Making White More Interesting

White walls – many people think of them as boring; but newer white paints have managed to imbue this basic color with a touch of personality.

White is usually seen as the play-it-safe option for painting the walls of homes and apartments for rent or sale. White goes with everything, so it is overused; this is why we think of it as a boring color. However, white can be a great thing, used properly.

White brings sunlight in and gives a calm and airy feeling. It’s a great backdrop for your framed art and modern furniture.

White can have more personality than we tend to give it credit for. There are whites which range from café au lait to mint, violet and pink tinged tones. The chips will usually look like pastels, but they sure look white on your walls, but with a warm or cool undertone to them.

You can bring out these undertones by the use of trim and accent colors which provide a contrast.

For example, bright white accents will make beige tinged white walls look just a little bit darker. Cool whites will look crisper when accented by bright whites. You should be careful however about combining bright whites with creamy whites, since this can give a dirty appearance to the walls.

Layering and Texture
White-on-white can give a relaxing, meditative quality to a room. When every surface in the room is given the brilliance of white, your eye is instead drawn to texture and architectural details – this makes even mundane objects look like great works of art.

Texture is the key here. Different textures will reflect light in different ways, giving contrast to keep things interesting.

No room is actually completely white – there are accents which add the color a white room needs to avoid an empty, sterile appearance. The contrast of these accents adds to the beauty of a white on white scheme.

Adding Neutrals
Remember to warm up white. You don’t want a white room with all white furnishings – this is far too monochromatic. However, neutral colors and a variety of textures can work well wile still being calm and relaxing.

Add wood tones to your white room; this will provide a touch of warmth which the room will need. Natural fiber rugs are also a great way to dress up these rooms, as are wicker baskets and furniture.

Furniture and Accessories
If you like to redecorate regularly, white makes a good backdrop – you can change things with slipcovers, rugs and other accents as you like.

Use your accents as the elements of color; furniture and rugs in the living room, pillows and bedding in the bedroom.

If you have art you want to showcase, then stay away from using patterned fabrics; solids will do a better job of giving your artwork a backdrop.

The colors you use as accents in each room can give each its own personality while the white on white provides a unifying theme for your home.

When you start with white, you can introduce color, even bold colors can be used to provide interest without distracting you.

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