This collection of interiors utilizes white walls to create focus, balance and contrast for a variety of different aesthetics.
1. Build a Bold Niche. Create a focal point to contrast the white walls. This cozy niche, concentrated in the corner, feels warm and inviting. The rich colors and patterns in the sofa play off the crisp simplicity of the space, giving the illusion of a niche floating between the white walls.
2. Get Graphic. Make a statement with black and white. Focus on incorporating elements with pattern and texture to build interest. If you can't stay away from color, add a few accents of a bold hue, like yellow or orange.
3. Warm It Up. Avoid the cold, stark feeling that some shades of white give off and add warmth through the use of wood. In this workspace, the touches of maple, in the frames and the desk, give the room a feeling of comfort and serenity.
4. Focus On The Floor. A darker floor has the power to ground a room. Keep the walls light and airy and the floor dark, to establish a sense of elegance. If you're dealing with ugly wall-to-wall carpet, considering adding an area rug on top of the carpet to better define the space (and hide the yucky carpet.)
5. Let There Be Light. Play with light and shadow on the walls. Lighting is very powerful in transforming the way a space feels. Diffused light and multiple light sources can soften a harsh atmosphere for a more calming vibe. Ceiling fixtures, like the pendant in this living room, also double as sculptural elements, used to add dimension.
(Images: 1. Bolig, 2. Agent Bauer, 3. Style Files, 4. Rue, 5. freshome.)






Commercial Flour Sa...
The last photo is by far my favorite. It's amazing how different rooms can be despite superficial similarities.
Great post - white sometimes gets an unfair bad rap.
When I was a renter, I would always paint the walls just to make it feel like it was "mine" without even realizing that that's what I was doing. Now that I'm a homeowner, I realized that I WANTED white even though I could do whatever I wanted to my property. It looks clean and reflects a lot of light. I wonder how many renters paint over white walls just to put their stamp on the apartment even though, maybe, just maybe, white would be super awesome?
I'm loving all these white-wall posts. I'd been feeling stuck with white, but our landlord is due to repaint our place this spring, and though it will be white, it will be CLEAN and bright again. These posts are helping me rethink some changes to the place I want to make.
These rooms are nice but I can't help imagining what they'd look like with color on the walls... better, in my opinion.
my parents live in an all white house because my mother says that it looks bigger and is brighter that way. I always bemoaned the white walls because they were so boring. it wasn't until i started renting that i realized how effortlessly homey her house is despite the white.
I've been renting my small Government-owned Seniors unit for over 20 years here in Perth, Western Australia. I love my little home and have done lots of decorating over the years and have a stockpile of decorating magazines and books to inspire me. I always loved the look of the all-white homes but never had the courage to do it to my own home.....until now...!
In the last couple of months I have been working my way through the unit, painting all the walls from cream to white, and then after moving furniture around a little bit I feel that I'm living in a whole new place....... and I LOVE IT...!
I just can't understand why I didn't do it much sooner. Even my (mostly white) furniture looks different and I have lots of touches of colour from my extensive book collection and cream couches and taupe home-sewn cushions. I'm in my 70's and I do all my own sewing, painting and gardening myself because I LOVE to do it and it gives me a lot of satisfaction.
I have also just finished painting my kitchen, bathroom and laundry white too and feel so happy now that I finally have an all-white home of my own...! It all looks bigger and brighter than I ever realised it could look...! Don't hesitate... be brave and plunge in.
Nope no white walls for me thanks.
I'll take crisp white walls over the other landlords favourite 'Magnolia' any day! Great ideas here...