Decorating with white is easier than you think. Whereas neutrals like beige and taupe can make for “blah” rooms, white feels modern and glam.
A white wall can transform into a gallery when serving as a backdrop to all manner of artwork or collections. A grouping of flea-market frames (in various conditions) looks positively avant-garde when hung on your blank canvas. Or paint those vintage frames bright, glossy white and mount them on a colored wall; imagine how they’d pop against chocolate brown, zingy orange, even a subdued chartreuse.
Accessorize your home with white
Not ready for a whole room makeover? Dip your toes in white waters with accessories.
Take a page from Carolyne Roehm, society decorator and author, who showcases a pristine project in her latest book, A Passion for Interiors ($60, Clarkson Potter): an ornate 18th century Swedish trophy above her fireplace.
“It wasn’t white when I got it — but after a visit to Home Depot and a trip to my garage, that’s how it returned,” she writes. “All my friends were horrified, but I wanted something in that spot that matched the [white] walls, so I went ahead and did it.”
The results honor the antique by giving it new life.
Add texture to any room
This transformation also illustrates a great “white” truth: let textures provide interest. To that end, pile a white cashmere throw and a snowy cowhide pillow on a mocha-colored chair or use a white flokati rug over pale bathroom tile.
As for the practicalities, white walls painted in high gloss or satin are far more resilient than their flat-finished counterparts. White leather upholstery is easier to keep clean than silk. Choose a white rag rug or a shag bathmat you can toss in the washer.
You might even stop wearing shoes in the house, too.
Decorate with White
By Lisa Martin
Decorating with white is easier than you think. Whereas neutrals like beige and taupe can make for “blah” rooms, white feels modern and glam.
A white wall can transform into a gallery when serving as a backdrop to all manner of artwork or collections. A grouping of flea-market frames (in various conditions) looks positively avant-garde when hung on your blank canvas. Or paint those vintage frames bright, glossy white and mount them on a colored wall; imagine how they’d pop against chocolate brown, zingy orange, even a subdued chartreuse.
Accessorize your home with white
Not ready for a whole room makeover? Dip your toes in white waters with accessories.
Take a page from Carolyne Roehm, society decorator and author, who showcases a pristine project in her latest book, A Passion for Interiors ($60, Clarkson Potter): an ornate 18th century Swedish trophy above her fireplace.
“It wasn’t white when I got it — but after a visit to Home Depot and a trip to my garage, that’s how it returned,” she writes. “All my friends were horrified, but I wanted something in that spot that matched the [white] walls, so I went ahead and did it.”
The results honor the antique by giving it new life.
Add texture to any room
This transformation also illustrates a great “white” truth: let textures provide interest. To that end, pile a white cashmere throw and a snowy cowhide pillow on a mocha-colored chair or use a white flokati rug over pale bathroom tile.
As for the practicalities, white walls painted in high gloss or satin are far more resilient than their flat-finished counterparts. White leather upholstery is easier to keep clean than silk. Choose a white rag rug or a shag bathmat you can toss in the washer.
You might even stop wearing shoes in the house, too.