How to Create a Chic White Living Room

Pam Gaulin
A chic white living room is an elegant style for the right house. If your lifestyle is all about being chic and you do not have to worry about paw prints or children's messes, this chic white living room idea may be right for you.

How to Create a Chic White Living Room

A chic white living room can be a room that is dominated by the color white. The room decor will not be all white, as adding a couple of accent colors can enrich the setting.

Advantages of a Chic White Living Room

Any white room offers future opportunities to easily change the entire living room decor, when you change out the complimenting colors. White is also an easy color to paint over in the future if you need to complete re-decorate.

How to Choose the Right White

Whites that are available today are not just white. There are cool whites, warm whites, and tinted whites. For the crispest looking whites, go with cool whites that are bright and stark. These are also the best whites for small rooms

A larger living room can handle a warmer shade of white, to make the chic living room decor still feel cozy and inviting.

For a living room which receives a lot of sunlight and tends to get warm in the summer, opt for a white with a cool tint of blue or purple. The white will still have a white appearance with a slightly glacial appeal.

How to Warm Up a White Room

A chic white living room will not look like the local hospital room if it is decorated correctly. Because white can look cold, rather than cool, when left to itself, it will need some company.

Add rich textures to a white room to turn a white living room from bleak to chic. Deep, shag carpeting or throw rugs will warm up a cool room. Textures of wicker furniture and leather furniture also add warmth to a chic white living room.

Consider adding texture in unexpected places in your chic living room. Cover the outside of a light switch cover with white suede, for example. Use the same white suede to adorn picture frames.

A chic white living room rich with texture will be a warm and inviting place to entertain guests.

Chic White Living Room Palettes

White and Black and Aqua

One way to decorate a chic white living room is to use contrasting colors. Adding a deep black accent color to white living room adds a stark contrast. That stark contrast will invigorate the space, making it exciting.

Add black to a chic white living room by selecting a black and white pattern on throw pillows or for a chair in the room. Add a black sash to white curtain treatments. Including a mix of black and white furniture including tables and sofas will complete the chic white living room.

Create an element of interest when you add just a touch of aqua blue. The blue can be in any accessory, from a pillow to a lamp. Any small splash of aqua blue will make the entire chic white living room pop.

White, Gray and Silver

Another chic white living room palette can be created with shades of white, gray and silver. This palette draws on the concept of a monochromatic theme, but uses subtle shades and tints of color.

White and silver are both elegant and opulent. The gray will ground the room a bit, making it not seem so lofty.

Published by Pam Gaulin - Featured Contributor in Arts & Entertainment and Lifestyle

Pam Gaulin is a freelance writer, journalist (B.A., Journalism), new (and next!) media writer and artist. Associated Content named her 2007 Content Producer of the Year. "First for Women" magazine featured...  View profile

7 Comments

Post a Comment
  • Harold Sink10/1/2008

    And here I thought all one had to do was use white spray paint and get to painting.

  • Jody Morse6/15/2008

    White rooms look so nice but... unfortunately, they don't usually stay white. Great ideas though!

  • Charlie K6/13/2008

    You better never want to live in that living room.

  • Mary-Jane6/13/2008

    We have a "warm white" on the walls and it look lovely. Thanks Pam!Great article.

  • Vonda Sines6/13/2008

    I have always yearned for white on white.

  • Michael Segers6/13/2008

    I agree with Demetria. Chic it may be, but chic I am not. Nor are my cats and parrot.

  • Demetria Dixon6/13/2008

    Pam it sounds so beautiful. With my dogs it would last all of a nanosecond. Not to mention me. Just the thought that I might wear a white shirt and stains from miles around show up just to get on me.

Displaying Comments

To comment, please sign in to your Yahoo! account, or sign up for a new account.