Styling a White Room
White colour in interior design is classic and modern at the same time. It makes small spaces look bigger, dark spaces brighter and gives all rooms a fresh feeling. If you’re thinking «but white is plain and so boring!», we’re here to show you it doesnt have to be!
Here are 5 tips to style a white room that is anything but basic, while maintaining elegance and avoiding monotony.
Before we dive in...
Let’s get something clear. There isn’t one white. There are many shades of white, and thankfully so, since every space has its own needs. For example, in a small room with artificial lighting, a warm shade of white, closer to beige or cream is suitable. On the other hand, rooms with large windows that have a lot of natural light will have a warm tone by default, so choosing a cool white shade with some blue or gray hues, can balance the aesthetic. Choose the best tone to suit your space, taking into account its size, layout, lighting and intended function.
1. Combine but don’t over do it.
It is advisable to limit the shades to a maximum of 3 tones of white in any given room. More shades can look confused and be confusing. Try to stick to one to two tones for the walls and you can always play with additional shades within the furniture and accessories.
2. Say yes to Different Textures.
What is often overlooked is texture. Even when using only one shade of white, introducing different textures can bring enough variations, playfulness and even contrast in the space. Break up the smooth white with some interesting textures. White bricks οr white-washed wood in parts of the walls, a white cozy rug or a white leather armchair will add a different perspective to your space. An easy solution is to add a couple of cushions with different textures that offer the eye interesting nuances. Who said you can’t combine, leather, fur (artificial please!), and cotton?
3. Luxury with Metallic Details
White can be perfectly combined with metallic objects that can add a modern touch and contemporary aesthetic. Gold, silver, brass, or the currently trendy rose gold, can all elevate the sense of luxury without cluttering the space. The key is to limit the number of metallic accents only to sharp details, such as the thin legs of a chair, the edge of a coffee table, or thin frames. Avoid large surfaces of metallic materials.
4. Add a tiny bit of colour.
Once you have mastered your whites, you can stop there and have your elegant white interior or you can go on a colour adventure. Colour in the tiniest amount and the most discreet places will highlight the whole room without distracting. A pop of colour on a single armchair, cushions or a throw will bring out the dominant white even more.
5. You can never go wrong with green.
Green is beyond any trend and always in fashion! You can include green in your space no matter what interior design concept you are following! By filling your white room with green plants you add a touch of colour and at the same time give the room a sense of freshness, which is complementary to the freshness of the white aesthetic. Consider if you want your greenery to stick to shades of green, or if you want to use your greenery as an opportunity to bring in that pop of colour (flower, buds or else) we mentioned earlier.
Check out our piece on indoor plants!
Bonus: Cleanliness is everything!
White doesn’t communicate luxury for no reason! White is hard to keep white and that is a luxury in itself. Needless to mention that white needs special care because even the slightest dirt and the smallest stains will show. To show off a white floor, a white wall, white furniture, and white decorations in your home, make sure to keep them clean at all times!
To sum up, white rooms is an old-time classic, however, make sure you mix up the shades, the textures and the accents to create a sense of modern freshness, interesting stimulation and even luxury. Dare we say white is the new black?
If you are planning on renovating your home and would like some help, get in touch with us. We would be happy to help with any questions you may have.
