Why You Shouldn't Style Your Living Room With White Pillows

Adding throw pillows to your living room is an easy and affordable way to liven up the space. Although decorative pillows come in all shapes, sizes, and colors nowadays, some designs function better in common areas than others. As a homeowner or renter, you should rethink incorporating white pillows into your living room, specifically since these pieces show dirt and discoloration easily and can create a dull atmosphere if not properly balanced with other colors, neutral or otherwise.

White throw pillows may seem like an attractive choice when decorating the rooms of your home, given the popularity of modern and minimalist aesthetics within the realm of interior design. While the pillow trend can generate a clean and crisp look, it can also bring down the appeal of the space over time, as the fabric may appear dingy and used faster than pillows made with darker or more vibrant materials. 

If you'd still like a neutral aesthetic for your home's interior, you're not entirely out of options! Several other neutral-inspired throw pillow combinations don't involve ultra-bright whites but include shades of beige, gray, brown, and even some off-white hues when used sparingly. Here's more on why decorating with white pillows is a challenge, as well as some design alternatives you can implement without sacrificing the neutral color scheme entirely.

An obvious downside to decorating your living room with white pillows is that they easily show dirt and stains. The living room is a common space for rest, socializing, and sometimes wining and dining, meaning you're likely inviting guests into the area regularly. As one of the rooms of the house garnering the most traffic, it's increasingly likely that your furniture and décor pieces will be subject to greater wear and discoloration. Adding white pillows to a room seeing this much action isn't ideal, as they'll possibly need to be replaced sooner than pillows that hide dirt more effectively. 

If you're adamant about including a white-centric neutral color scheme somewhere inside your house, try doing so in a room that doesn't see much activity day-to-day. This allows you to enjoy the aesthetic of a minimalist space without fear of it becoming tarnished by everyday use.

Not only are white pillows a hassle to keep pristine, they often pose a struggle to clean once they become dirty or discolored. Like white clothing, white pillows are difficult to revert to their original brightness, especially if stains have had ample time to settle. Throw pillowcases can be washed by hand or inside a washing machine using the appropriate settings. Though washing by hand is recommended to spot-treat any specific stains on the fabric. Check your pillows' laundry tags to determine the best cleaning action.

While a living room brimming with whites and other light neutral colors may seem like an attractive idea at first, the look can grow stale or boring after a while if the design is implemented too extensively. Working with darker, more eye-popping neutrals also helps eliminate this issue, especially if the couch, loveseat or accent chair the pillows are placed upon also assumes a lighter shade along the neutral color palette. Even if you add a plain white pillow or two, balance the white with additional pillows featuring warmer neutral tones to prevent the space from appearing washed out. Doing so also makes the room feel cozier, pleasanter, and more inviting.

You can also spruce up seating areas by incorporating pillows of different textures. Throw pillows are available in a variety of textures, ranging from rougher, tougher consistencies, like burlap, to softer materials that are easier on the skin, as seen with plush or knit designs. Creating variety in the sizes of pillows you include in your arrangement can also produce a visually-pleasing effect, opting for a symmetrical or asymmetrical look when displaying them across your sofa or other pieces of furniture.