8 Ways To Warm Up A White Room

Can a white room really be cozy, you ask? Short answer, absolutely. Longer answer coming your way- sharing 8 ways to warm up a white room.

Bonus- I’m sharing over 60 of my favorite pieces sure to warm up your spaces!

When we had our house built 7 years ago, I told our builder I wanted the entire interior of my home painted white. Benjamin Moore Simply White, I said. He looked at me like I was crazy. And tried to talk me out of it. He didn’t go as far as tell me I was crazy, but he told my husband I was :-)!

Ha! Little did he know that the whole white interior thing was about to blow up, I just happened to be a bit ahead of the trend in our area.

I had a vision. I knew what I wanted it to look like. Stark & cold was not on my vision board. But cozy was. White doesn’t have to be cold or boring. I knew how I was going to warm it up, and today I’m sharing with you all just how I did it.

How can I add warmth to a white room?

1. Wood

Back to the “when I was building story”. I saw a photo in a magazine (this was before I had even heard of Instagram) of a beautiful home in Utah with the prettiest flooring. I took it to a local hardwood flooring shop and asked them what it was.

White oak solid hardwood, grade 2, milled in the southern United States so you get the large variant of colors, they said.

Well, that’s what I want then. I knew that was going to be what immediately warmed up my white walls. Wood. A warm wood tone covering our main living spaces.

But I didn’t stop with the flooring. I have a wood mantle, wood on my coffee table, bar stools, chairs, side table, console table, and decorative objects.

So, if you don’t have hardwood flooring, there are a lot of different ways (big & small) that you can use wood throughout your home.

So number 1 is wood. Bring in wood elements whether it is through flooring, furniture, shelves, mirrors, tables, chairs, or accent pieces.

2. Warm Up A White Room With Rugs

When we first moved in, I didn’t have an area rug in our living room. And you know what? Even with all of the wood everywhere, it felt cold. Our Pottery Barn Wool & Jute Rug is seriously the magic rug for warming up a space. The natural color is warm, and the rug itself is warm and cozy.

I have since added rugs to most of our rooms!

Number 2 is add a rug. It will add a visual coziness to the space along with a physical coziness.

3. Warm Up Your Space With Pillows

You guys, this is a BIG one. You can do so much to a space with pillows. I look forward to changing out my pillows each season, because it gives each room a brand new look. To immediately warm up a white room, bring in warm colors and textures through your pillows!

4. Add Warmth through Natural Elements

This is another big one. Think rattan, seagrass, woven materials. Examples of this throughout my home would be my woven & wood chairs, seagrass chairs & ottoman, woven table tray, rattan mirror, woven poufs. Even small touches like a woven rattan picture frame can warm up a vignette.

5. Warm Up A White Room With Baskets

Baskets alone can bring warmth to a space, but I love to add pillows and throw blankets to them to take it up a notch in its warmness factor! I seriously have a basket in every room in my home. They are definitely a favorite way to add texture and warmth to my home.

6. Use Lighting To Warm Up A Space

Lighting is another great way to warm up a space both with the texture and color a fixture can add, as well as the actual light the fixture gives off.

In my home I love to have a few different lighting sources in each room. In my den, for example, I have brass library lights on my wall of built-ins, as well as an overhead light and floor lamp. Each fixture has an opportunity to create a pretty light when on, and at the same time, create warmness with the finish of the fixture.

I also love to sprinkle table lamps throughout my home. Again, they give off a soft light when on, but add a warmness to the vignette when off.

7. Warm Up Your Walls With Artwork

I’m in love with the whole vintage & vintage-inspired artwork trend we have been seeing the last several years. I find most tend to be on the warm side, which makes them a great option for warming up white walls. I have them throughout my home on the walls, set on a console table leaning on a wall, on my open shelves, and even in my kitchen.

8. Warm Up Your Rooms With Throw Blankets

And last, but definitely not least, throw blankets. Even in the summer, I like to warm up my spaces with lightweight throw blankets. I style them in baskets, on a sofa arm, on the foot of a bed, or an arm of a chair.

As always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below! I love hearing from you all!

If you have a question about where something in my home is from, you can Shop My Home here.

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warm up a white room with some of my favorite pieces: