{Tim Barber LTD}
White rooms are always in style. They are the same for your home as a little black dress for your wardrobe. But anyone who tried painting room white knows that it can be tricky. The paint swatches look all the same in the store until you try them on your walls. There are hundreds of white paint tones.
And then there are some confusing names for white paint, like Grand Teton White, Snow on the Mountain or Deep in Thought….
If white rooms are what you crave for simplicity and newness in your life and your home, there is a way to get there with confidence. And it does not necessarily mean grabbing a five-gallon-basic-white.
Here is what you do:
Step 1. Collect up to ten different white tone paint swatches and leave the store.
Step 2. Go home.
Step 3. Look around your room (or rooms).
Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you are looking around the room:
- Does it have the architecture that you want to show off?
- Do you want to go contemporary or traditional?
- Do you want to use a mix of historical periods or styles?
- Do you want a romantic retreat?
- Do you want a luxurious, formal buttoned up look?
- How about a futuristic fantasy?
- Is it an old house and you want to make it crispy bright?
- What mood or style do you want?
Then you want to explore what works for white rooms that had success with many people and designers alike.
Many people are concerned as to not make all white room look institutional. But with careful planning and understanding you can create a variety of spaces from futuristic and ultra contemporary to romantic, classic and glamorous.
1. Architectural Clarity
{apartment therapy}
Go for just one paint for a room that has defined and established architectural features. Let architecture take center stage for all white room. Vaulted ceilings, elegant moldings that have roots in history do not require embellishments. Then infuse the space with soulful objects. Paint: Benjamin Moore White Dove OC 17 or Sherwin Williams 7005 Pure White
2. Romantic Retreat
{Pinterest}
Introduce soft whites and off-whites for a romantic hide-away bedroom with organic bedding. Curves and carvings of the furniture and accessories will add pretty, understated glamor. Paint walls and ceiling the same paint for a small room. Paint: Benjamin Moore Ivory White 925
3. Nostalgic Simplicity
{Jeffrey Bilhuber}
Use several tones of white for a cottage beach bathroom with vintage objects, organic towels and off-white paneled walls. Paint: White Dove OC 17 Benjamin Moore Ivory White 925 or Atrium White
4. Classic and Elegant Mix of Styles
{Tim Barber LTD}
Select crisp white for trim and doors to create an elegant, classic feel and intermix several decorating styles, such as Art Deco and Traditional. To make the room softer, introduce creamy white. In the foyer above, the creamy white wall color allows for mingling of the two decorating styles as it ties them together. Paint: Benjamin Moore Ivory White 925 for the walls and Super White
5. Crisp and Clear Backdrop
{Pinterest}
Decide on crispy white walls and ceiling to display your colorful possessions and fun objects. Pair them for unity and rhythm. Add flowers and plants to make the space alive. Paint: Sherwin Williams 7005 Pure White
6. Contemporary Glamor
{housetohome.uk}
Mix different textures and forms within one or two white colors to create contemporary glamour look. Tactile qualities of the room elements will contribute to luxurious and comfortable feel of the room. Paint: Benjamin More Simply White 2143-70
7. Intersection of Styles
{contemporist.com}
Select pure white for the walls and then emphasize the intersection of elements. Show off their co-existence within one architectural plane. Don’t be afraid to use different elements, such as organic, natural elements with glossy reflective surfaces. Use black for visual focus. Paint: Porter Paints 7153-1 Cloud White
Now think about accessories. Remember the little black dress? You need just as much black in accents as white jewelry for a black dress. Also, shape matters. If you are small framed you might choose a tighter dress with not so many accessories. On the contrary, if you are larger, go more free form with your black dress.
The same is true for your interiors, just in reverse. Think about your room shape first. For a larger room you need more accessories and black accents. For a smaller room try not to overdo with too many embellishments.
Have fun painting and don’t forget to share with us in your comments!
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Nice blog Marina. I had no idea there were so many variations of “White”. The ideas here are very clear and the photos wonderful! Great job!
Thank you, Ben! I am glad you find this post helpful. It comes from many observations and research, both in my practice and learning from others.
Nice timing!! I am using whites for my office in our new home. These are very useful tips!!
Oh, yes Congratulations, Andrea. Let me know if you have more questions. Really.
Wow, beautifully done darlin’. I’ve always leaned toward the intense colors, so seeing how much you can do with white is a revelation.
Thanks for sharing!
may your day be igKnighted with passionately powerful possibilities!
MamaRed
Thank you, MamaRed. You made my day!
Great tips Marina – thanks!
I learned so much from this article Marina. Please keep up the Great Work! I am looking forward to your next blog!
Thank you, Pete. I am glad you learned something useful from the post. Thank you for kind words.
Wow — who knew white could be so interesting? Thanks for the fresh thinking and great examples!
Thank you, Celeste for your comment and finding the post interesting.
I now believe that in simplicity there is beauty. Last night my husband and I were discussing repainting our room. We were debating what paint color to use. He wants it to be plain and serene, while my type, on the other hand is something creative and alive. It never crossed my mind about the possibilities of merging two ideas. This is very informative and exciting. We can take one of the many options here.
Thank you, Phenny, I am glad it was helpful.
I’ve always loved the idea of having white rooms. It’s simple, it’s classic and it never goes out of style. But I completely agree with you, decorating your white room can be quite tricky. I loved the ideas you shared. I loved the feel of the different white room atmospheres. I’m actually thinking of using one of the ideas to recreate the look of my home. Thanks for these simple but amazingly beautiful tips!
Thank you, John
Well, I have to admit that initially my impression of white is very limited. However, I’ve had first-hand experience with the adventure of selecting white hues for my house when I decided to put my house on sale, I decided to repaint the entire house and the choice of color became a big challenge. With so much on my mind, I eventually turn my attention to white. At first my thinking is, white is white…right? I never realized that there are still, variations and different hues of white.
After the re-painting task was completed, I walked into the house and I fell in love with it. I was amazed at how beautiful the walls looked. Then, I told myself white really create impact in so many different ways. That’s when I truly realized that white can be as strong as any other color. This information is really amazing!!! Very True, Indeed!!!
thank you, Russel. I am glad you found this post helpful.
Simplicity is always best and in white room you can make good decoration with any color of home accessories.
I really love white interiors; white walls and furniture are symbols of wealth, sophistication and aristocratic way of life. The uniqueness of white color is that it allows you to create interiors in almost any style – from minimalist to pompous. White interior can be cool, glamorous, elegant, refined, luxurious, and festive. These are useful tips shared to make your home cozy and warm using white color. Thank you.
I love the beautiful & simpleness that you have shown here!! Thank you for your super useful tips & info on this subject!!
I have never seen white this way. I particularly love the “Crisp and Clear Backdrop” design.
Gwenn, thank you for reading this post.
I’ve always been one to avoid white as a room color but this article may have changed my mind. My personal favorites were the architectural and nostalgic themes.
I’ve always been one to avoid white as a room color but this article may have changed my mind. My personal favorites were the architectural and nostalgic themes.
I’ve always been one to avoid white as a room color because I’ve always felt it has the potential to make a room seem “too clean”. This article may have changed my mind though, bravo! My personal favorites were the architectural and nostalgic themes.