more appropriate for hospitals and canteens than your lounge!
Our advice? Ditch furniture that doesn’t spark joy and replace it with something more trendy, like a rustic white bookcase. The roomy drawers are a bookworm’s dream, delivering abundant space for precious paperbacks. The pièce de résistance is the unique geometric open shelf design, intelligently crafted to showcase reading material.
Additionally, keep extra layers nearby with a white blanket box. Most commonly found in bedrooms, they are also handy for living rooms during the frosty winter months. This blanket storage box from the Gainsborough range seamlessly marries elegance and functionality. It’s compact enough to slide behind the sofa and surprisingly multifunctional – use it to store throws, cushions and children’s toys.
6. Swap wooden floors for carpet
There’s nothing homier than a plush carpet that makes every step feel like a dream. It’s a stress-free way to add warmth to your white living room while adding a dash of understated opulence.
Material floors are better at insulating rooms than their wooden counterparts – the thicker the fabric, the better! Although the installation costs can be expensive, you’ll save money further down the line on central heating.
Wool carpets feel unbelievably decadent underfoot, with thicker fibres that absorb the sun’s rays. Searching for something more budget-friendly? Try polypropylene or a wool and synthetic fibre mix.
Laying a rug is the easiest way to replicate the look. Complement your space with creams or blush pinks for a romantic, feminine aura. Or capture attention with vibrant colours and patterns. Shag and bobble rugs are all the rage, boasting interesting textures that ooze character.
7. Experiment with lighting
Lighting can make or break a white living room. Choose something too harsh, and you’ll feel perpetually scrutinised. On the other hand, an overly yellow glow can cause eye strain and migraines. It’s best to find a middle-ground – a warm white light that sits between a 2700K and 3000K range.
Remember, good lighting doesn’t mean more lighting, particularly in all-white spaces. We suggest illuminating shadowy corners with table lamps rather than overwhelming your interiors with dazzling overhead pendants. Wall lights are another effective option, available in various shapes to suit your modern white living room furniture.
Designs aside, you can’t buy brand-new lamps without matching white lamp tables. Alongside holding your lights, the Florence nest of tables is fantastic for entertaining. Serve mouth-watering afternoon teas on the larger unit and use the smaller one for casual coffee dates. When you’ve finished, tuck them away, one underneath the other, to free up floor space.
8. Layer textures for additional warmth
Speaking of texture, layering fabrics has myriad benefits. Draping throws over white living room décor provides a striking contrast, especially if you prioritise bold primary colours and clashing prints. White sofas look sublime alongside kaleidoscopic cushions, and the extra material makes afternoon catnaps even more inviting!
Layering is a clever design technique that goes far beyond fabrics – you can also include different-sized and shaped furniture to create perspective. For instance, a round coffee table stands out against rectangular lamp tables and sideboards, drawing the eye towards the centre of the room.
A melange of soft curves and hard edges produces visual intrigue. The lines bleed into one another, interrupting uniform patterns. Mix and match furniture from the Florence and Edvard Olsen collection to build upon this concept. The former features elegantly curved legs and decorative embellishments, while the latter prioritises crisp contours.
9. Design a multifunctional space
Living rooms are the heart of a home – a place to hang out with your nearest and dearest, watch films, play board games and even tuck into family meals. They should be multifunctional to accommodate a range of activities and personalities.
Separating your lounge with a white room divider gives each section purpose. People can come together to use the space simultaneously, rather than being isolated in another part of the house. Children can play or study while adults unwind. There’s also enough room for couples to read and answer work emails without stepping on each other’s toes!
Harmony is key to a multifunctional space, so think about creating different zones. There might be a cosy reading nook and chill-out area on one side of the room divider and a pop-up office on the other.
10. Balance a white living room with a warm fireplace
What could be more atmospheric than a roaring fireplace? If you have the means, it’s one of the best ways to cast a toasty glow across your white living room furniture.
Fireplaces are often the central point of a lounge, with sofas and armchairs positioned nearby to enjoy the flickering flames. Even if you only install one for decorative purposes, the mantel, facing and hearth will exude luxury.
Luckily, there are numerous designs to browse for contemporary to vintage settings. Old antique fireplaces are expensive but look outstanding alongside white and cream schemes. Small log burners and pellet stoves are cheaper alternatives and don’t require a chimney (experts will install a double-skin flue through the roof or wall).
Want to inspire gasps of delight? Purchase a hanging fireplace, sometimes known as a suspended fireplace. The futuristic structures drop down from the ceiling like a tiny twinkling star.
Browse more white living room furniture
Whether you’re searching for white living room furniture or colourful accent pieces, we have a range of versatile pieces ready to breathe new life into your interiors.
Our high-quality collections deliver exceptional craftsmanship at reasonable prices, making it easy to transform your dream white living room into a reality. What are you waiting for? Browse our website today!
If you have any questions about our products, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Call our friendly team on 01989 736343 or [email protected]. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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