If you are thinking of updating your living room with white furniture,you’ll want to consider white’s upsides and downsides pretty carefully before making the investment.

White is pure, no question about that, and it does reflect a positive, bright atmosphere. In practical terms, though, there are undeniably a few drawbacks, as white is unusually prone to dirt and stains.

Below are a few of the pros and cons of having white furniture in your living area. Keeping these things in mind will help you decide whether white’s for you.

Pros:

Lightens up the whole room. Because white reflects light, it gives the whole room a bright atmosphere. It also lends a neat, clean look to any space.
Fashionably compatible with all sorts of colors. White furniture gives you multitude of choices when it comes to pairing it with other colors. White is best combined with black or red, but it’s possible to use it with just about anything. With this expanse of color choices, you have a much freer hand in designing your space.
Easy to change. As mentioned, white is a very neutral color for furniture that goes well with any other color. If you add to or modify other aspects of your living room in the future, you won’t have to buy new furniture unless you want to.

Cons:

Prone to dirt and stains. If you have kids, they might decide that your white furniture would be the perfect space for their crayola primarypieces. If you have guests, they might spill food or wine on it and ruin it forever.
No pet zone. Why? The moment your pet starts cuddling on the couch or sofa, its fur starts to stick on the fabric. Also, its footprints and dirt will be more obvious on white furniture – and more likely to stain. Not to mention the scratches dogs and cats can make on the upholstery.

If the benefits of white seem to outweigh the drawbacks for you, the following living rooms with white furniture are sure to give you ideas and inspiration. Enjoy!

White cushioned sofa and bench resting on a matted floor. The white covers on the seats match the white walls and ceiling.

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Designed by Webb Brown Neaves Grayson.

The cream tone matching sofa set blends in nicely with the wall and ceiling. The living room looks cool and bright – but not too bright – with this tone.

The rugged native look of the living room is made even more attractive by the exposed log beams on the white ceiling. The extra-white covered sofa with the display rack nestled behind it is also a pleasing touch.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

Given the warmer tones in this living room, the pair of white cushioned sofas brightens the tone a bit. Resting in between them is a thick fur rug and an ottoman.

Elegantly carved hardwood furniture dominates the living room, but the white covered sofa highlights it. Together with the walls and ceiling, it reflects a bright atmosphere in the living area.

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This is a fairly traditional living room touched up with white from the floor to the ceiling. The curtains are white, the floor rug is white, and the sofa set is white. There’s some contrast, however, with the dark color of the woods coming from the cabinets and piano set.

The brightness of this living area is made even more stunning by the matching sofa sets and pillows. The covers are purely white and very neat.

This white library living room is stretched by a long off-white sofa angled on the wooden floor. The matching floor rug and pillows add to the brightness, and in the center sits a low wooden tea table for contrast.

The light cream sofa matches the brown toned flooring, rugs and curtains in the rest of the living area.

This old fashioned, nature inspired living room is highlighted by a pure white sofa paired with decorative throw pillows in patterned gold and black. The coffee table is flanked with a cube ottoman.

White will always stand out among darker colors, and the white sofa certainly does here. This living room is ornamented with potted plants resting on the wooden floor, a marble top center coffee table and a fireplace panel.

The white sofa set steals the show. Look at this living room design and the white sofa draws your eyes in automatically.

Matched with the dark center table and chair arms, the white cushions in this living room look classy and stunning. Adding to the effect are the decorative throw pillows designed with red and black printed floral patterns. I think the furniture in this living room is really well chosen.

The zebra-like printing on the floor rug is very eye-catching resting on a marbled floor. It also provides a vivid base for the white sofa set, green patterned armchair, and glass top center table with metal framing. The assortments of colors seen on the throw pillows are sleek and stylish.

The nature inspired living room has greenery and wood inside to give a cool and pleasant look. Patterns also play nicely on the floor rug and throw pillows, while the antique pots give a rustic look to the place.

The white angled sectional sofa facing the stone fireplace is neat and sleek. It adds a nice spacing and tone to the modern minimalist design of the open space.

This living room defines a pure cloud of white with a few added decoration accents like frames and flowers to give a little contrast and color. The matching sofa sets and ottoman create a comfortable space on top of a brown shag rug.

Simplicity itself: a plain sofa resting against the white wall and some matching cushioned seats at the windows.

There is a simple yet classy off-white sofa resting in front of a wide flat screen TV. The floor is finished with glossy parquet wood, and there are a few wood accents on the shelves, display desk and center table.

The coffered white ceiling is matched with a cream-colored sofa set with patterned throw pillows on it. The walls have built in wooden cabinets and shelves, while the floor has a glossy wood finish.

An open concept space with a living area next to the kitchen and dining area. The mixture of brown, grey, blue and white is quite pleasing and inviting. This exemplifies a contemporary minimalist design with a few added decorations.

Another open concept, this one showcasing geometrical artistry. The off-white sofa with a brown back and arm rest is fashionable and sleek. There are square patterns on a floor rug and circles on the TV stand. A few matching frames, pillows and decors complete the picture.

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Designed by Daniel Lomma Design

The coffered white semi-cathedral ceiling is beautiful as it connects from a second floor hallway to the upper windows. The white sofa and wall coating add to the brightness of this living area.

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Designed by Rebecca Mitchell Interiors

A compact yet stylish living room with nicely set up white furniture including sofas, seats and white cabinets. Curtains and walls are also white, while patterns accent the floor rug, throw pillows and the ceiling.

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Designed by DKOR Interiors

This living room is delicately touched up with white walls stretching along the second level and the cathedral ceiling. The white sofa is paired up with blue chairs and some wooden furniture that clicks with the wooden floor.

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Designed by Jane Lockhart

This living room designed with neat and clean white walls, and the ceiling literally gleams as natural light passes through an open glass entrance. The wood flooring is a good counterpart to the wooden center table.

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Designed by Meridith Baer Home

A sleek contemporary design living room with only two major tones, dark brown and white. The only other colors come from the slightly lighter brown pillows and the potted greenery.

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Designed by bham design studio

Nicely arranged living room with white furniture accented with blue from the striped floor rug and patterned throw pillows. The firewood piled on the white shelf and the wood corner table decorated with some blossoms give a little diversion from the pure white scenery.

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Designed by la SHED Architecture

Blue and brown make a wonderful combination with white as the walls, ceiling, fireplace, shelves and sofa set are flooded with white colors.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

Cream, white, and light and dark brown shades combine. The orange pillow and cloth provide a contrast in tone. But it’s the white sofa set and center table that stand out.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

A white sofa set in an old fashioned living room. The old school appearance is due to the decoration accents on top of the carved wooden center table, corner desk and fireplace panel.

White covered sofa set and center table in an open concept house. Spreading on the wooden floor is a hand knit zebra print rug.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

This is a sheer satisfaction of pureness and simplicity of color and design. A white sofa and pillows rest on a smooth wooden floor under the uniquely designed decors hanging on the wall and ceiling.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

This looks like a farm house living room with rustic wooden desks, an antique vase, a knitted floor rug, a few hand knit baskets, and natural indoor greenery. The white sofa occupies the center space.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

The white sofa, bookshelves, walls, floor and ceiling are highlighted the red floor rugs with leopard prints. The fashionable hanging round chair sparkles with silver cushions.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

This is a simple rustic living room decorated with a basket, floor rug and rough framed center table inspired by native handicrafts. The white covered sofa set matches the white ceiling and walls.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

This is quite a rugged one, almost industrial with the rough textured brick walls holding an arched glass window. The white sofa set and bench with white bolster pillow add a welcome note of domesticity.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

A living room in a beach house has to be as cool as the beach. The rugged wooden flooring and benches are topped with candles and frame the sofa, which is covered with clean white covers and pillows.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

This living room looks slightly rustic but still cool; the combination of white and black is always beautiful. The leather sofa is covered with white cloth while the white floor is spread with a patterned floor rug.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

This library living room is definitely a modern one. It has only a few pieces of furniture in it, and no extra decoration but a few bright colored throw pillows to contrast with the white tone.

The shades of blue on the wall and the patterned floor rug match nicely with the white ceiling, curtains and sofa set.

See 100’s of living rooms here.
Source: Zillow Digs^TM

Black patterns on white creates a sleek and decorative look. This room just gleams with white and black shades.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

The shades of grey on the walls and ceiling let the off-white sofa shine, while the glossy lacquered floor reflects everything above it.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

A magnificently designed living room with shades of blue, red and orange. The white sofa would blend into the white wall behind without the emphasis provided by the colorful patterned throw pillows and wall painting.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

An elegant living room dominated by black and white where the white sofa set is paired with black throw pillows and the black wooden center table. Lampshades mounted on a black corner table top are also black, but their metallic stands add a bright and offbeat detail.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

Olive and other shades of green visible in this living room showcase a love of nature, while the white furniture (like the center table, display rack and sofa set) represents purity and neatness in this design.

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Source: Zillow Digs^TM

The light off-white sofa blends well with the floor and rug, while the center table made from a cut tree trunk has an obvious attraction.

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Beneath a soaring vaulted ceiling, we see a sleek modern white sectional wrapping around a minimalist glass-top coffee table. The white brick fireplace is flanked by massive full height windows for a naturally bright appearance.

Looking down into this vast, open-plan living room we see a matching set of white furniture orbiting a floral area rug over hardwood flooring. White walls frame the massive set of two-story windows.

Here’s another sprawling open-plan living room, this time bracketed by full height windows and a rustic brick wall. The white walls and built-in shelving match a lengthy traditional sofa at center, paired with textural armchairs and a dark wood coffee table.

This living room, at the top level of a unique modern home design, is awash in bright whites from the sleek flooring to the ceiling. A pair of white minimalist sofas face off over a bold red coffee table in sunlight through full height glazing.

See more of this home here. Designed by Fougeron Architects.

This living room features a full two stories of wraparound windows with small black drapes for a dramatic, high contrast look. The white and dark wood framed furniture set mirrors this elegant aesthetic.

This cozy living room features a mixture of modern tones and rustic charm, with exposed natural wood beams above and rich hardwood flooring below. A white cushioned sectional wraps two of the walls, hugging an arrow foot coffee table facing the fireplace.

Source: Zillow Digs™

As part of a sprawling open floor plan, this living room is wrapped in full height glazing and stone walls. At center, a pair of white cushioned sofas with dark wood frames stand on a boldly patterned area rug.

See more of this home here. Designed by SAOTA.

This opulent two-story living room centers its marble flooring on a thick brown area rug topped with a white sofa, chairs, and tables. This adds a bright center to the large space, wrapped in intricately detailed feature walls.

As part of a larger open plan space that includes a kitchen and dining room, the living room features subtly off-white sofa and armchairs hugging a pair of textural circular coffee tables in white. Above, a white coffered ceiling mirrors the look of the room.

Source: Zillow Digs™

In a vast living room decked out from end to end in modern minimalist style, we see a uniquely crafted sectional in white and light brown. This piece dominates the room, reflecting the color of the patterned area rug at center.

See more of this home here. Designed by Daniel Lomma Design.

In this traditionally appointed living room, we see both textural brown sofas and a bold white leather armchair with matching ottoman in the foreground. With a set of wraparound windows, the whole room glows white.

This gorgeous living room features a unified color palette, courtesy of deep brown flooring, white sofas, and light green splashes throughout. The addition of subtly colored throw pillows bring the white furniture to life.

Source: Zillow Digs™

In this lower level living room filled with natural light via full height glazing, we see a lone white sectional standing against a concrete wall in soft grey. Paired with a natural wood coffee table and black leather club chair, the sectional offers a bright point of interest in the room.

See more of this home here. Designed by Studioninedots.

This lakeside home features massive windows for expansive aquatic views and allowing plentiful natural light inside. A lengthy white leather sectional wraps the colorful space over a patterned area rug.

This large living room fits a pair of white sofas beneath the vaulted ceiling, wrapped in rustic elegance. A modern fireplace at center stares over an aged wood coffee table, flanked by French patio doors.

Source: Zillow Digs™

Here’s another sleekly modern living room wrapped in full height glazing for a truly open, expansive visual presence. The room centers on a set of contemporary furniture including an L-shaped white sectional, facing a large gas fireplace in grey brick.

See more of this home here. Designed by McClean Design.

This tall living room is awash in bright tones and unique details, including a trio of wood spherical lights hanging above the set of pristine white club chairs. Two sets of full height windows and blue glass room dividers brighten the entire space.

A unifying color scheme of blue and white pulls this living room together, centered on a large button tufted ottoman. The blue sofa is complemented by a white armchair at right.

Source: Zillow Digs™

Sitting beneath a soaring two-story set of windows in the bright light of day, we see a pair of contemporary white sofas facing off over a black and white rug on hardwood flooring.

See more of this home here. Designed by Rebecca Mitchell Interiors. Photography by Drew Hadley.

Here’s a second look at the prior living room, focusing on the massive set of windows towering over the white sofas. Rich warm toned hardwood flooring offers excellent contrast to the white surroundings.

See more of this home here. Designed by Rebecca Mitchell Interiors. Photography by Drew Hadley.

In a cozy living room centered on a large fireplace, we see beige marble flooring supporting both a brown leather sofa and pair of white roll arm love seats. At the center is an ornate carved wood coffee table with built-in storage.

Viewed head-on, we see that the prior living room is all about symmetry, with a pair of gold framed mirrors flanking the central fireplace and the white sofas standing in corresponding positions next to the rich wood coffee table.

Standing beneath a set of full height windows, we see a white sofa and pair of matching roll arm chairs centered on a beige area rug in this living room. A pair of rustic dark stained wood coffee tables offer contrast and utility.

Source: Zillow Digs™

In an immense living room mixing rustic and contemporary styles, we see natural wood ceiling beams hanging above a pair of white sofas and a glass topped coffee table. A set of traditionally styled armchairs also populate the large central area rug.

Source: Zillow Digs™

Clean lines and sleek surfaces abound in this modern living room, bathed in sunlight through full height windows. A large white sectional dominates the furniture set, complemented by beige armchairs and a small leather love seat.

See more of this home here. Designed by SoCal Contractor.