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
Start with a white room as a blank slate
Don't be afraid of white! Look at white as a place to start, allowing you to do whatever you want and go wherever your creativity takes you! Does your window offer a charming view of the ocean, forest, mountains or city? White is a canvas that can be used as a backdrop for gorgeous vistas. There is no better way to bring a fresh start to your home's interior than by painting its walls white. This clean slate strategy is often used immediately after purchasing a new home.
Fashionable trend in interior design – white kitchen
In the interior of a kitchen, two things are most often white - the walls or the kitchen unit. The latter option looks especially luxurious, considering that light-colored facades can be glossy, the room may also have a kitchen island of this type, and white color visually expands the space. Let's check if this is actually true.
White kitchen interior with island and dining area
In the photo: Interior of a white kitchen with a kitchen island
The interior of this room uses a white kitchen unit with glossy facades from floor to ceiling and a kitchen island of the same color. Even the bar stools, dining room chairs and walls are white too. Such a large number of light spots in the interior is balanced by a dark brown floor, black countertops and shine - bevels on mirrors, steel, gloss and crystal.
White kitchen in minimalist style with illuminated facade
In the photo: White kitchen interior in minimalist style
If your kitchen is less spacious, you can choose a minimalist design option. A white set will look great together with multi-colored modules, as in the version in the interior photo above. And household appliances here can be white or black and, best of all, glossy.
To decorate this interior, our designers used stylish glass panels for the walls and glossy porcelain tiles for the floor. Both materials are ideal for a minimalist style.
Fashionable kitchen in Provence style in white with a spectacular mosaic on the apron
In the photo: Interior of a white kitchen in Provence style
In the Provence style, light kitchen sets can be found very often. Traditionally it is made of wood with neat details and cute decorations, exquisite glass panes and wooden tops.
Luxurious classic kitchen in light colors
In the photo: Interior of a kitchen-living room with a dining area
In the classic style, white kitchen sets are also quite common. Sometimes it is decorated with golden decorative elements, sometimes not, and in the design of the floor, ceiling and kitchen splashback there is a desire for luxury and the use of natural materials such as marble and wood.
White kitchen design with a bar counter
In this memorable interior, a kitchen set with snow-white facades and a marble countertop that turns into a bar counter effectively contrasts with a blue onyx panel. The U-shaped layout of the kitchen is very ergonomic - the window sill area is used as a work area, and tall cabinets up to the ceiling are as spacious as possible.
Neoclassical kitchen in white with island and marble countertops
In the photo: White interior of a neoclassical kitchen
The white interior can be different - with pastel or bright accents, black and white or, for example, white and red. There are even all-white interiors, which is more common in neoclassical kitchen designs.
Modern kitchen in white gloss with island and breakfast bar
In the photo: White interior of a modern kitchen with an island
The patterns on the porcelain tile floor give this room a sophisticated charm, and the strict lines of the furniture and island encourage us to restrain our emotions. Using white color, our designers can create an interior with a completely different atmosphere - romantic, ultra-modern, modest and luxurious, your choice.
White kitchen with a breakfast bar and chairs in shades of black velvet and purple-pink
In the photo: White interior of a luxurious small kitchen
The combination of white and white-gray shades looks extremely elegant in a neoclassical style. If you add deep accents to this combination (for example, purple pink or black velvet, as in the kitchen photo above), the interior will become even more aristocratic.
Pictured: Modern white kitchen
Among the suitable accents it is worth highlighting emerald, malachite, midnight, as well as Persian blue, azure, indigo and Prussian blue, shades of viridian, chartreuse, lime and moss green. All of them can favorably highlight a light gray or white interior.
Fashionable open plan kitchen-living room in white colors
In the photo: White kitchen-living room in a city apartment
White is a great backdrop for open floor plans too. Using accents on a white background, it is very easy to zone rooms of different functionality - a kitchen, a dining room and a living room, as well as a fireplace room, an office, a library. A monochrome open-plan interior is an opportunity to create the illusion of maximum spaciousness and make the space visually much larger.
Pay attention to the source of natural light
Before painting a room white, determine its orientation relative to the cardinal directions. Rooms that face away from the midday sun take on a blue-gray hue that's great for a summer bedroom, gym, or studio. White paint optimizes the light in these spaces while keeping the rooms cool.
The same white color, however, will work very differently in the living room of a home somewhere in New England. The visual connection of white with snow and ice outside the windows will give rise to negative associations, even scare away. Here it is worth trying to diversify the white color with red, yellow or orange inclusions.
Rooms that don't receive much sunlight during the day are good candidates for being painted a warm shade of white. Colored pigments reproduce the thermal range of sunlight, resulting in increased activity levels and improved mood for those present in the room.
Neurophysiologists, using magnetic resonance imaging, have confirmed the physiological effects of color. Each of us can attest to the fact that warm colors make us feel warm. Artists are also well aware of this, and they not only know it, but have been successfully using it in practice for a long time.
Rooms facing south (we are talking about the northern hemisphere, in the southern hemisphere everything is exactly the opposite) are the most insolated. In both winter and summer, the part of your home that faces the sun will take on red and yellow hues on a clear day. White walls are a great choice for cooling these spaces, and the paint color can be adjusted to suit the brightness of the lighting. For example, gray softens the reflective qualities of white and helps to “calm” a space that has large windows that flood the living room with sunlight.
Of course, one color option cannot satisfy all daily or seasonal light variations. But at certain times of the day and at certain times of the year, your room will look its most inviting.
Use wall color to enhance or subtract natural light. Benjamin Moore's Off-White Collection of 140 whites is organized by shade and can help you choose cool (with blue, gray or green undertones) or warm (with red, orange or yellow undertones) whites. Other brands also have many different shades of white, so we recommend that you check the color fan each time to see the main shade for each option.
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
What's on the outside affects what's on the inside
Take a look outside the window and decide whether the foliage that blocks light helps or, on the contrary, interferes with your perception of the interior. For example, a tree outside a kitchen or living room window located on the south side of the house will air condition the house year-round, keeping out most of the sunlight in the winter and providing shade in the summer. You can do an "off white" if you wish. For example, gray-green will reduce the brightness of sunlight in winter when the tree is bare of leaves and the sun is low after the winter solstice. Pure white would reflect too much of the low winter sun.
Ocean view rooms are always amazing. The white walls of a summer residence can enhance the impression created, opening up the house and bringing it closer to the cool water.
But in winter, in houses located on the coastline, white color enhances the feeling of chill created by the inhospitable sea behind the window panes. This is especially noticeable in areas where the climate has strong seasonal temperature fluctuations. Some owners of houses located on the coast close their windows with heavy curtains throughout the winter to protect themselves and their loved ones from the gloom caused by the winter ocean.
When we see something cold, we feel cold. A color that is associated with something famous, hot or cold, can make us feel it. This explains why we perceive colors by their temperature, dividing them into cold or warm. White is considered the coolest color (especially its blues, grays and greens) because it reminds us of snow and ice. We see what we expect to see...
But white can still be a solution for a home located on the seashore, where, on the one hand, a breathtaking view opens from the window all year round, and on the other, the climate is characterized by extreme changes in air temperature. Choose a creamy white that has a small amount of yellow-orange pigment (like California Paints' DE6141 Salt Box). In the summer, when residents are often outside the home, soft vanilla will create a cool evening when people return home from the beach to relax.
If you decide to paint the walls of a house with a breathtaking view white, think about choosing the right shade. By choosing the right tone and eliminating the distinction between walls and wooden finishing elements with white paint, you will allow the landscape to remain frameless and expand the presence of an amazing picture in your home.
This strategy (painting both walls and trim), used to weed out architecture that obstructs vision, can be used with any color, but is most effective with white due to its reflectivity.
White color door to door
This color is surprisingly multifaceted: in the 20-30s it was used when they wanted to emphasize the wealth of the house and the aristocracy of the owners. And already in the 60s it served other purposes - it focused on the laconicism of the architecture and the rationality of the interior. Today, white is most often a companion to the Scandinavian interior style, breathing peace and comfort.
There is no need to list interior styles in which white color is necessary, desirable or possible: it will suit any design style.
Hallway in white
The hallway is white - not many people would dare to take this option. After all, white has a reputation as a “stainless” and impractical color for the home. On the other hand, no other paints are capable of enlarging and transforming a hallway as much as shades of white: milky, alabaster, platinum.
The fact is that white color is an ideal “canvas” on which, if desired, you can depict any “plot”. Several wall planters with climbing greenery will enhance the naturalness and environmental friendliness of the white hallway. And some bright detail, say, an orange pillow on a banquet or a frivolous pink hanger, will add expression, making the hallway memorable for guests.
The main thing is that white, especially in combination with a large mirror and light wood furniture, will not only “pull apart” the walls, visually expanding the hallway, but will, as it were, fill it with oxygen. Well, and cleanliness - maintaining it will not be at all difficult if you choose durable and easy-to-clean finishing materials.
Advice. White color is especially in harmony with shades of natural wood, with any natural materials such as linen or cotton, with floral patterns on wallpaper or curtains, and finally, with living plants themselves.
White living room
A living room decorated in white is often the result of a compromise: unlike any other color, none of the household will object to white.
Design specialists readily use white in the living room because it is the perfect backdrop for any decor, a field on which any idea can be realized. However, white color should not make up 100% of the interior palette, so that the room does not “smack” of a hospital... Determine in advance the places and objects that carry white color: these can be walls and ceilings, upholstered furniture and curtains, wooden furniture parts covered with white veneer or white varnish (glaze), or spacious white covers on armchairs, chairs and sofas.
The floor, and for a white setting, parquet flooring would be ideal; it is better to make it in the colors of alder, light walnut, beech or pear wood. This combination looks quite contrasting, but not too sharp.
Advice. If you want to add a touch of creativity to your decor, adopt a current technique: use white skirting boards (as well as ceiling moldings). A wide white plinth is an independent and very expressive artistic component.
The next step is to choose allied colors that will play the role of characteristic and rich accents. As well as decorative details. It’s great if you’re a painting lover: against no other background do paintings look as good as on a white wall.
Advice. If the living room is oriented to the north, use warm shades - for example, white paint with a particle of pink, yellow, or beige pigment. “Snowy” and “icy” tones are suitable for southern latitudes.
The third thing you need to pay attention to is the quantity and quality of lighting fixtures. It should be taken into account that in white rooms the play of light and shadow appears much more clearly; not only decorative elements are clearly visible, but also defects, for example, cracks on the walls. Too powerful, modern lamps can distort the perception of the room, making it unnaturally white, similar to an operating room... The solution is colored lighting, which will add a bit of intimacy and ease.
White color in the bedroom interior
A bedroom in white colors can be different. Expensive, even luxurious, like pearls in a frame, if you diversify it with such accessories as a white long-pile carpet, frames for mirrors and photographs, chest of drawers, candlesticks, a gold or silver lamp “leg,” and living, exquisite plants.
Or it can be emphatically simple, but very modern and cozy, if you decorate it in the style of Scandinavian minimalism. A bedroom where white dominates gives you the opportunity to fully relax, get away from the hustle and bustle and worries. The main participants in the palette can be textiles (carpet, bedspread, curtain) and furniture - a white chest of drawers with smooth outlines, a bedside table, an armchair. Actually, the last items may be enough to make the bedroom look charmingly white and elegant, like a bride.
Children's room in white
Children's room. Here the whites are diluted with colorful, cheerful tones that children like so much. In collaboration with such colors, white creates a cheerful atmosphere, at the same time adding air, light and space to the room. A traditional “girly” interior, dominated by pink or lilac tones, would be too “candy” if not for the intervention of white. You can’t do without softening white paint in a boy’s room.
White in a child's room is very often used for furniture and, first of all, for the bed: such furniture looks fragile, elegant and even a little toy-like.
Advice. White walls are especially recommended if you have a growing artist: children's drawings against their background will not be lost, but will become an original decoration. All white objects in the children's room should have dirt-repellent surfaces. Or ones that are easy to clean. Fortunately, the modern construction market offers many similar materials, including wallpaper, from which, if necessary, any stains can be easily removed.
White in the bathroom
A bathroom lined with white tiles is an immortal classic. You can argue as much as you like about the advantages of other, more saturated shades, but most families prefer a white bathroom.
However, this is understandable: white is an emblem of cleanliness, which is very suitable for the bathroom. And in order to avoid boredom and monotony from the abundance of white, there are multi-colored bath attributes, as well as “precious” fittings that can turn even a faceless sanitary room into the baths of the Queen of Sheba.
Kitchen interior in white
A kitchen with a predominance of white is one of the most popular solutions. White color in the kitchen is suitable for a rustic country style (especially if combined with natural wood and wooden rafters on the ceiling), for a classic style and for high-tech lovers - if white is combined with glass and aluminum parts.
And well-placed picturesque touches - a pattern on ceramic tiles, plastic seats, a decorative dish, some piece of household appliance in an unexpectedly catchy color - will invigorate the “official sterility” of the walls and facades of kitchen furniture.
Use white to open up space
Increasing the light makes rooms painted white appear larger. Shadows and edges are reduced in white space. When creating a palette for your home, try to keep this characteristic of white in mind.
But remember that spatial perception improves when rooms located sequentially on the same floor have a subtle shift in hue without sharp contrasts. For example, using a white color that deepens as rooms get larger can help visually reduce the variation in room size.
Find the white you like on the color guide of the company whose products you prefer to use. This color can be used to paint the walls of the smallest room. Then use the next darker shade for the larger room. Use colors of varying brightness and saturation to increase or decrease the visual size of each room. Your guests won't notice the change as they move from room to room, but will praise you for the calm and comfortable home you've created.
White color: the problem of cheap paint
Associations with hospital offices and wards are voiced quite often when it comes to the white color of the walls. And, indeed, in some rooms you can notice a slight blue or greenish tint of white. This clearly does not paint a universal and noble color, especially if you did not want to achieve such an effect. And the reason for this result is often cheap paint. Therefore, use high-quality finishing materials, because such repairs should please you and your family for at least 10-12 years!
It is important to pay attention to the advice not to use the base white color, as they say, paint from a can. This is a base that can be tinted to the desired shade!
Add texture to white to avoid a sterile look
There isn't a bathroom or kitchen that doesn't feel cleaner with white walls, countertops, cabinets or fixtures. We associate the color white with purity. By the way, this can be used if you are preparing your house for sale and want to make a better impression on potential buyers.
However, white color also has some disadvantages. By limiting the color palette of a room to a single color, you can make it look sterile and even boring. In this case, simply adding a textured surface to one of the walls will help bring back lost interest in the space.
Combination of white and gray
Recently, designers have seen great potential in the gray interior color. At the same time, all shades of this color are used in interior design, except dark gray, as it gives the room excessive gloom and neutrality. Light gray tones are universal, as they visually expand the space. This design is often used in small rooms.
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In the photo: Living room interior in a modern style apartment
The interior looks most natural when decorated in gray and white, but psychologists still recommend diluting it in doses with other shades. For example, sand or lavender color. A gray floor will visually expand the area. Laminate in a gray-beige or gray-violet shade will create an expensive and cozy atmosphere in a relaxation room.
For a work office, gray and white interior design is not a very good solution. In this case, the person will relax more than devote himself to work.
Layering of white and similar shades
If your room lacks personality, consider layering whites in similar shades - white, warm whites, grays, warm grays, etc. Use different materials in the same shades of white but different patterns and textures to create a room that has depth and is challenging. interest. This works especially well in bedrooms.
Textiles, headboards, window curtains and bedding can be combined harmoniously with each other and with the color of the walls, creating the effect of layering different shades of white in the interior.
Choosing the right shade of white
The first problem may arise already at the place of purchase of wall paint, since white is not one specific color, but a whole range, a set, if you like, a family of shades, which consists of dozens of different tones, matte and glossy, warm and cold, bright and dim. The general list includes sterile white, pearl and porcelain, frosty white and snow color, milky, cream and ivory, as well as opal, moonlight, coconut... and also the color of white chocolate or sea foam, flour, pearl, the color of paper and parchment. It’s very easy to get confused, especially when you don’t understand the combinations of white with other colors and shades well, and you don’t know how external factors can influence a given color, giving it different shades!
Warm white color is not suitable for decorating a room in minimalism, but goes well with the requirement of building a visual picture in pastel colors;
Dazzling white colors are more consistent with restrained styles and decorations, but are cold. Therefore, such rooms require more natural lighting with sunlight;
Pearl white and ivory soften aggressive sunlight if the room, for example, has panoramic glazing!
Such problems can be solved by carefully studying the color matching tables and comparing possible shades of paint for the walls. In addition, the issue is decided by a combination of shades, but only the right one, with a certain contrast between white colors of different shades and depths. An example would be a combination of cool white tiles, frosty northern colors and walls that are painted in warmer colors with hints of gray tint!
Let works of art take center stage among the white
Have you ever wondered why art galleries tend to have walls painted the same bright white? This technique allows the architectural details of the room to be thrown into the background so that nothing prevents visitors from focusing on the works on display.
If you can't imagine your home without paintings, sculptures, or any other eye-catching pieces of art, consider placing them on a white wall, on a white mantel, or above your crisp white bed. Do not doubt that the attention of your guests will be focused on the artistic values you have!
But unless your home has a great art collection or a breathtaking view, white can be a dead color, or at the very least uncomfortable, as a backdrop to the usual clutter and chaos in your home. Agree, not everyone wants to publicly display all the imperfections of their daily life. This is why young families often choose to put off the pure white they dream of and instead opt for khaki, which will endure and hide everything.
The secret of organic white walls
Choosing white to paint the walls does not mean giving up bright accents in the room. They are what make the house unique and reflect the individuality of the owners. Using white as a base makes it possible for other colors to dominate, thereby allowing the owners of the house to maximally reflect their inner world in the interior.
There are many decorating techniques to get the most out of white interior walls. They have been used in design for a long time. An example of this is Greek, Japanese, Moroccan and Scandinavian interiors. The feeling of pure minimalism of a white wall is offset by more colorful furniture, original carpets, handmade textiles and works of art. This contrast is the secret of a successful interior.
To soften the whiteness of the walls and add coziness to the room, it is worth using additional light sources: sconces, small chandeliers with warm bulbs, and not LEDs with a cool tint.
No matter how much controversy arises about the beauty, appropriateness and relevance of white walls, they do not go out of fashion and add a special charm to many interiors of various styles.
Use white when decorating a modern or traditional kitchen
The beauty of white is multi-faceted - from creamy white tones that pair well with traditional and classic wood kitchen cabinets with marble countertops, to the ultra-modern crisp white of minimalist kitchens. Many homeowners love white in the kitchen because it makes the room look clean and keeps the style as close to classic as possible.
Add color to an all-white room
A bathroom whose color palette is limited to white looks beautiful, but, alas, a little boring. A stunning color accent will help get rid of this feeling. A white bathtub, sink and floor will look striking against any color that catches your eye. Red mosaics, emerald and blue tiles or even monochrome metal covering one of the walls will make any snow-white bathroom look sophisticated and sophisticated!
Use white paint to improve the functionality of your closet
Most dressing rooms do not have windows. In addition, the idea of the need to create full lighting in them very often comes too late, after the renovation is completed. As a result, we have, to put it mildly, a poorly lit space where it can be difficult to find the right thing or choose an outfit for a party.
You can maximize the look and functionality of your walk-in closet by painting all surfaces with reflective white paint. To find out the reflective properties of the white paint you choose, carefully study the labels on the can. The higher the LRV (Lumin Reflectance Value) value, the more light will be reflected.
White highlights the other colors it surrounds (which is why it is so often used in art galleries). This will allow you to understand the color combinations of the items of clothing you plan to wear.
It is not at all necessary that the interior of the dressing room matches the color of the walls in the bedroom. Paint it white with a slight hint of the color of the bedroom walls.
Don't give up on white upholstery
You might think that white upholstery is harder to keep clean and will get dirty quickly. There is, of course, some truth in this, so it’s worth thinking about what type of fabric is best suited for a given room. For example, for a living room where there are quite a lot of people every day, it makes sense to choose faux leather or faux suede, as well as covers made of rough cotton fabric.
Such options are ideal for a home with pets or small children. Don't shy away from white, instead choose the right type of fabric.
White and metal - a timeless combination
Have you noticed one of the latest trends in the world of interior design - the use of neutral colors (white, black, gray or brown) combined with classic metallic colors? White is increasingly appearing in home interiors in combination with stainless steel, brass, copper or gold, and this pairing creates warmth and comfort. You can pair white with stainless steel appliances in the kitchen or brass fixtures in your living room. The reflectivity of metals and the clarity of white – what could be more interesting?
Combination with other colors
White color can be combined with any other shade. That is why it is used as a background, complemented by other tones. It combines most harmoniously with blue, red and black. For example, for those who love brightness, the combination of white and orange is ideal. To create nobility and sophistication, combine white with purple, for a relaxing environment - white and green. No matter how the combination is executed, it is important that there is harmony in the room.
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White color can make your interior versatile
White creates a canvas for you to decorate your interiors differently depending on the time of year. Whether you love fall with its gorgeous yellows and reds, or you love the bright colors and pastels of spring, a white background gives you the flexibility to change your decor to suit your mood! Create an all-season home that is welcoming all year round - all you need to do is change rugs, cushions, curtains, and bedding. In summer, a white interior gives coolness and freshness and does not need seasonal colors.
Use white to hide imperfections
White color can work as an eraser in your interior. If the house has some architectural flaws, white will help disguise them. And vice versa: in old houses, white color will highlight the magnificent stucco molding and highlight other hand-made masterpieces of the masters of the past. Transform your home with white, and you will see how much more comfortable and cozy your home has become!
Believe it or not, there are hundreds of shades of white! Every color in the spectrum has a white variant. White may have a faint hint of pink or yellow, green or purple. Look at kitchen cabinets and countertops, flooring, bathroom tiles, try to understand what color is dominant in your interior, and choose the best shade of white based on this. There are several “perfect whites” for every home.
Painting special wallpaper white for painting
Another option for obtaining white walls is to cover them with special wallpaper and then paint them. Thus, an original texture and the possibility of deeper absorption of excessive natural light are obtained.
An additional advantage of such wallpaper is the possibility of re-painting, in addition, with a change in color towards a deeper tone, darker shades.
Photo: white color in the interior
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