Decorating with white

Decorating with white actually isn’t as simple as it would seem. If you don’t do it carefully, it can look dull and boring. If you use it well, you can make a space seem bigger and brighter.

According to color theorists there is no such as thing as color –  just light ( which is white) and absence of light (which is black). What we perceive as colors, actually are different absorptions and reflections of light. You can read more about how to decorate with colors..

White finishes

Traditionally, white has always been the symbol of cleanliness and purity.
Old farmhouses and cottages used to be freshened up with limewash or distemper – not only the walls, but the furniture and floors too in order to keep away insects and diseases. Monasteries both in Europe and Asia have similarly used white distemper or paint on their interior walls.

This sort of matt, chalky finish suits well the Country style, Shaker style, Wabi Sabi style, but it doesn’t work well in a modern interior. Given the mattness, it doesn’t really reflect light. Also, it’s very difficult to clean so, if you have kids, you should not use matt paint. Nor should you use matt paint in heavily used areas such as hallways and kitchens.

Gloss white is associated with the futuristic look, and it’s certainly back in vogue. Satin or gloss white is suitable for a modern interior – satin or soft-sheen paints on the walls; anti-condensing formulas on kitchen and bathroom walls; gloss on furniture and woodwork. Currently the trend is for high-gloss finishes – particularly in bedrooms and kitchens.

Practicalities

Before you use white paint, bare in mind that the same shade of paint looks dissimilar on different materials – plaster, wood, plasterboard etc absorb & reflect paint differently. Also the location of your room can affect the whiteness of your paint – north facing spaces look darker than south facing ones. Take cleaning into consideration – white surfaces show dirt easily!

The white look

If you’re after the white look – be careful. It can certainly work if you use texture and materials cleverly.  As the overall look can be dull, you must introduce interesting and contrasting textures. 

For a rustic look, use matt paint on walls and limewash or whitewash the floor & pine furniture. Add some antique white (or off-white, or limewashed) furniture & mirrors, wooden objects, & natural textiles (rough linen, bleached cotton, hessian).

For the modern look, paint the walls satin or gloss white (very trendy now!) and use white carpet or rubber floor. Add high-gloss white furniture, glass, mirrored or plastic objects. For the ultimate wow factor add one more color – something contrasting, such as black, red, chocolate or fuchsia pink, and use this color on accessories ( bedlinen, cushions, furniture, details…). If this is too daring, soften the clinical or futuristic look with warm materials, such as shag-pile rugs, furry bedcovers, lace curtains etc.

Off-whites

Some people are scared by decorating with white. 

Don’t worry, just use off-whites. These are still light and whitish in shades, just a bit of pigment is added to the paint or dye. However, do experiment with shades & tones. They can actually look colder than pure white and look different in natural light to artificial lighting.