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Alluring All-White Rooms
Whether they're fanciful, sleek or regency chic, all-white rooms deserve a place in the sun in modern home design
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design. I just completed my first remodel, turning my crumbling 1941 kitchen into a beauty of grays, whites and natural wood. If I could, I'd sleep on the countertop. That's how much I love it.
You can also read my parenting blog on Baby Center http://blogs.babycenter.com/author/sschoech/
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel... More »
I love color. I love it alone or all mixed up. I love it in patterns, blocks and splotches. But I think my first love is the all-white room.
A white room can be modern or cottage. It can look French provincial or Manahattan slick. It can be a blank canvas for other features — maybe color, art or a dazzling view. Or it can be its own centerpiece. White works in every single room, and it is almost never the wrong choice as a wall color.
To me, white is the color of the cleared mind — open, clutter free, spacious and inviting.
A white room can be modern or cottage. It can look French provincial or Manahattan slick. It can be a blank canvas for other features — maybe color, art or a dazzling view. Or it can be its own centerpiece. White works in every single room, and it is almost never the wrong choice as a wall color.
To me, white is the color of the cleared mind — open, clutter free, spacious and inviting.
by Jeanette Lunde
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White floors with white walls really make a statement. The fact that these floors are wood plank keeps this from looking vintagey. Everything stands out in this environment, so choose carefully.
A white room brings out the texture of this floor and works like a spotlight for the colorful art.
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| Contrary to what you might think, white kitchens look less dirty than kitchens with dark finishes. And white cabinets are beautiful with wood floors. |
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by Teri Turan
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| An all-white kitchen doesn't need to be modern or stark. It can even be a little bit country. |
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by CLAUDIA LUJAN
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| The modern all-white room is like a gallery for things you want to display. Any piece of art, from a modern sculpture to a renaissance portrait, would look great in this room. |
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by French Larkspur
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| I can't prove it, but I suspect it is easier to sleep in an all-white room. In this dreamy bedroom, white adds a touch of the French flea market. |
by Dreamy Whites
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White bedding always looks clean, fresh and high thread count.
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| Even sleek, modern white can feel snuggly. The emphasis in this room is on the light and the view, but doesn't the bed look comfy? |
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by Tara Seawright
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| Hollywood regency meets ethnic design. White rooms aren't just blank slates; they can have very intentional styles too. |
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by Jeanette Lunde
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| Mixing unlikely colors — in this case rusty brown and pale pink — works better in a white room because nothing else is competing. |
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| White makes a giant, airy room look even bigger and airier. |
by Dreamy Whites
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A white sofa in a house with kids is not the no-no you might think it is. A pure white slipcover can be washed with bleach, keeping it a lot cleaner looking than other options.
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| This all-white room has a homey, eclectic feel because of the colorful accessories. A mishmash of vintage stuff just looks better in a white room. |
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by French Larkspur
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| White with silver and mirrors: It's elegant, classic and a little dressy. And, of course, both white and a well-placed mirror can make a room look much bigger. |
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White can be very cozy indeed. Especially with soft lighting.
More:
Find Your Design Style [With 8 All-White Rooms]
How to Find the Right White Paint
Are You Gutsy Enough to Paint Your Floors White?
More:
Find Your Design Style [With 8 All-White Rooms]
How to Find the Right White Paint
Are You Gutsy Enough to Paint Your Floors White?
Ideabook updated on Feb. 29, 2012.
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All the photo's are glaring with the exception of that last one of the bath. That is gorgeous and as stated, the lighting warms it up. After living with white walls all my lfe I took the plunge one day 20 years ago to use color and haven't turned back since. Thank you Lynette Jennings and Christopher Lowell for taking away my fear of color.