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What is the best way to decorate a completely white room?

GZA

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I just moved in to a new apartment, and one of the rooms is painted completely white. All it has in it is my desk (which is completely white) and a black futon. The room is basically a music/work/guest room, but if it is this boring and dull I'm not gonna want to work in there ever! The room has a window and the back door, too.

What are some good ways to decorate a white room without painting it?
 

Thalassa

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Add color as much as you can. Find curtains in a color that you like for the window, hang visual art that you enjoy on the walls, and I would honestly paint that desk. I did that once, I painted an old dresser a nice peachy color (it was a worn out light brown) and put a piece of faux lace strategically on the top as a decoration, and held it in place with a purple beeswax candle in an interestingly shaped candle holder. You could do some variation of this - even if you don't want to paint the desk you could add accessories or even some kind of covering to the top of the desk.

I also like things like plants and windchimes...but you may not. I think things like that add color and life to a room.
 

Thalassa

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Oh, get some kind of small throw blanket for the back of that futon that matches or compliments the curtains.

OR you could get a couple of throw pillows instead.
 

GZA

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My girlfriend (I live with her) has a bunch of throw pillows so I shall use some of them! I'm considering either painting the desk or just putting a bright cover on it... that would certainly add something.
 

Lady_X

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colorful artwork, pillows, a rug and curtains...add some plants and a bookshelf with some interesting things with different textures and colors on it.
 
A

A window to the soul

Guest
  • Large silk floor plant
  • An area rug
  • Aquarium
  • Lava lamp
  • A backdrop for counting sheep on the futon: a glow in the dark Milky Way galaxy that sticks to the ceiling.

If you're limited on space:
ultimate-fish-bowl_2.jpg
 
A

A window to the soul

Guest
[MENTION=4384]ThatGirl[/MENTION]: I like that!!!
[MENTION=5639]JocktheMotie[/MENTION]: :yes: and rotating!
 

GZA

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I love the glow in the dark galaxy idea. I found one today in my old room (I'm visiting home right now). While that room looks cool, I'd never be able to pull that off due to budget and the style of the apartment itself not really suiting that (its a building from the 20's, so vntage style would be sweeeeeeet haha).
 

Thalassa

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The thing about going retro is that authentic 1920's usually involved wallpaper or colored walls, if you had any style, and it wasn't the bathroom or the kitchen (which looks very chic with white walls and large black and white tile). Painting the walls a solid color and hanging sheer white curtains would be more authentic.

In many ways it was a toned-down, de-cluttered Victorian look with more straight lines. They still had the gilted wallpaper and lots of heavy accessories, but boxier furniture and more open space, a bit more minimal than Victorian which is frightfully clutter-chic and over-frilled.
 

Thalassa

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Here's something 1920's with white walls.

But do you see all the decoration on the walls?

modern-living-room.jpg


See the wallpaper:

2530777931_b474bf725c_m.jpg


Or the colored walls

1940%27s%20propascene.jpg


And all the paneling here (click link):

1920's House Beautiful interior design


Maybe you might get some ideas. :shrug:
 

Tiltyred

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What do you want it to feel like in there?
 

GZA

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Haha yeah... and I'm a student so my budget is basically as close to free as humanly possible. I suppose authentic style is out of the question... Otherwise I'd just buy a gramophone and call it a day! I suppose I'll stick to the simple tips you guys have given -cool curtains, throw pillows, and maybe covering the desk, maybe a cool lamp and some of my favourite posters will do. It won't need anything fancy, just enough that it isn't so dull I won't want to be in it.

Those pictures you are showing actually look a great deal like my place -we have the panelling and the fireplace and whatnot. Of course, the original paint/wallpaper is long gone. We managed to find a few lamps that are imitation art nouveau stuff as well, although that would have been out of style when my building was made!
 

GZA

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What do you want it to feel like in there?

The room is multi-purpose, but mostly for me to play my various instruments. So I want it to feel partially like a cool hang out place and partially like a mad-scientists laboratory, and partially like an artists studio hahaha
 

Thalassa

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Haha yeah... and I'm a student so my budget is basically as close to free as humanly possible. I suppose authentic style is out of the question... Otherwise I'd just buy a gramophone and call it a day! I suppose I'll stick to the simple tips you guys have given -cool curtains, throw pillows, and maybe covering the desk, maybe a cool lamp and some of my favourite posters will do. It won't need anything fancy, just enough that it isn't so dull I won't want to be in it.

Those pictures you are showing actually look a great deal like my place -we have the panelling and the fireplace and whatnot. Of course, the original paint/wallpaper is long gone. We managed to find a few lamps that are imitation art nouveau stuff as well, although that would have been out of style when my building was made!

Can you not paint the wall? Painting the wall would be cheap, your girlfriend could help you, and it would save on having to buy other accessories for the room, making it more authentic, especially if you painted it a flat, solid color and perhaps got some cheap sheer curtains (or those old-fashioned pull down shades depending on the type of window). It would look authentic, add color, and be affordable.

But yes if you really can't or don't want to paint, authentic probably isn't a realistic option on a budget of nearly zero.
 

GZA

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I'll talk to the super about painting. I'm pretty sure there are a few paint cans in one of the closets, come to think about it. And there's really no reason we shouldn't be able to paint, its not like its that big a deal...
 

OrangeAppled

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If you offer to return it the way it was when you move out someday, then they are usually cool with simple paint.

Otherwise you have a lot of good suggestions. I also suggest vinyl wall art, which is removable. You can get some large, cool designs on Etsy for relatively cheap.

Example:
wall+art.jpg


Oh yeah...what about having a little housewarming party? :D People sometimes bring you gifts like plants & whatnot that could prove useful.
 

Thalassa

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I painted one of my rooms peppermint before: mint green with a pink door and trim. Then we had a purple bathroom, a blue living room, and a yellow kitchen. This was a basement apartment in a single story 1920's house on the East coast.

My roommate tried painting her room gold and it looked absolutely horrid. I'd leave the metallic paints to the professionals, and besides flat colors are the only ones that are authentic for that time period.
 
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