How to decorate white walls

If you’ve been browsing Instagram or Pinterest for décor tips for your home recently, you’ll have noticed that the all-white look is definitely on-trend at the moment. This isn’t surprising, as a coat of white paint can be a very powerful thing and stir up all kinds of emotions in people. In fact, there are few better ways to give your home interior a blank canvas and a fresh start than by painting it white.

Whether you have bought a new home, are renting, or regularly like to change your wall colours, all-white walls can be perfect for wiping the slate clean.

Here’s how to implement the white wall look:

1. White on White

white interior design

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

White walls combined with white furnishings, such as the Banbury 3-Seater sofa, can give the room a crisp and clean feel. They will also allow you to add your own twist to the room and use cushions and textiles to add a splash of coordinated colour.

2. Let Your Wall Hangings Take Centre Stage

Grey and white interior design

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

As white is such a neutral shade, it gives you a better opportunity to display your personality without having to compete with distracting wall colours. Hanging artwork or sculptural pieces are a great way to draw attention to them and allow them to stand out against their all-white backdrop.

3. Complement White Walls with Wood Tones

white and wood interior design

Image Credit: Stocksnap

If your room has differing warm wooden tones, such as wooden panelling or a wooden floor, white walls can add a brightness to the room and complement the earthy tones.

4. Add Neutral Colours to Create a Layered Effect

White walls living room

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

With white as your base, adding neutral colours and tones to your home can create a more put-together, layered look. For example, shades of brown and light grey, green, or blue can play together to create a tranquil feel, whilst using black objects strategically can give the room an added edge.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Create Contrast

White walls dining room ideas

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

Although all-white walls can give a crisp, stark feel to a room, it doesn’t mean that you have to shy away from bold patterns or stick to similar or muted shades. A statement rug can be a great focal point and white walls can give shabby chic a minimalist twist.

6. Embrace The Past

Grey and white room decor

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

All-white minimalism has been popular for decades, and painting your walls white can be a fitting allusion to the past. If you have retro or period furniture, then that white lick of paint can be the final addition to really bring you up to style.

7. Pay Attention to Natural Lighting

White and neutral living room

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

When painting a room white, consider the natural light source. This is because a room that is painted white can optimise the light of the space, so a room with poor natural lighting can benefit from all-white walls whereas a well-lit room will need warm infusions, such as wooden tones, to ensure the room doesn’t seem too cool or chilly.

8. Use White to Create Space

White house interior design

Image Credit: Stocksnap

Because of their clean aesthetic, white walls can give a heightened perception of space and make a room appear larger. Psychologically, white also represents clarity, simplicity, and focus. With this combination, it makes white the ideal choice for a study or home office.

9. Give Your Kitchen a Cleaner Look

White kitchen ideas

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

White walls are extremely versatile and can pair well with both classic and modern kitchen cabinets and counters. They also have the added benefit of giving the kitchen a clean, hygienic feel and can work well with white dining furniture or kitchen appliances.

10. Use White Walls for a Minimalist Bedroom

Minimalist bedroom design

Image Credit: Charlotte Holmes

If you are looking to create a simple, minimalist space in your bedroom, then white walls really are the show stopper. This is because of their clean look and simplicity, allowing you to add subtle accents to stamp your personality on the room without having to overdo it and ruin the concept.

11. Add a Mirror for Reflection Perfection

House with all white interior

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

Placing mirrors against white walls can give a room a touch of elegance and create a perception of more space than there actually is. It can be especially effective if the mirror has a warm wood or coloured frame to make it stand out in your room decor.

12. Opt for Monochrome Magic

Monochrome living room decorating ideas

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

Black and white décor has a timeless appeal, and all-white walls give the perfect opportunity for taking a black and white monochrome approach. However, a black-and-white themed room will always have more appeal with a tertiary accent colour, such as that of light wooden furniture, and can be perfect for a dining room.

13. Fulfill Your Creative Potential

House with white interior

Image Credit: Daniel Tomczak

As said before, white walls are the perfect blank canvas, allowing you to express your creativity and show off your personality in other ways. It also means you can draw on your own unique style and quirks to add colour and texture to a room.

14. White Walls are Perfect for Industrial Chic

Black and white interior design ideas

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

If your interior design tastes encompass the urban edge provided by industrial chic, then white walls are the perfect accessory to keep the focus on your fixtures and can add a contemporary feel to the classical industrial elements.

15. White Can Help Things Look Uncluttered

White maxemlist interior design

Image Credit: Jurgen Leckie

Although they’re perfect for minimalism, white walls work equally as well for maximalist aesthetics too. If you prefer a cosy, collected look, white paint gives the eye somewhere to rest when you have multiple layers of accessories, such as books, leaving a room feeling fresh rather than cluttered.

16. White Makes Architecture the Star

Modern architecture with white interior

Image credit: Leeroy

Many architects opt for white interiors, because the lack of colour keeps the eye focused on the structure of the room instead. If you have a room with exposed brick or beautiful features, painting the walls a crisp white can highlight this.

17. White Walls are Perfect for Open-Plan Rooms

White walls design ideas

Image credit: Pexels

If you have an open-plan layout in your home, or have multiple rooms that are visible at once, a single wall colour can help make the space more tranquil. White walls are the perfect option for this because they go with everything and can make compact spaces seem larger.

18. White is Relaxing

White walls living room

Image credit: Pexels

White is well-suited for all walls throughout your home but works particularly well in areas where the focus is on relaxing, such as the bedroom or living room. A white living room reduces the “noise” that bright colours can bring and can allow you to unwind in style. 

Conclusion

Although they’re very popular right now in the interior design world, all-white walls and homes are far from a new trend and this is a testament to their timeless appeal. White is simple and sophisticated, and when implemented correctly, white walls can give your rooms a crisp appearance that is ideal for a fresh design approach.

Although painting your walls all-white can take a leap of faith, if you have a sense of adventure, then white walls could be the look your home needs to add light and space. So why not try it!