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White living room ideas & decorating tips

The color white is a great canvas for a living room due to the versatility. Whether used to set the overall tone of a room or emphasize a statement piece, the possibilities are endless. Explore our best white living room ideas and decorating tips below and give your space the refresh it deserves.

A white, bright living room with a four-person family engaged in a play with a winding set-up of LILLABO wooden train set.
A white, bright living room with a four-person family engaged in a play with a winding set-up of LILLABO wooden train set.

Break the pattern just a bit

White is the general theme, but you don't have to get too literal. After all, when you make the rules you get to skip them, too. Combine different whites – or other light shades – to get an organic and beautiful look.

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A living room with a room-dividing, white KALLAX shelving unit and a white HEMNES day-bed beside it.
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Play with color temperatures

It may be the color of snow, but white doesn’t mean it has to be outright cold. Mixing in different textiles, from sheer to plush, and shades, especially green and red, will get the temperature up. Not to mention the coziness.

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A light beige SÖDERHAMN sofa stands in a modern living room with large windows and a mostly white color palette.
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Brighten up!

Shades of white can truly make wonders for the brightness and mood of a room. That said, nothing can replace real light. Always allow for good and variable lighting. A combination of lamps – this one even plays music – and daylight-regulating blinds puts you in complete control.

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A SYMFONISK Wi-Fi speaker lamp lights up a windowsill overlooking a foggy landscape underneath a PRAKTLYSING cellular blind.
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Add another textile layer

Overlapping rugs have an irresistible quality to them. They bring a playful yet stylish touch, even more so if they differ in thickness and tone. This tip also works if you want to decorate a room with white floors, and can be done using darker rugs to create a pleasing contrast.

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A grey-beige GUNNEMOR throw on the arm of one of two light beige SÖDERHAMN 1-seat corner sections on a white VOLLERSLEV rug.
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Fill the walls with things you like to look at

What goes on a white living room wall? Just about anything, really. The neutral background effectively balances what you place on it, whether it’s a few select pieces, a complete art wall or something in between. Bonus tip: this is a perfect way to hide a TV or wall Wi-Fi speaker in plain sight.

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A bright room with a row of light-grey SPIKSMED sideboards beneath a white wall covered in colorful framed art.
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Complete the room with natural materials

What textures go well with white? Inviting a touch of the outside is a good bet. Natural textiles and materials – and some plants to boot – help to make the whites more dynamic, adding style and softness in the process.

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A BACKSÄLEN 3-seat sofa in a natural tone, cozy lighting from a floor lamp and a pendant lamp and a rug in natural fibre.
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Put the spotlight on accent colors

Using white surfaces as negative space is a great way to direct attention to something you want to focus on. In other words, invite an accent to take center stage. Pick a favorite and let it echo through the room. Small means, big effect.

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A pastel 24-hour living room oasis with a yellow FRIDHULT sofa-bed filled with pillows and a blanket, black side tables.
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