White Bedroom Ideas: Adding Pops of Color to a Serene White Bedroom
In this post: Love the serene crisp look of an all white room? These white bedroom decor ideas will help you add color accents to your white bedroom.⇒
Not long ago this was the darkest room in the house.
Yep, it had charcoal grey walls and, given it’s placement at the center of the house with not a lot of natural light, it appeared even darker.
While I liked the drama of the deep toned walls, it was just too closed in. I knew it had to go.
(You can see the “before” pics HERE and HERE.)
Add to that an odd shape to the room (on the entry side) with lots of doors to work around and furniture placement became quite tricky. I just felt that I hadn’t gotten it right yet.
This is the room my daughter uses when she stays at our house, so we think of it as her bedroom even though she has her own apartment. Hence, it needs to function as more than a guest room with plenty of storage for her out-of-season things.
So, my approach to the refresh was two-fold: to lighten and brighten the space and to refine the furniture placement.
A White Bedroom
The first step was to tackle the wall color. I wanted the room to read white, even though it’s actually a very pale grey. We kept the grey carpet in place and added crown molding to the ceiling.
Then I selected Benjamin Moore China White PM-20 for the walls, as it had worked so well in our butler’s pantry.
The difference was staggering!
I’m sometimes still surprised at what a difference a change in paint color can make. There have been many times when I’ve put off changing the wall color, only to find I should have done it long ago when I finally get it done.
Next up was addressing the furniture placement.
It’s not so much that I moved things around than that I fine-tuned the pieces to better suit our needs. The biggest change was adding new bedside tables for better harmony and appropriate storage.
There’s no real space in the room for a large dresser, so we previously had a large chest on one side of the bed. It was too large for the corner it was in and completely threw off the balance. I’m generally very comfortable with mis-matched pieces, but the proportions of what we had were totally off.
The new nightstands are generous enough to provide ample storage, while adding a sense of evenness to the room.
I kept the little vintage desk that was in the room before and moved the gilded mirror in from the upstairs hall. While there are plenty of French-influenced pieces in here, the room retains a decidedly updated look.
Another significant change was adding my favorite laundered-linen drapery panels in fresh white, along with new drapery rods in antique gold.
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While the bedding before was already white, I introduced additional textures to keep it from looking bland. The cotton pique euro shams, quilted standard shams and crochet boudoir pillow all add interest when mixed with the solid linen bedding.
The wall opposite the bed is the one that’s difficult to decorate, with a wall angled toward the door on one side and walk space needed on the other to enter the bathroom and closet.
The simple solution was a narrow chest of drawers with a smallish TV placed on the wall above. We’re fortunate to have a nice sized walk-in closet in this room, so it’s not necessary to have a lot of furniture for clothing.
With the new light room all tranquil and serene, it’s really easy to add pretty touches, like a market basket filled with peonies, looped around the door handle.
With a white or neutral room, it’s a cinch to add pops of color and I used floral bouquets to do most of the heavy lifting, with tulips, irises and roses in two colors, punctuated by mini green hydrangeas.
I also tossed in a blush pink ruffled throw and a pretty floral teacup for another note of grace.
The white backdrop is a natural canvas for showcasing the charm of accent color. Other ideas for adding bits of color to a white bedroom include:
- Art books on the nightstand
- A colorful vase on the desk
- Floral or still-life wall art
- Toss pillows on the bed or chair
- A wreath on the door or above the bed
- Natural or faux plants in a floor planter
There’s no reason to live with a dark depressing room in your home. If white is your jam, it’s a fabulous way to add cheer and uplift your home.
Then layer on the pretty with the pops of color the season offers!
Resource Guide
To get the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. If an item is out of stock but may be restocked, I left it on the list.
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Designthusiasm | StoneGable | On Sutton Place
Shabbyfufu | Maison de Cinq | Cedar Hill Farmhouse
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Lory, white is my jam and your little bedroom is beautiful! I love the desk next to the bed. What a welcoming sight! Beautiful, my friend! Thank you for organizing us!!!
Thank you so much, Yvonne, for your sweet words!!
What a pretty, fresh space. Everything works but the skull.
Ah, not appreciating the Thompson Ferrier candle? Lol. To each his own… 🙂
Maybe I should have lit it to show it in its best light: https://rstyle.me/+gbKrhO9KJuTawC-p8TKdLg
I love what you did in here Lory~ such simple changes but what a difference!! The nightstands look so good!
As always, thanks so much for organizing and for including me 🙂
Happy Spring!
Sheila
xo
Thank you my friend!!
Hi Lory! I love your design ideas! Especially the guest bedroom! We just bought a house and would like to design the guest bedroom
like you have. Could you please tell me the name of the grey walls?
Thank you for all the design insperation!
Tracy
Thank you for your kind words!! The pale grey paint color is China White.
Ok, I thought that was the trim color. Thank you so much!
The trim is Simply White. China White is actually a pale greige color that changes depending on what it’s next to.
I love the light freshness of the room and that candle adds such character!
What a beautiful room Lory! I bet your daughter loves it when she visits, and any guest would be thrilled! (Except I might have to hide the candle under the bed or give it to Janet while I’m there – you know what a scaredy cat I am!) 🙂
Beautiful! I love the whites, blush and golds. Do you have a link for the nightstands I love them but couldnt find a link.
Thanks and have a wonderful day!
Your room is gorgeous! I, too have a white bedroom with hints of pink. I love the girly through. Will you share where you found it? I have a super cuddly one in pink. Yours appears to be perfect for spring and summer. I recently moved and it’s taking a little time to get everything the way I like due to health. You’ve done a great job. Not a fan of the skull. Like you said “to each it’s own”
Yes, sure. It’s linked at the bottom of the post but here’s the link for your convenience: https://rstyle.me/+2oB0IodqMXIUWqNv833Efg
I love this look especially the white curtains but my daughters like a really dark room to sleep in do wondered how I can achieve both the look and the practicality.
You can do black out accordion blinds that can be rolled up during the day. Then do the white panels on the sides.
LOVE! Your white fresh bedding.
All the other new accents are exquisite also.
As far as not liking your “brown” bedroom
furniture why not just paint them?
Thank you! And yes, I’ve been working on painting the pieces I like for years… 😉 There are still several pieces left I’d like to tackle, but I’ve painted about 8 pieces already.
Reading between an overabundance of ads was so annoying. Otherwise, love the room.
Thank you! And I agree – I hate the ads too, but I can’t afford the expense of running a free blog and providing daily content without the ads. It’s a lot less annoying if you read on a computer or tablet.