Cream living room ideas – 10 ways to play up this versatile neutral

Cream living room ideas can be a way to add real vibrancy to an interior. Does that sound counterintuitive? You'll be surprised at how versatile cream can be as part of your interior design. 

That's because not only is cream available with interesting undertones, it also offers itself as a great backdrop for other colors, materials, and textures to shine. Certainly then, alabaster shades are a great interior design choice.

The right approach and eye can contribute to great cream living room color ideas, and make it the most impeccable, forward-thinking, and lively space.

Who says neutral rooms are vanilla? We asked interior designers to show us how to use this color and they responded with the most innovative ideas.

10 cream living room ideas that'll change your mind on this shade

'Not quite stark white but definitely without the dark visual weight of organic browns, cream is that warm background color that provides us with the idea of the blank slate and warmth,' says Brooklyn brownstone interior designer, Jarret Yoshida.

1. Introduce pale porcelain tiles in your living room

The best thing about cream tiles isn't just that they can make an interior look spacious, bright, and welcoming, but porcelain tiles, in particular, are versatile, durable, and easy to maintain. 

These can be used for your living room flooring, and are ideal in high traffic areas as they are resistant to chipping, scratching, and stains. These days one can even choose digitally-printed tiles, that have numerous design options available. 

An important consideration to keep in mind is to choose rectified or joint-free tiles, where the edges are cut after they are kiln-baked, to get precision in size. For a neat and seamless look, consider epoxy grouting and maintain a gap of at least 2 millimeters between each tile.

'While not many interior designers in New York love doing this, we find that we can get behind cream for so many reasons,' says interior designer Jarret Yoshida. 'We love doing tile floors in cream-colored porcelain that reminds us of sandy beaches in Maui. What could be better than that for inspiring calmness and chic resort living in your everyday life? Plus, cream is a bit more forgiving, as it does not show every speck of dirt which I can't say about white.'

2. Try ecru for window treatments 

Neutrals are great for a bright and airy look, especially if you want to increase the feeling of spaciousness in the room. If you have large windows, there's nothing like cream living room window treatments. 

Allow the sunlight to fall inside without any interruptions. Cover the windows with cream curtains or blinds so that soft, filtered light flows in at all times. Cream window treatments also create a feeling of endlessness, as if the room extends out towards the outdoors. 

Pull back the curtains or blinds during the day to keep the interiors cheery. If privacy is an issue, you could consider adding a second layer of darker curtains that can ensure that no prying neighbors can peep inside. 

'One secret of New York City interior designers is using cream-colored window treatments,' says Jarret. 'The amount of soot in the atmosphere would make white treatments look black and dusty. Cream is that practical compromise that gives the feeling of lightness while still not being a cleaning disaster.'

3. Choose earthy elements to lift the scheme

Make your modern rustic living room as raw and unadulterated as possible, with exposed wooden beams, brick and stone, and cozy textiles, and to ground it all, use the color cream. Add in leather, stone, brick, copper, soapstone, and slate.

In an earthy setting, the color cream works better than white, which can make the space feel cold and unwelcoming. 

'Cream shades make a great base for a room that you can then build on with materials and finishes, whether that's plants or plenty of textural cushions, rugs, or curtains,' says Noorein Kapoor, interior designer and founder of Noorein Kapoor Design. 'Thanks to its neutrality, one can use it in practically any interior design, as a background for furniture and decorations.'

'When designing with cream, you want to layer in texture with throws and pillows or a natural fiber rug,' says Holly Waterfield, interior designer, The Brooklyn Home Company. 'In this project, we used wood tones that work well with cream and can be brought in with a coffee table or mirror while branches and plants give the eye pops of color to focus on.'

4. Pair cream with bright pops of color

An accent color is a bright, bold shade that you wouldn’t dare use in a larger amount. And the most effective way to create a contrast with the bright hue is by pairing it with a warm neutral. Using dollops of cream can help you add drama to bold, luscious colors. 

Bring in pops of hues via rugs, accessories, art, and even botanicals. All these elements can be utilized to add just the right amount of fun to your elegant living room.

'A blue sofa, a gold-studded console, and an extremely colorful rug inside a cream-toned room can create quite a striking space,' says Apoorva Shroff, interior designer at Lyth Design. 

5. Consider cream wall paint with blue or yellow undertones

'Cream can be an exciting color to play with for a living room; each variation can have blue, yellow, or even green undertones that look different depending on the natural light in the room,' says interior designer Nicole Cohen. 'The difference in tone allows you to have the option to choose a different cream for different spaces. For example, we had to test 15 cream shades in a project we recently designed in Bayhead, New Jersey.'

Cream paint also features several other interesting undertones such as taupe that can give velvety depth to walls. Certain paints are available as a blend of grey with a strong cream undertone that looks soft and soothing to the eye. The creamiest paint features a touch of beige and grey.

Incidentally, if you're wondering between a cream and a white paint, you'll be surprised at how different each of their virtues are. White walls are of course a popular choice but they can create an art gallery effect, spotlighting attention on every object, so each must be worthy. An all-white room can also look, well, too decorated.

An all-white interior is also associated with sterility and cleanliness. This means, that even the smallest specks become visible in a white interior. On the other hand, it does make the living room look super clean and tidy. An off-white paint like ivory, ecru, or cream is more suitable for cozy living rooms and intimate areas because of the warmth the undertones impart.  

The downside to creams however is that they don't brighten out the best color contrasts when compared to white paints. Yet, chromatically, they offer what white does but with added warmth.

6. Display bold art against cream walls

Cream walls can be the greatest canvas for bright artworks and rustic textures. Art can give your walls an added dimension and impact. If you love opting for the unconventional, choose fabric scraps, woven materials, and other interesting textiles for the walls. Anything with vibrant hues will pop.

'My mantra is to bring character to a space through large-scale art. When the walls are soft, drenched in cream, they can complement even the boldest color in a frame,' says Apoorva.

Another great way to give the room dynamism is to add a living room wallpaper on an accent wall, juxtaposed against cream ceilings and the rest of the walls. This too will up the look of your interiors without you having to overdecorate.

7. Create a striking scheme with cream walls and metallic elements

Metallics, when paired with cream walls lend themselves to an eclectic vintage look. By using just a few pieces, such as a small, ornate frame, a statue, or a candlestick or two, you can use the details to lift the design instantly without overpowering it.

When thinking of living room furniture ideas, consider glass-topped, brass-gilded coffee tables. Even a chandelier would do. These don't necessarily need to be ornate – they can work brilliantly in traditional or vintage-style spaces. Just a touch of gold or silver on the fixture can add a hint of glamour.

8. A black and cream scheme can look particularly striking

While back and white is a classic color scheme, black and cream too is a close second. In the case of the latter, the only difference is that black and cream make a warmer contrast. 

A black and cream scheme can look highly elegant, and feel both comforting and grounding. The two tones when combined have an understated allure, which makes a stylish neutral living room.

The combination pairs beautifully with a third palette too, preferably a brighter hue. Even earth tones of brown and green can add to the ethos.

9. Layer the living room with more neutrals for a calm scheme

Just because a room is awash in natural tones doesn't mean it needs to look dull. If you live in a home that has striking period features, it makes sense not to distract from them with an overly detailed design. Play with the magic of neutrals. Experiment with different tones of cream and apply it to the walls, furniture, carpet, and even accessories. 

A textured cream wall will add depth and tie in with the overall scheme of the room. In this room, the cream walls create an enveloping feel, while the white sofas, coffee table, and even the rug with hints of cream come together for a cohesive design. 

'If you are going to create a cream living room that doesn't look flat, it's all about the textures,' says Lauren Sands of LES Collection. 'Mix sheepskin with luxe raw silk. Throw in cream linen and a monochromatic pattern. Make sure everything isn't the exact same shade of cream. When it's time to accessories, I love accenting cream fabrics with textured ceramics and vintage accent pieces in bronze or brass.'

A good tip to keep in mind is that if there’s a lack of color in the decor, a striking living room ceiling light can work as a focal point and draw the eye into the middle of the room. This will leave you feeling cocooned and snug.

10. Freshen up a cream living room with plenty of greenery

Afraid how too much color may affect your living room? Don't worry. One of the easiest ways to bring a cream living room to life is by adding some plants. These not only freshen up the indoors, but also add nice pops of green to the scheme.

If you have a largely neutral room, bring in tall, tropical-style plants to cover corners. In a small living room, a subtle collection of succulents can provide an instant pick-me-up. Make sure you check each plant's growing conditions – some will need lots of water, some very little.

If you worry you don't have green fingers, there are several artificial plants too available in the market. If nothing else, a vase of fresh flowers can do the job.

What colors go with cream for a living room?

Several colors go with cream because it's an easy neutral. 'Cream is the best way to make rooms of all sizes look larger,' says Noorein. 'Cream also coordinates well with virtually every other colour, making it easy for you to mix up your living room with new throw pillows, curtains or accents any time you need a change of scenery.' 

Similar to beige and off-white, cream has an inherent richness to it without being overwhelming. As compared to white, which is much starker, cream is warm and makes for a pleasing companion with other hues. 

In a cream-toned room, a brilliant green color can create a refreshing scape. It's a color combination of hope and renewal. You could choose between a pastel shade of green or opt for a rich, jewel-toned hue – both will shine bright in a cream living room.

Blue evokes a feeling of the outdoors and makes one feel calm and secure. In a cream living room, a darker blue can look commanding and anchored. Consider adding a few browns to create a more grounded scheme.

For grey, cream is a wonderful contender. A light grey can also be read as neutral and can create a lovely tone-on-tone effect in the living room. A charcoal grey on the other hand, that usually straddles between black and grey, can give rise to a striking interior.

Purple has a royal charm to it, and there are several colors that go with purple. If it's a grand interior you're looking to set up, then cream with a swish of purple can do wonders. Purple particularly looks good in old, vintage homes. If the color seems too imposing to you, you could paint 70% of the wall purple, and keep the rest cream.

Does cream furniture go with white walls?

Of course! A color splash isn't the only way to decorate a room. A muted living room too can look as elegant and smart as any other. Those who love pared-down, minimal, and simplistic interiors can choose a cream and white living room color scheme.

An important point to consider before you go matching your interior elements is the type of white wall paint you want. You can choose between a warm white and cool white, with undertones of yellow, orange, blue, green, or purple. Generally, warm whites work better with cream and beige.

Cream furniture and white walls can look fantastic together as the cream offers a softer touch to the space, and stops it from looking too clinical in an all-white room. It also offers variation in the neutrals in the room. 

To make the space more interesting, add textures to the sofa, cushions, and lampshades. Look at cotton, linens, velvets, and other fabrics to give the room some layering. 

Finally, no rulebook says you can't add a slight touch of color in a muted room. If you want the color introduction to be restrained, perhaps just add a plant for that pop of green. Otherwise vibrant coffee table books or a vase can do the job.