The color white is treated in two ways. Some believe that it refreshes the interior, makes it light and positive; others are afraid of ending up with a boring, sterile space. In fact, whether an interior with white walls will be truly impressive depends on a whole set of factors.
Relaxation area by the fireplace Source 3.bp.blogspot.com
Advantages and disadvantages
Although people tend to criticize white for being impractical, it is one of the favorite colors among designers and serves as a starting point for most interiors. White color is widely used as a main, accent or background color; he carries a positive attitude and has many positive qualities:
- Expansion of space. White color reflects the sun's rays better than all other shades, which means it makes the room brighter and expands the space.
To make it brighter Source lakbermagazin.hu
- Compatibility. In a physical sense, what we call white is actually the absence of all spectral colors. Therefore, it can be easily combined with all other colors.
Idea for a country house Source vannadecor.ru
- Diversity. Like any other color, it has a lot of shades and halftones.
Beige and white luxury Source www.thespruce.com
- Neutrality. An important advantage is the lack of connection to style. The color is appropriate in classic and modern styles; all shades look good on surfaces with a wide variety of textures.
Game of halftones Source www.ivd.ru
- Background for experiments. With white walls, you can update the design of the room as often as you want, for which it is enough to change textiles and update accessories. The transformation will be quick, easy and inexpensive.
When white is not enough Source www.thespruce.com
- Relevance. An interior with white walls never goes out of style. A white living room or bedroom will look stylish and fresh no matter what trends are booming in a particular season.
In the traditions of the past Source homester.com.ua
The disadvantages include the following considerations:
- Many people believe that white color causes an uncomfortable feeling and makes the room cold. In fact, the feeling of warmth or cold depends on the shade, and white has plenty of warm undertones, including ivory, eggshell, and white chocolate.
Mediterranean style Source www.ideasonthemove.com
- Many people find too much white boring. However, the problem has a simple solution: a combination of several shades and textures will rid the room of the aura of facelessness.
In ethno style Source www.99.co
- Like all light shades, it is considered impractical; supposedly there is a lot of dirt on it. This argument does not stand up to criticism - if you do not monitor cleanliness, dirt will be everywhere - on white, and on brown, and on black. A different color scheme is preferable, perhaps for the flooring or walls of a nursery (and not always).
Modern design Source i.pinimg.com
- The only significant disadvantage is that the slightest irregularities appear on the white surface, but this is a question of the quality of the walls.
Dark grout in the tiles creates the desired contrast Source eocdn.eofastighet.se
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in interior remodeling
Options for decorating different rooms with white walls
White shades look appropriate in rooms for different purposes. Examples of interior design include combinations of primary and secondary colors.
It must be borne in mind that the use of light colors evokes thoughts of a government room, but also creates the impression of cleanliness. This is appropriate in the kitchen and bathroom, and partially in the bedroom. In the remaining rooms you need to add color.
Living room
In the living room you can put a bright environment - a sofa and a wall. If the floor is made to look like wood, a brown carpet is placed next to the upholstered furniture, wooden coffee tables and the same chairs are placed on it, the interior will sparkle.
Kitchen
Since, like the bedroom, the kitchen should be sparkling clean, it is possible to choose white cabinets and the same table. A way to dilute the color is to make the apron a blue shade. Faux leather chairs in the color of the apron will maintain a feeling of comfort. It is better to decorate the floor with wood.
Bedroom
In the bedroom, the combination of wall and furniture colors is minimal. A mirrored white floor and light walls look harmonious with a quilted white bedspread and the same headboard. Just add brown glass vases with flowers on the bedside tables and a lush green plant in a floor vase by the window, and the decor will no longer resemble a hospital.
Children bedroom
Children's rooms are decorated in light colors if the room is small and poorly lit. The interior technique is this: one wall is made darker and you are allowed to draw on it with crayons, and the approach to the rest is made difficult by furniture. The floors are covered with gray floor covering. The beds are covered with gray-pink bedspreads. Pillows in funny pictures that match the color of the bedspreads are placed on top.
And other possible options
To prevent the impression of a government-owned room, different textures of materials are used in the bathroom. The floors are tiled, the walls are treated with cellular plaster or made of light brick. A mirror on the wall and flowers on the windowsill will add coziness.
Multicolored white
Once upon a time, white walls in the rooms of all houses and apartments looked approximately the same due to the meager choice of finishing materials. Fortunately, these times have sunk into oblivion, and today homeowners have a palette with a variety of shades at their disposal; their mass can be divided into several groups:
- Warm. White paint is diluted with yellow and red. The result is shades such as cream, antique, baked milk, magnolia.
Living room combined with kitchen Source www.pnyd.eu
- Cold. Gray and blue paints are added, and the output is the color of bleached linen (ecru), lily, zinc, sand.
White and brown room Source www.cgarchitect.com
- Shades that inherit physical properties. Tint options: opal, sea shell color.
From snow-white to pearl Source img.aviarydecor.com
Tones are used when it is necessary to make the interior softer. All of them are wonderfully combined with pastel shades, the color scheme turns out to be more interesting, the interior takes on a finished look (which many people lack if pure white is used).
Harmony of the palette Source www.remontbp.com
Combinations of tones are great for a bedroom or nursery, as they have a positive effect on mood and have a relaxing effect on the psyche.
In a small nursery Source elnikova.com
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in completing unfinished houses
Functions and meaning
White color is the choice of people who are independent, free and liberated. Having seen the interior of the apartment with a predominance of white, we can safely say that the owner of the apartment is a confident, successful and neat person. After a hard day at work, white will help restore strength, calm down, and relieve stress. It even restores the structure of brain activity.
In color therapy, white has a positive effect on mood. All experiences, anxieties and fears go with him. It stimulates the functioning of the endocrine system and organs of vision. The perception of color also occurs through the skin, so in color therapy it is used to treat certain dermatological diseases.
The fundamental quality of white is equality, since it contains all colors equally. He always inspires - creative people love him. However, if there is a lot of it, negative characteristics can gain strength. Due to its physical properties, white has a unique ability to expand space. A white ceiling in the interior will look higher, the walls will look wider, and the interior elements will appear larger.
White is a good backdrop for bright accents, enhancing them and drawing attention to them. A black table on a white floor will look more impressive and elegant, as will beautiful curtains with large red flowers in a white kitchen. In addition, in interior solutions it is used to neutralize the contrast between two colors. Black-red-white kitchens or black-white-green kitchens are becoming increasingly popular in interiors.
Subtleties of use
In real life, white surfaces often look completely different from the paint in the picture in the catalog. Their whiteness is inevitably set off by surrounding objects and other surfaces, even if they are also white.
The strict charm of minimalism Source a-3.com.ua
The perception of color is also influenced by the nature of artificial lighting (whether it is warm or cold), and even the location of the plane itself - horizontal or vertical.
With a touch of country Source sinergiaconsultores.co
It is generally accepted that a small room can be visually enlarged by using light colors. The rule applies to shades of white, but not to pure colors. If the room is small, then, as a rule, it has one window; an abundance of white in the decoration will not give the expected effect.
How to make a small kitchen bigger Source rdcnewsadvice.wpengine.com
Also, do not overuse absolute white if the room has several small windows, faces north, or is blocked from sunlight by tree crowns. In this case, the color of the walls will take on a grayish tint, and the room will still look dark.
When the bedroom looks dark Source st.hzcdn.com
White color will fulfill its task of improving illumination and expanding space if a sufficient amount of sunlight, direct or diffuse, enters the room. This condition will be met if the room has one or more large windows, or it faces south.
Outside the city Source www.scapoldujos.info
An example of successful room design with white walls is Scandinavian-style interiors. In the vast majority there are one or more large windows; many sport French windows, and sometimes panoramic glazing.
Panoramic glazing Source i.pinimg.com
Advantages and disadvantages
First, let's look at the features of white color in wall design:
| Advantages | Flaws |
| Designers joke that white does the job for them, adding space and air. Therefore, it is considered a win-win option. | If you use cheap paint, the walls will take on a greenish “hospital” tint. Therefore, the material needs to be tinted at least a little. |
| Creamy, pearl and snow-white shades serve as an excellent backdrop for furniture and decor. | Despite its external simplicity, white is one of the most complex colors, requiring special attention to finishing during renovations and order in the house. |
| Light colors give a feeling of freshness and comfort. | Not suitable for those who associate it with sterility and facelessness. |
In interiors
White interiors were also known in classical styles, but they firmly became fashionable in the 20-30s of the last century, where, depending on the direction, they carried different meanings. Today they continue to be in demand in the following styles:
- Minimalism. One of the main consumers of all kinds of white shades, which harmonize perfectly with strict lines and minimal decor. Laconic aesthetics allow combinations with contrasting colors: black, brown, dark blue.
Kitchen in minimalist style Source pantera.ua
- Scandinavian style. It is impossible to imagine this direction without light shades, which serve as the personification of comfort and naturalness. The spacious rooms are filled with comfortable furniture and elegant decor, using both warm and cool tones.
When there is a holiday in the soul Source kep.cdn.indexvas.hu
Living-dining room Suomi Source 2.bp.blogspot.com
- Modern. Here white is a marker of luxury, aristocracy and success. Without light shades, it is almost impossible to harmoniously combine the rich colors to which style gravitates.
Dining room in Art Nouveau style Source i.pinimg.com
Mid-century modern Source hgtvhome.sndimg.com
- Contemporary. The modern trend is distinguished by a variety of design techniques and a desire for comfort, and also likes to borrow ideas and accessories from other styles. Light colors are the ideal backdrop for these experiments.
Contemporary Source hgtvhome.sndimg.com
With a blue accent Source www.ivd.ru
- "Industrial" styles. Light colors are a real find for loft, high-tech and other techno styles. They soften the impression of the interior and bring much-needed comfort.
Brick wall in the loft living room Source mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net
Loft kitchen Source ruemag.com
What interior design styles are white walls suitable for?
White can be incorporated into any design style. Colored accessories will help you create classic and retro, minimalism and Scandinavian design, and many others.
The choice of room style in an apartment depends on the tastes of its owners. Don't blindly follow fashion, as it changes too often. You can create your own style with a few touches that do not require a lot of time and money.
Classic and Country
In a bedroom with a white brick wall, heavy sea green curtains are hung. A chandelier is bought with crystal or glass pendants. Advice - soft chairs and bedspreads should be made in the same color as the curtains.
Minimalism
A studio apartment looks impeccable in the Minimalist style. The floors and table are designed to look like wood. There are brown leather chairs around the table. A sofa with leather upholstery is placed in the relaxation area. Modern lamps with brown shades are hung above the dining table.
Loft
The Loft style is easy to recreate in the kitchen and dining room. A table with a stove, drawers and a work surface is placed opposite the sink. Top cabinets and a hood with glass facades will add color. A white round table and chairs made of transparent plastic will complete the interior.
Scandinavian style
This style is achieved using several details. In the bedroom, just put a blue striped bedspread on the bed, hang a chandelier in the shape of a snow globe, and a snow-white curtain on the window.
In a two-room apartment, it is better to make the style of the rooms the same.
Disadvantages
A photo of a white wall certainly looks advantageous, but this decoration has its negative aspects.
White color is initially impractical and requires constant care. Read: Blue walls in the interior - combination, choice of style, decoration, furniture, curtains and decor. 80 photos of examples of decorating a living room, nursery, kitchen, corridor, bathroom in a blue palette
A purely white room is subconsciously compared to a hospital, so white should always be diluted - by playing with contrast or combining it with calm tones.
