Library decorated in all white

 
Echoes of the forest warm up the library without darkening it, as real wood would.

From left: Woods wallpaper, to the trade, Cole & Son; resin faux-bois floor lamp, $1,525, Oly; gel-coated fiberglass tree-trunk side tables, $295 each, Fleetwood Fixtures; pewter-and-ceramic cups and saucers, $70 for each set, Match Pewter; Louis XVI-style leather armchair, to the trade, Profiles, with alpaca wool throw, $270, Elvang Denmark; lambskin rug, $699, ABC Carpet & Home; metal console/bookshelf, $1,800, Reeves Design; porcelain logs, $296 for three logs and one stick, KleinReid.
A monochromatic bedroom

 
Mix textures and tones to liven up monochromatic rooms. In the bedroom, the curves of an elaborate headboard and chandelier bring romance into the space but don't add the weight of a deep color.

From left: Mid-century lacquered wood side table, $5,500 for two, Capitol Furnishings; glass bowl, $195, Rosenthal; tall glass vase, $300, John Pomp Glass; rectangular glass vase with bottle, $150, Rosenthal; crystal vase, $250, Two's Company; glass flowers, $165 for three, Marc Jacobs Waterford; silver flower candleholder, $225, Roost; porcelain chandelier, $4,650, Rosie NYC; leather-upholstered headboard, $9,470, Cyrus Company; beaded pillow (in back), $210, Ann Gish; duvet cover, pillows, and shams, $375 for duvet cover, $125 to $250 for pillows and shams, Donna Karan Home; faux-fur blanket, $200, Faux Paw Furs.
White accentuates teapots.

 
White accentuates the shapes of these teapots, giving weight to their most distinct characteristics. Glass-bead wall covering, to the trade, Maya Romanoff.

Back row, from left: Stainless-steel spoon by Zaha Hadid, $250 for a five-piece setting, WMF; Limoges porcelain-with-platinum teacup, $74, and saucer, $37, Bernardaud; round porcelain teapot, $195, Anna Kraitz; pear-shaped stainless-steel teapot, $190, Alessi; stainless-steel carafe by Jean Nouvel, $546 for a 16-piece set, Alessi; cake-shaped porcelain box, $840, Moss.

Center row: Suspended porcelain-and-stainless-steel teapot, $210, in steel warmer, $69, Mono; porcelain teapot with figurine, $550, Augarten Vienna; teapot with steel knob, $194, Raynaud; Limoges pitcher-shaped porcelain teapot, $170, Philippe Deshoulieres.

Front row: Ceramic rococo teacup and saucer, $28, Anthropologie; sterling silver spoon, $860 for a five-piece setting, Cristofle; Limoges porcelain teapot with butterfly-shaped lid, $150, Royal Limoges; stainless-steel-and-porcelain milk and sugar pots, $76 for a set, Magppie.
A snowy landscape

 
An artistic take on the snowy landscape brings subtle sophistication to festive holiday cheer. If you're going with the faux, then go all out: A stark white tree makes a stronger impact than an ersatz green one.

Clockwise from top left: Polypropylene hanging lamps, $46.50 each (outer two), and $42 each (inner two), 2Jane Co.; artificial tree, $299, Treetopia; glass bubble ornaments, $54 each, Matt McGhee; Lucite side table, $11,150, Nancy Corzine; glass bowl, $365, Rosenthal; ceramic vases, $10 to $25, CB2; crystal candlestick, $145, Gaia & Gino; crystal block vase, $215, Rosenthal; crocheted fiber and resin chair by Marcel Wanders, price upon request, Moooi.
Modern furniture

 
Traditional furniture gets a modern gloss, thanks to judicious applications of white and light.

From left: Lambskin rug, $699, ABC Carpet & Home; gilded open-back chairs with white leather seats, $2,695 each, Cyrus Company; Plexiglas silhouette sconces, $260 each, Ligne Roset; teak-and-silver Louis XV-style semainier by Paul Mathieu, price upon request, Odegard; centerpiece of porcelain vases, $730 for an 11-piece set, KleinReid in collaboration with Eva Zeisel; cashmere-and-silk wrap, $550, Takashimaya.
Avant-garde home decor

 
Juxtaposed against white, metallics get glitzier and crystal becomes icier than ever. White relieves jagged and broken forms of their edge, softening even the most avant-garde designs.

Clockwise from upper left: Crystal water jug, $850, Hermés; crystal goblet paperweight by Philippe Starck, $850, Baccarat; angular porcelain vase, $350, Rosenthal; crystal sculpture, $4,000, Swarovski; small crystal paperweight (in front of the Swarovski piece) $15, Z Gallerie; bone-china vase by Frank Gehry, $175, Tiffany & Co.; jagged ceramic candlestick, $1,050 (limited edition of 25), Max Lang; crystal whiskey glass, $282, Artel Glass; large crystal paperweight, $1,200, Baccarat; smashed porcelain vase, $150, Rosenthal.

More ways to get into the holiday spirit this year