Winter White ....

With Christmas fast approaching we’re about to be covered in a blanket of white so I thought this post I’d chat about covering your interior in White as well.
White is absolutely one of the most popular hues with Designers and Clients alike. I suspect this is because it’s an incredibly complex colour even though it’s not really a colour. What makes white so complex is it’s wide variety of undertones. Some are warm (having a yellowy browny undertone) and some are cool (having a bluey grey-y undertone). There are also whites that have a hint of a colour in them that is basically a very tinted version of that colour and is warm or cool depending on that colour. Decorating with white means having to mix warm whites and cool whites. If you do all warm, it looks like a dirty white and if you use all cool, it looks really cold. A good way to do all White is a “Cookies&Cream” approach. This is where you mix cool white walls, furniture and chrome metallics with dark chocolate woods in your floors and case goods (see my earlier blog post “The Neutral Zone” for more). But what if you want ALL WHITE? Like a Nordic paradise or Superman’s Fortress of Solitude? Well this means you need to mix warm and cool whites to balance it all out. Like this:

Here you can see an all white Interior mixing warm and cool whites. The walls have a cool blue undertone. The floors are a yellow undertone. Then I’ve mixed them throughout the soft furniture, accessories and case goods. The other way to add visual interest is by layering textures. You can see some tables are a lacquered finish, some show wood grain. The rug has a plush pile. The throw pillows are faux fur, linen and knitted. Even the sofa has button tufting and the floor lamp shade is textured. These all combine to make a great visually interesting look. A note about art: if you have a great view like this, keep your art simple and neutral because the view will be your art. If it’s less than stellar, consider using art dramatically to draw focus. If you choose the latter, be aware that if the art is coloured it will really stand out even if black and white. Be aware that you can use coloured art in an all white room if you like as it doesn’t necessarily have to be part of a room’s colour scheme


So there’s my advice if you want to create an all white interior. Of course, you can always hire a Designer to handle a room like this if it seems too daunting. We’re always here for you.
Also, this is my final blog post for 2018 as I’ll be taking a couple of weeks for the Xmas holidays to spend with my family. Starting in 2019 I will likely only be doing a post bi-weekly or possibly once a month. I may be booking a new client with a time sensitive project I hope to land and make great and I’ve agreed to volunteer to help out with the Decorators & Designers Association of Canada’s (of which I am a proud member) annual awards gala in the Spring and there is some other volunteer work I’d like to start doing in the Toronto community. All of that will take up some of my time but it’s all part of The Well Designed Life I’ve created for myself and want for my Clients and everyone.
Until 2019, have a great Holiday Season and thanks for reading


Steve

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