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Make All White Look So Right
All-white rooms are harder than they look. Here's how to blend white tones for pure perfection in bathrooms, kitchens and more
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More »
A white-on-white color scheme sounds like a no-brainer on the surface. Whites go together no matter what, right? Well, no. The truth is, combining multiple whites in a single space takes every bit as much artfulness as mixing bold colors or rich neutrals. These eight pointers will help you make them work in harmony.
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| Match the whites to the room style. A cottage-style boudoir with a painted iron bedstead and ruffly curtains calls for warm whites, which feel cozy. On the other hand, an ultramod home office might be better served by stark, cool shades. |
by Susan Hopkins
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Choose at least three different white tones. Two shades of the same color can feel mismatched; three or more feel intentional. Your best bet is to shoot for five or six white shades to create enough depth that the room won't feel flat.
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Keep undertones similar. Generally speaking, whites are either warm (with yellow undertones) or cool (with blue undertones). Choose tones that fall on the same side of the fence. If you mix creamy whites with grayish ones, the whole package will feel discordant and dirty.
| Emphasize texture. Even if you add depth with layered white tones, color can take you only so far. Monochromatic rooms beg for texture to bring them to life. Accent the different whites with different textures as well: thick carpeting in one shade, sleek lacquer in another, painted brick in a third. |
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Highlight the architecture. The most interesting all-white rooms have well-defined bones — otherwise, the lack of strong color can make them seem plain and insipid. Take advantage of a diversified white palette to showcase their structure. Coat ceiling beams, coffers, moldings, beadboard, wainscoting or other architectural features in one shade, then use a different one on other surfaces to create a sense of relief.
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Consider the natural light. Like all colors, white changes according to the way it's illuminated. When you choose white tones, test swatches at different times of day to make sure they complement one another as well as they appear to. For artificial lighting, choose bulbs with a cast that mirrors the palette's warm or cool undertones.
Sprinkle in dabs of contrast. Keep the eye engaged with just a few notes of a contrasting neutral. Pale woods, a gilt frame and a metal coffee table help to ground this airy space without detracting from its light touch.
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Use transparent and reflective accents for the illusion of added whites. Glass, crystal and mirrors can read as white in a room such as this bath. Add them to boost the space's texture through sparkle and to diversify the color scheme.
More:
How to Pick the Right White
How to Work with Bright White
24 Great White Kitchens
Alluring All-White Rooms
More:
How to Pick the Right White
How to Work with Bright White
24 Great White Kitchens
Alluring All-White Rooms
Ideabook updated on June 21, 2012.
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All white with some mini touch of color !