Ceiling Color in a Room With Light Wood Paneling
Decorating & Design
March 16, 2021
60 Rooms That Prove White & Wood Make The Perfect Pair
When we think about color combos that stand the test of time, black and white immediately comes to mind. But for those who prefer a less high-contrast look, there's another pairing that's equally timeless: white and wood. Neutral enough to complement any decorating style, this classic combo brings warmth and brightness to rooms.
After scouring our archives, it's clear that designers also agree that white and wood are a perfect match. Here are 60 ways to incorporate the look into your home.
Define a hardworking nook.Perfect for answering emails (or secretly storing bar essentials), this arched nook is defined by warm slabs of wood, so it pops against the crisp white walls.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home March 2021
Products: White paint color: Chantilly Lace (OC-65), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Aránzazu González Bernardo & Michael Fohring, Odami
Add interest to your vent hood.In case you missed it, statement vent hoods are a big trend, and Anne Hepfer created her own look with panels of pale oak bursting from the center. It commands attention in the otherwise white kitchen.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home September 2020
Designer: Anne Hepfer
Highlight special treasures.A large white and wood bookshelf showcases the homeowners' collection of beloved books, ceramics and art prints. Plus, exposed wood beams add interest to the white ceiling.
Photographer: Lauren Miller
Source: House & Home October 2020
Products: Wall color: Wimborne White (239), Farrow & Ball
Designer: Shauna Walton
Embrace historical details.With a fireplace this intricate and beautiful, it's important to keep the other elements in the space subdued. That's why a blond wood oval table and white chairs are the perfect choice.
Photographer: Lauren Miller
Source: House & Home October 2020
Products: Wall color: Wimborne White (239), Farrow & Ball
Designer: Shauna Walton
Bring in the texture.Fluted details on the drawers of this blond wood vanity creates a bespoke look, especially when paired with a curvaceous marble shelf for displaying products and fresh foliage.
Photographer: Lauren Miller
Source: House & Home October 2020
Products: Wall color: Wimborne White (239), Farrow & Ball
Designer: Shauna Walton
Incorporate cooler tones.Light wood uppers and white lowers are even more memorable thanks to robin's-egg blue tiles and a patinated island.
Photographer: Phil Crozier
Source: House & Home July/August 2020
Products: Lower cabinet color: Simply White (OC-117), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Nyla Free
Don't forget about the ceiling.Designers Chad Falkenberg and Kelly Reynolds clad this dining room ceiling in wood to create a more intimate feel, which tie in the Carl Hansen wishbone chairs and spacious table beautifully.
Photographer: Ema Peter
Products: White paint color: Chantilly Lace (OC-65), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Falken Reynolds
Create contrast in the kitchen.Panels of light wood visually blend the vent hood with the open shelving, and tie the whole look together with the herringbone floors and bar stools. The durable porcelain stone backsplash and countertops feel unexpected.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home February 2020
Products: White paint color: Decorator's White (CC-20), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Architecture & Design by Jodi & Andrew Batay-Csorba
Set a serene tone in the entryway.In this renovated Tudor-style home in West Vancouver, the floating staircase and front door are clad in light wood to create a calm vibe as soon as you walk through the door.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home February 2020
Designer: Jamie Hamilton & Greer Nelson, Oliver Simon Design
Embrace the Cali-cool look. Bleached white oak cabinets and white-painted MDF cabinets bring a laid-back sensibility to this hardworking kitchen, reminiscent of the West Coast. "In Vancouver, it gets gray and dark in the winter, so we wanted lots of windows and a really bright look all year round," says designer Tanya Krpan.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home March 2020
Products: Upper cabinet & island color, Simply White (OC-117), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Tanya Krpan
Match the flooring with the furniture.StudioAC designed solid wood vanity drawers for this principal bathroom to incorporate the flooring. Plus, petite stools with legs dipped in white paint are a sweet touch.
Photographer: Stephani Buchman
Source: House & Home April 2020
Designer: Architecture & design by StudioAC; Interior decorating by Quinn Cooper
Get creative with railings.Instead of a traditional staircase, white oak slats create a Scandi-style design moment leading into a crisp white and wood kitchen.
Photographer: Phil Crozier
Source: House & Home April 2019
Products: White paint color: Decorator's White (CC-20), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Stephanie Brown
Draw the eye up.Exposed Douglas fir rafters add architectural interest to an all-white envelope, highlighting the height and slope of the ceiling.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home January 2020
Products: White paint color: Simply White (OC-117), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Architecture by MA+HG Architects
Incorporate playful wallpaper. To add personality to a light and bright staircase, opt for a pattern that picks up the warm tones of the oak flooring.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home October 2019
Designer: Jackie Di Cara
Look up.Try something even more unexpected than cladding your walls in wood… give your ceiling a touch of warmth, instead! Gorgeous white tub chairs complete the sophisticated lakehouse look.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home August 2019
Designer: Sloan Mauran
Create a striking architectural moment.To keep an all-white eat-in kitchen from feeling spare, grand fir columns and statin brass finishes inject warmth.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home January 2019
Designer: Peter Wilds
Evoke rustic charm.The combination of exposed wooden beams with bright white walls and an elegant freestanding tub creates the ultimate country bathroom.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home June 2019
Designer: Melody Duron
Design an "invisible" kitchen. "The fridge and dishwasher are panelled in the same color," says food writer and homeowner Lindsay Cameron Wilson. The result is an understated kitchen, so all of the focus is on the home's storied architectural elements.
Photographer: Janet Kimber
Source: House & Home March 2019
Products: Wall paint color: Moonshine (2150-60); Trim color: Chantilly Lace (OC-65), Benjamin Moore
Designer: DWD Interiors
Don't get rid of original elements.Designer Tiffany Piotrowski decided to keep her 1950s cottage's wood ceiling and floors, which feel fresh when paired with crisp whites, wovens and pops of mint.
Photographer: Patrick Biller
Source: House & Home July 2019
Products: Wall paint color: Here Comes the Bride (WB001-0), Home Hardware/Home Building Centres
Designer: Tiffany Piotrowski
Experiment with hardware-free cabinetry.For a modern Scandi look, tall, flat-front maple cabinets with built-in niches provide a clean, timeless look.
Photographer: André Rider
Source: House & Home October 2019
Designer: Sandrine Lucier & Anne Tremblay with Yolaine Lecomte-Allègre, LT Intérieurs; Architecture by Jad Salem, Salem Architecture
Achieve bohemian beauty.In this dining room, a modern white oak table and antique dresser fit the laid-back cottage aesthetic, when paired with vintage water skis and a playful seashell light fixture.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home July 2019
Designer: Sam Sacks
Get the farmhouse look with exposed beams. In this tailored kitchen, a white and wood gets the country-chic treatment with wide-plank white oak flooring and reclaimed ceiling beams.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home October 2019
Products: Wall paint color: Oxford White (CC-30), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Barbara Purdy
Reimagine patinated wood.In this nautical boathouse, designer Cory DeFrancisco added interest to the white palette with a wooden console adorned with hand-painted details and reclaimed oak floors.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home August 2019
Products: Wall paint color: Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Cory DeFrancisco
Clad the vent hood in wood.For instant rustic character, oak panels evoke farmhouse flair, especially when paired with white subway tile.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home March 2019
Designer: Kyla Bidgood and Kris Hageland, Bidgood + Co
Bring the outdoors in. Draw inspiration from the lush view with mid-toned wood walls and simple white linens, which don't steal the spotlight.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home July 2019
Designer: Margot Bell and Dasha Ricci, Peaks & Rafters
Embrace vintage. This antique bed is the epitome of Parisian elegance, especially topped with crisp white linens. "I saw the rose and daisy details carved into the wood and fell in love," says entrepreneur and homeowner Jackie Kai Ellis.
Photographer: Joann Pai
Source: House & Home September 2019
Designer: Jackie Kai Ellis
Rethink the look of kitchen storage.A Shaker-style peg rail in a rich maple wood ties in the lower cabinets and is an unexpected alternative to open shelving.
Photographer: Valerie Wilcox
Source: House & Home August 2019
Designer: Laura Goard
Add mid-century modern flair.In this pristine home office, a vintage teak Poul Cadovius wall unit holds books and cherished collectables.
Photographer: Kim Jeffery
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Todd and Kristen McMillan, Ben Homes
Try a wood headboard. An artful downtown penthouse feels anything but builder-basic thanks to a screen-style headboard, which offsets the mod side tables and bench.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home December 2019
Designer: Katherine Newman
Rethink kitchen lighting.For an unexpected design moment, a dropped light panel with wood trim inset into glass provides a modern alternative to pendants.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home October 2019
Designer: Christine Johnston
Mix reclaimed barnboards. Various tones of barnboard look at home next to soft whites.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home October 2015
Products: White paint color: Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Susan Burns
Match rough woods with aged metals.A weathered pine harvest table and antique tin planters are balanced with a crisp white backdrop.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home Decorating With White 2015
Products: White paint color: Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Susan Burns
Go for black, white and wood. In a bright white kitchen like this, consider adding wood stools with practical black upholstery.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home March 2014
Products: White paint color: Pure White (SW-7005), Sherwin-Williams
Designer: Christine Ralphs and Michelle Lloyd Bermann, Lloyd Ralphs Design
Add a wood trim detail. Reclaimed beam edging helps soften the contrast between the drywalled range hood and patterned backsplash.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home Decorating With White 2015
Products: White paint color: Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Susan Burns
Mimic wood with leather.If you're looking for the warmth of wood but want something softer, try cognac leather in the same tone as your wood accents.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint color: Super White (PM-1), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Sam Sacks
Use white and wood to offset louder accessories. An understated vanity and white countertops let an eclectic mix of keepsakes — like antlers, a porcelain pig and vintage still life — capture most of the attention in this bathroom.
Photographer: Kim Jeffery
Source: House & Home May 2013
Products: White paint color: White (5483-10), Boomerang
Designer: Patsy Bell
Consider using plywood. The light tones of plywood work especially well with white walls (and slim budgets!)
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home June 2011
Products: White paint color: Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Joh Baker and Julie Daoust Baker
Go low.For an airy look keep your furnishings light and ground them with wooden legs, like Sarah Richardson's team did in this Muskoka cottage.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home July 2014
Products: White paint color: Simply White (OC-117), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Kate Stuart and Natalie Hodgins, Sarah Richardson Design
Try a two-toned railing. In this hallway, also designed by Sarah Richardson's team, soft white pickets are offset by a warm wood railing and barnboard floors.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home July 2014
Products: White paint color: Simply White (OC-117), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Kate Stuart and Natalie Hodgins, Sarah Richardson Design
Offset dark floors with light hues. Designer Sam Sacks paired her dark hardwood floors with a linen sofa, cream Beni Ourain rug and crisp white walls.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint color: Super White (PM-1), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Sam Sacks
Balance cool tones. Blue and white can read as cold, so in this child's bedroom a small weathered wood table helps to add character and warmth.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint color: Super White (PM-1), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Sam Sacks
Try wood shelves. Wood shelves feel oh-so appropriate in a farmhouse-style kitchen like this. They also help add visual interest to the white subway tile wall.
Photographer: Monic Richard
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint color: Ultra Pure White (1850), Behr
Designer: Anne Côte
Break up light and dark. A white oak vanity and woven baskets create a pleasing middle ground between black hex tiles and white beadboard and subway tile.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home December 2013
Products: White paint color: Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Suzanne Dimma and Arriz Hassam
Use wood to offset fancy finishes. In this principal bathroom, mid-toned woods keep golden accents and expanses of marble from feeling too over-the-top.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home June 2016
Products: White paint color: Ultra White (CC-10), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Sam Sacks
Use wood to anchor a tall ceiling. In designer Jill Kantelberg's home, soaring ceilings are grounded with stone floors and wooden accents, like a pair of tall floor lamps.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home June 2015
Products: White paint color: Chantilly Lace (OC-65), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Jill Kantelberg
Use white and wood to strike a nautical note. Weathered woods and soft whites conjure up feelings of summer by the water.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home July 2015
Products: White paint color: Ultra Pure White (1850), Behr
Designer: Montana Burnett
Frame focal points in white. This salvaged pine mantel and original fireplace take center stage when surrounded by bare white walls.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint color: Super White (PM-1), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Sam Sacks
Play up original features:Original dark-stained elements can tell the story of your home. In order to balance the dark hues, choose lighter woods like white oak or teak and a light wall color.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint color: Super White (PM-1), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Sam Sacks
Mix wood with woven. This large dining room's peaked ceiling gets much-needed warmth thanks to a wood dining table and chairs, rattan pendants and a woven rug.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home July 2015
Products: White paint color: Ultra Pure White (1850), Behr
Designer: Montana Burnett
Install butcherblock. In an all-white kitchen, butcherblock counters are cost-effective, but they also help break up all the white.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home July 2015
Products: White paint color: Ultra Pure White (1850), Behr
Designer: Montana Burnett
Use light woods and white for a Scandi look. A wood base on this kitchen's island complements the floating wood shelves and wood trim around the window.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home November 2015
Products: White paint color: Ultra White (CC-10), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Sam Sacks
Use white as an envelope for unique furniture. Designer Deb Nelson used reclaimed planks to create a large dining room table and painted the surrounding walls in a fresh white hue.
Photographer: Janet Kimber
Source: House & Home July 2014
Products: White paint color: Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Deb Nelson
Use flooring for a sliding door. For a cohesive look, this home's white oak flooring was used to create a sliding barn door, which is surrounded by white walls and fixtures.
Photographer: Kim Jeffery
Source: House & Home May 2013
Products: White paint color: White (5483-10), Boomerang
Designer: Patsy Bell
Incorporate wood on structural elements. Airy stairs constructed using planks of white oak with white treads create a dramatic focal point in the heart of this home.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home June 2015
Products: White paint color: Chantilly Lace (OC-65), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Jill Kantelberg
Try a wooden feature wall. Wooden wardrobe doors offer a weighty counterpoint to glossy white cabinetry and stark white walls.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home June 2015
Products: White paint color: Chantilly Lace (OC-65), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Jill Kantelberg
Offset concrete with wood. Notoriously cold concrete and warm wood are a natural match, especially when paired with white walls.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home May 2014
Products: White paint color: Snowfall (SR29), Para Paints
Designer: McCarthy Hinder Interior Design
Layer multiple wood tones for visual interest.White oak floors, walnut cabinets and white Caesarstone play off each other nicely in this streamlined kitchen.
Photographer: Kim Jeffery
Source: House & Home May 2013
Products: White paint color: White (5483-10), Boomerang
Designer: Patsy Bell
Create a Zen feeling with natural materials. Maple floors, a cedar ceiling and sparse white walls feel totally tranquil.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint colour: Simply White (OC-117), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Steve McFarlane and Mary Hay
Go for the unexpected. Breaking-up this mostly white bathroom with vintage louvered doors makes for a memorable space.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint color: Super White (PM-1), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Sam Sacks
Frame the view. Using cedar on the ceiling and bright white on the walls creates a picture frame-like effect surrounding the window in this home office.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home June 2014
Products: White paint color: Simply White (OC-117), Benjamin Moore
Designer: Steve McFarlane and Mary Hay
Author: Victoria Christie & Emily Evans
Ceiling Color in a Room With Light Wood Paneling
Source: https://houseandhome.com/gallery/30-rooms-prove-white-wood-make-perfect-pair/