White is the hallmark of rest and restoration. So it’s little wonder that homes with crisp white walls are a popular choice amongst urban dwellers, appealing to a range of styles and sensibilities. An all-white palette presents multiple advantages, yet homes with bare, touch-me-not walls often beg to be decorated. Whether you’re a homeowner or a tenant, here are some easy ideas to style your home without making major changes to your walls.

Hang up a piece of art

A clean eggshell wall can be instantly elevated with a work of art. Pick meaningful portrayals that fit your idea of personal design. A medley of soulful paintings, photographs and sculptures, freshly sourced or from your own personal archive, can speak volumes about your interests and inclinations. If you’re just starting your collection, decide which medium you’d like to focus on before you begin buying pieces. A gold-toned work of art, like this one, can tie in well with an all-white space, lending an air of opulence.

If you want to add colour, use art to inject shades into an all-white room. See how the wall in this classic contemporary space separates itself from the vanilla scheme, while infusing the room with a knocked-back, earthy country vibe.

Layer your whites

Use a variety of whites to create layers in your home. Team warm white with rose white, or ivory with beige, to craft a layered scheme. This quilted headboard, checker-hemmed duvet, embossed throw pillows and shaggy bed runner work well together in this daisy-white bedroom, with the palette becoming warmer with each extra layer.

Add textures and patterns

Texture neatly fills the gaps caused by the monotony of classic monochrome. Pick out a selection of diverse patterns and textures in similar shades to add visual variety. The 3D wall in this contemporary kitchen balances the simplicity of the rest of the space. This piano-toned living room rocks prints at various levels. The busy rug, the zebra-print chair and the diamond sofa cushions are offset by the minimalist wall design. The dual-toned palette is reinforced by the assortment of accents around the room.

Pick bold furniture

White serves as the perfect backdrop to spotlight striking pieces of furniture. This eclectic bedroom shows us how it’s done. With a wicker-embossed storage unit, a teakwood bed and a repurposed twig scarf rack, the room is a melange of old-world and modish charm.

Play with neon accents

Neon pops of colour can make their way into a blank space via captivating accents placed across surfaces. Throw pillows, paintings and furniture are well suited for neon. Notice how this pure white chamber is brought alive with the polychrome cheer of the zesty neon paintings, canary-yellow chair and vibrant throw cushions. Setting new fashions in neon, this space features a bright-pink loveseat and a fluorescent-yellow ottoman that offer splashes of colour in an otherwise white space. The sober charcoals and blacks of the fireplace, the sofa, the picture-frames and other accessories anchor the neutral white and assertive neon colours, creating a room with light, vitality and depth.

Create a vignette

Miniature accents and charms can come together to form a vignette that stands out from a pale wall. Floating shelves, staggered for emphasis, are easy to get installed. Alternatively, you could resort to hanging accents on hooks. This Nordic-inspired space features an array of rustic accents that form a unique focal point. This wall vignette, created from solo number plates, is an easy play on traditional wall hangings. Source a handful of plates and arrange them in a matrix to create an instant wall masterpiece.

Move with the seasons

Work within your white shell to reflect the skies outside. Consider adding a pair of Euro cushions to your bed, and changing their covers as the seasons change: pick a dainty floral motif for spring, heartier sunshine yellow or flowers for summer and goose grey and deep blue for monsoon. Complete your look with complementary accents. By swapping pieces out periodically, you can keep your decor mint and modern. This bijou bedroom sings of summer days, with floral pillows matched by cut flowers on the bedside table.