Why White Rooms Work - Or Not

My example white room. Does it work - or not?

A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of a white room on my Facebook page. I wanted to get your opinion of the space. I was curious how many of you would like it and how many would not. I also told you that I would let you know my opinion of the room.

First, let me say that decorating with white brightens a room and creates the illusion of a larger space. Best of all, white is suitable for any taste or style - traditional, transitional, contemporary, etc. If you ever rented, you were probably forced to live with white walls and might have grown to dislike them. However, keep in mind the variations of white are numerous. Sherwin-Williams offers 184 different variations of white in their color palette so there is no shortage of colors to choose from.

Sherwin-Williams family of whites

So what is my opinion of this particular room. Here goes...

First the disclaimer - decorating is extremely subjective. I know that because I work with many clients who have completely different tastes. It is all about your own personal taste and style. So if you like the room as is, that's fine. However, I can tell you that to my eye it is missing some things that are needed to finish it so that it becomes the stunning room it's trying to be. So I guess I just gave it away. Yep. I don't like it. 

It's not because it's horrible or anything like that. I feel it's not finished. It's missing some critical elements that would make it warmer and more complete. That's why I chose to show it to you. I felt this room was the perfect jumping off point to discuss what makes white rooms work - or not.

Let me take you through it and see if you agree:

Large white pot and container in fireplace.

1. Eliminate too much contrast. The point of an all white room is that your eye can sort of float from one thing to another without any one item demanding too much attention. The fireplace, in this case, is a big black hole - as someone pointed out. You are looking for tranquility in this room and instead your eye is forced to go to the fireplace. This focal point needs less focus. The issue is, your eye is going to go to the one thing that looks the most different or out of place. In an all white room, it's going to be any color, or in this case the void of color. So what can you do short of painting the inside of the fireplace white (which I do not recommend, btw)? 

Try to reduce the amount of black that's showing. There's a few ways to do that, you can put a stool or a bench in front of the fireplace, you could also put white candles in silver or crystal or white holders, you could put varying sizes of vases, or even white logs. You could also get a nice metal fireplace screen in front. The point is to try to counteract all that black with some white to soften the appearance of it. 

A little color and a lot of white.

2. Keep artwork soft and neutral. If you have made the decision to do an all white room then stay true to your vision. The artwork above the fireplace bothers me - in my opinion it does not belong in this room. It's too strong and dark for this light, airy room - like the fireplace itself. Wall art should be minimal in color - like the piece that is hanging above the chair by the windows. Look for pieces that primarily read as white and soft in hue. Or you consider framing smaller pieces in white or metallic frames with borders in white. 

3. Add texture and pattern. A monochromatic palette works best when there are lots of textures to catch the eye. Different surfaces absorb the light differently, creating multiple tones. That is why layering textures is so important. Think about satins with wovens or metal and glass with wood. They all play different with the light and that is why creates interest. In the case of this room, while there are some varying textures, there is not enough. All the fabrics, with the exception of two throws and the sheepskin rug, are cotton. In this room,  an opportunity to use different fabrics and surfaces was missed. 

The texture of the wallpaper, the bedding, headboard, mirror - all gorgeous textures
that play with the light, but maintain the rooms quiet elegance and interest.

4. Play with tone. White is far from boring. As you saw above, Sherwin-Williams alone has 184 colors of white so there are literally hundreds of varying shades and tones of white, ranging from bright hues with a cool milky feel to warmer historic shades that create depth. In our room, warm whites would help to soften the room and given a sense of comfort which would pair perfectly with the existing bright whites which give it its modern, minimalist vibe. The lack of varying textures could have been fixed by layering more tones of white. The lilac footboard and two blankets are the only variation. They missed an opportunity to warm up the space by adding warmer tones in the chair by the window, the floor by the bed and pillows on the sofas.

Beautiful tones of white on white on white.

Tone-on-tone white space - lovely.

5. Play up architectural elements. Beams, interesting ceiling lines, arches, or moldings are beautiful in white. One way to play them up is to paint them in a semi-gloss instead of just a flat white paint. It has the same affect as textures do on fabrics and add a certain element of elegance to the room.

Nieborów Palace - The White Room - just look at the molding and trim!

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Copyright 2013, Cristina Mullins Interiors.