Decorating in Off-White and Creams

Off white is the bridge between pure white and cream. Being that it is an intermediary step, off white will be included with cream for decor purposes.

The tranquility of cream colored rooms helps to ease you into a calm meditative state. Take a field trip to the nearest Zendo (Zen Buddhist temple) and note the decor used inside. The walls are usually cream colored, as are many of the mats and pillows. If you'd like to have this sense of serenity in your home, cream is an excellent decor choice.

Easier to keep clean than pure white, yet possessing that light ethereal feel, cream is a good compromise. Cream decor needs plenty of natural light, but if your natural light is too strong in a very sunny climate, cream may be overly bright in a way that looks fierce rather than relaxing.

One way to prevent a cream room decor from becoming sickly looking, is to use plenty of off-white to blend with it in an uplifting way. To prevent a monochromatic cream room from looking lifeless and flat, you must use more texture than you would for any other monochromatic room; layers of contrasting texture are crucial.

The best colors to compliment a cream room are off white, sand tones, browns, and accent colors of chocolate brown and navy blue used sparingly.

Rich colored woods like oak, linen with a slightly green undertone, natural colored wicker, woven rugs and baskets, aged lace, and natural wool make good materials for a cream colored decor theme. Imagine a linen table cloth and curtains, both trimmed with old-fashioned crochet borders, on an oak table and an oak trimmed window. Imagine cream colored sofa upholstery, with off white and brown pillows in different shades. Imagine a cable knit cream colored blanket over a solid walnut bed. Imagine woven baskets filled with drift wood, and cream colored silk carpets and tapestries.

Don't take it for granted that any cream colored arrangement will look good. Cream takes more finesse to make it work. If you go overboard with buttery shades, it will feel sticky sweet and turn you off. Be sure not to use too many silvery metals in a cream colored room. they clash. If you use red, orange, or purple in an accent piece, do so very sparingly. Cream colored rooms have a low tolerance for these three colors.

Don't put too many dark colors in a predominantly cream decor palette. Finally, if your room is dark and depends on artificial light, cream is probably not the right choice for you. Cream goes much better with light airy spaces, and light airy decor choices in furniture and picture frames.

Click to buy these Amazon Bestsellers in Creams and Off-White: