A Guide for Making the Most Out of Your White Bedroom

White is a wonderful blank canvas for any room, to which all styles of bedroom design can be applied. It's a neutral, versatile shade and has numerous tones within its palette. The following guide offers some great white bedroom ideas so that you can get the most out of your white room.

Is white a good colour for a bedroom?

Absolutely, yes! A white bedroom can be a serene, calming and relaxing room that will set the scene for a welcoming and restful space.

White bedroom ideas are endless and white will provide a wonderfully fresh, invigorating effect in the morning and a serene, softer feel in the evening. With clever use of lighting and furnishings, it's simple to achieve the perfect ambience. White is a classic, elegant and timeless, but modern bedroom option that can adapt seamlessly to any decor style.

What shade of white is best for walls?

The answer to this question is really about personal preference and what other colours you might be bringing into the white bedroom, if at all. Typically the myriad shades of white will fall under warm, cool or pure white.

• Warm white - will have undertones of red and gold. Accents and accessories in these colours will create a warmer and inviting feel to your white bedroom.
• Cool white - contains undertones of blue. Bringing these shades into a white bedroom space will blend nicely to create a calming, tranquil and restful look.
• Pure white - this is a brighter tone with fewer undertones and is an elegant choice for any white bedroom. With pure white for bedrooms, it's a good idea to add contrasting accents to retain a nice, clean look.

To help the selection process, obtain paint samples to test patches on the wall. Once you see where the natural light touches the walls and affects the overall light in the bedroom, you'll be better equipped to choose your preferred white shade.

Do white walls make a room brighter?

For the most part, this is correct - white bedrooms will feel brighter than darker colours, especially with an abundance of natural light pouring in.

A pure white wall will create a particularly bright, clean and elegant space. To soften and add character to a pure white bedroom, it can be as simple as adding soft furnishings, texture and sensible lighting options. Things like sheepskin throw pillows, and natural wood accents will bring warmth to the brightness of pure white walls.

A warmer tone of white will provide your white bedroom with a peaceful and welcoming vibe, especially if there is a good element of natural light.

If white makes your bedroom appear flat and somewhat dull, bring in colourful or wood accents and coloured, textured pillows and throw blankets.

Do white walls make a room bigger?

Generally speaking, yes. However, like brightness, it also depends on the natural light that comes into the white bedroom. The good thing about bedrooms is that they always have a window, which means there is always a source of outside light flowing into the room.

It's true that perception of space goes hand-in-hand with lighter colours, especially white. For example, if you're changing a colour scheme in a small bedroom theme from dark to a shade of white, it will instantly make the room feel bigger, since white and lighter tones reflect light more effectively. White walls help avoid dark shadows and will create a lighter, more airy feel to the white bedroom, or any room.

Are white walls boring?

Not at all. White may be a neutral shade, but it's certainly not colourless and it provides the perfect framework for any interior design style and whatever white bedroom ideas you have in mind. A white bedroom can bring instant elegance to your bedroom and will easily blend with modern, vintage, farmhouse, contemporary or, classic and more traditional styles of design.

What's more, a white bedroom will take on the hues of your chosen fabric and accent pieces, and offers the opportunity to change out the theme easily. Try fresh bedding, seasonal throw pillows, a couple of different bedskirts and some floor rugs to add interest.

How do you add colour to a white bedroom?

This is where you can really have fun with white bedroom ideas. There are so many ways to bring colour into a crisp clean, white room.

Fabric choice is a great place to start. You can do this by introducing pops of brightness through a collection of accent pieces to break up the all-white. Here are a few ideas as a starting point:

• Add colourful throw pillows to the bed and consider an upholstered bed head
• Hang vibrant but soothing wall art to bring a focal point of colour to the room
• Drape a luxurious sheepskin blanket on the end of the bed or over the back of an accent chair
• Choose colourful bed linens and if your bed can take a bed skirt, think about something that is different from the linens - it doesn't all have to match
• If you have wood flooring then it's a perfect opportunity to layer rugs. A lush sheepskin next to your bedside table or at the foot of the bed will bring texture, warmth and colour to the room

What colour compliments white?

One of the many advantages of this versatile, neutral shade is that it simply blends with any colour theme and design style within your white bedroom, or indeed, throughout the house.

Bold shades like navy blue, and black create a striking contrast with crisp white and are simple to incorporate into white bedrooms.

Whether you're decorating a guest room or a master bedroom, a good rule of thumb is to remember that warm whites go well with red and gold hues, and cool whites go well with blue and darker shades. Soft grey tones are another elegant and simple way to add dimension to your white bedroom design.

For a modern white bedroom, stick to a cool white so that you can bring in a navy blue accent colour for a simple and clean look. To soften this pairing, choose a sheepskin throw rug - something from this Wilson and Dorset selection here will add the perfect finishing touch to compliment your white bedroom.

What colour bedding goes with white walls?

This is an open ended question and really a matter of personal preference. There is no reason why you can't have white bedding with white walls to create a crisp white look.

An upholstered headboard is a great way to add depth for an elegant, classic feel with all white bedding. It doesn't necessarily have to match your bedding choices either. Grey and natural linen bedding compliment white and retain the clean feel that white bedrooms achieve.

For a vintage feel in your white bedroom, you'll want to add gold and red accents. Navy blue works well here too. A canopy bed or four poster style works well with this theme. To complete this vintage look, a soft natural coloured sheepskin throw blanket is a perfect finishing touch - drape it over the end of the bed and arrange it in soft folds for a casual feel, or smooth it out for a more formal arrangement.

How can I decorate my bedroom with white walls?

This is where your white bedroom ideas and interior design flare can really take shape. With a white and neutral canvas, you can put your own personal touch in your bedroom space.

White will go with anything - if your bed frame is a four poster style, a platform bed, or a canopy bed, you can custom decorate the rest of the space with your own design creativity.

To add pops of brightness and interest you can use colourful accents through bedding and soft furnishings. It's not necessary to fill the white bedroom with decorations and overly bright artwork, but do bring in texture through floor rugs and natural wood nightstands.

Should I get white furniture for my bedroom?

For a truly classic, streamlined and simple look then by all means, place white furniture within your white bedroom. To soften a completely white space you can incorporate luxurious texture like these Wilson and Dorset throw pillows and add a sheepskin floor rug for a warm and welcoming effect. Set the scene with bright accents through linens and bedding to go with your white furniture.

With that said, if you're simply sprucing up your bedroom with white as the focal point, then a splash of paint on the walls for a modern white look and some new wall art might be all you need. Particularly if you'd rather put your white bedroom budget into timeless accent pieces such as sheepskin, art or linens.

Whatever your design style, white bedrooms are calming, serene spaces that you can make your own to ensure a dreamy sleep, every night.