GETTING trendy? I grew up with so much Scandinavian teak furniture you would think I was Danish. It was considered classy and hip back then, its classy and hip now. I will always love it and wish I could live in Benita Larsson's house. (chezlarsson.typepad.com) I would settle for her coming over and organizing my place.

Yikes, this looks like an accident waiting to happen.

All-white interior? BahaHaa! Yes, I laugh, but we are thinking of trying white in the basement, because it's so dark down there with not so many windows. It will have to be some very washable paint though and not the usually matte latex (but not oil and must be low or preferably no VOCs.) Including painting out the gas and water lines and old stone foundation walls.

Any suggestions?

I lack not only the discipline but also the clean and tidy DNA that this style takes. I do love the look though.

I follow Benita Larsson as well. She has a remarkable combo of style, creative talent and organizational know how. I get a lot of inspiration from her blog.

I used to love the all-white look but since it has become so ubiquitous it is starting to feel stale. Color and pattern add personality and dimensionality --- while all white interiors can lack both. Plus, they are impractical. So while I love Scandinavian furniture and also the "less is more" approach to furnishing, I could never embrace the all-white Scandy look in my own home. (Especially with a black dog!)

I'm Scandinavian and I do like pale naturals and wood tones and white walls but not the all white thing :) I lived with white painted floors for three months and they were a nightmare. They showed every crumb and speck of dust and tiniest stain. I was constantly mopping and sweeping. Ick.

I'm thinking maybe all that white helps with seasonal affective disorder during those long winters? I'm attracted to the ScandiMod look & wonder if it's because of my Norwegian mother's influence or the fact that winters are long & dark in Wisconsin, where I grew up. Love the blonde birch & maple wood furniture that I associate with Scandinavian Modern.

I like the look, and I think it is quite a bit of upkeep but then, I don't mind cleaning.

I am also Scandinavian, and yes, my house is quite white. However, I think there is a huge difference between what these white interiours looks like in reality and how they look on the photos. First of all, many pictures comes from styled home where everything has been taken away. Often it would not be possible to live comfortably if it was like in the photos. Secondly, the photos are almost always taken in a way that makes everything appear a lot whiter and brighter than it really is. (I know nothing of cameras, so I have no idea what it is really called) When selling our apartment, we almost didnt recognize on the picture because of this "all white setting"

Apart from that, though, yes, I love white and I do not really think it is that hard to pull off once all the walls are painted white.

So blinding my eyes hurt.

I love the all white look however, I have a black dog; the hair would show on everything.

I think after a while I would worry I was going blind.

coldcitydweller: stains on a good quality white super matte finish are easily cleaned with a «magic sponge» (white foam type of sponge). I find matte white softer to the eyes. I recently painted two rooms with it: one was originally burnt orange and the other was lime green. The matte latex was sold as «ceiling paint» and was 30% cheaper than other finishes from the same manufacturer. It is often sold in large quantity (5 gall.) at a discount. Althouth my walls were rather dark to begin with, it only took two coats to get a perfect finish. I then applied two coats of white satin latex for the woodwork, a finish that can be cleaned more often. I love the result and the low cost.

It's beautiful! But, for me, I've got to have color all around me.

This is beautiful. I like lots of white but I agree with Evergirl that in reality white it a lot more relaxed and livable then professional photos make it look.

To me white is the ultimate background to real life. Everything looks better against white!

There is a fun 'psychological' test I found that I give to friends. They answer the questions and it 'reveals' things about them. One questions asks, 'how would you feel in an all white room with no windows or doors?'.

That question represents how they feel about DEATH. Yeah. Just sayin'.

I LOVE the all-white look. Just last week I finally eliminated the builder beige walls of my condo with a few coats of Ben Moore White Dove in a flat, matte finish. I have dark hardwoods and cabinetry/doors and white, slipcovered upholstery - so it's not totally Norwegian, but for me, white walls are fresh, inviting and simply sheer happiness. The few guests I've had to date confirm it makes my small place feel brighter and airy. To me, the key benefit of white, beyond it being my fav "color" - it provides a fresh, clean slate that will allow me to change out the feel of the room by switching out pillows and wall art - cheap, inexpensive and quick fixes to switch on a whim or by the season.

And, to those who say it's hard to keep clean, well, the dirt is there whether you can see it or not. I'd rather see it... although I spend a lot of quality time with my vacuum and microfiber clothes. ;-)

Nope, if I wanted to live in a snowbank, I'd build an igloo! I cannot fathom this being casually comfortable, I'd be worrying about every scuff or spill, and I scuff and spill enought to know it would never work for me!

all white floor is just impractical unless you have a house keeper mopping several times a day. i like the look though.

I love the all white look, but really only in one room. I tend to like white balance (pops of color and wood but mostly white) and more white in the kitchen and bathroom.

I not only lack the discipline, but the desire to do this in the first place. Yes, it creates a coherent statement, but to my eyes it's just boring.

I love the look of those white-washed floors. I'm not afraid. I've yet to find the floor color that doesn't show dirt or dust or white dog hair or black cat hair or chocolate smears or cookie crumbs ... You get the picture.

this would lead me down a path of some serious ocd. I would absolutely lose my shit trying to keep that clean.

I could pull it off, but not keep it up. ;)

@callaloo and others that worry about going blind - this is the point of the white walls - to draw in light - not physically impair you of course! In Scandinavia the winters are long and dark so the whole white "look's" fashionablility is accutally a sideeffekt of us Scandinavians not becoming completely depressed during winter time.
I have hated the white walls and refused to adhere to them for many years but I have finally caved and actually gone the extra mile and varnished the wall to maximize their ability to reflekt light.

If you are so fortunate to live in a place with lots of light you can add more color to the mix. You can even try and reverse it by going mad with color on the walls and floor and having all white furniture - if you are a bit of a pig like me who likes to eat and pull up your feet on the couch stay away from the white couches unless they are leather ones.

I have white floors in my kitchen and hallway which are the floors that get the heaviest use and because the surface is hard and smooth it takes me 3 minutes to clean both of them and yes the need a little more vacuuming than darker floors would but all in all they are so worth it.

I live in a condo with white walls, very light color flooring, and mostly white furniture and accessories. Most of the time I don't even notice that it is white, the space just feels very open and bright. Do keep in mind that these photographs do not accurately capture the mood and brightness of a white space. Obviously white balance and brightness settings are turned up to max on these photos, so in real life it would not be so "blinding" as some have pointed out.

Just imagine a modern museum, everything is mostly white except for the artwork. It makes a space feel more quiet and calming, and from my experience, it's a lot easier to upkeep than spaces with dark walls, flooring and furniture, which show every little bit of dust.

I'm Scandinavian, and no. I like white, but enough is enough. And - I've said it before and I'll say it again - painting over beautiful old hardwood floors should be a crime.

I adore the neutral palette. And there are often pops of color. Though I don't paint my walls bright white it does challenge me to let my accents do the talking and leave the walls neutral. Its more timeless that way.

I could TOTALLY pull this off. In fact, I would prefer it! My husband, however, always begs me to "add more color" to our space. There is something so romantic and calming in this all-white, Scandinavian style for me. Ahh... maybe one day I can convince my husband. :)

I don't know if it's my Norwegian ancestry, but I've always loved the clean, minimal look of Scandinavian design. My bedroom is all white, and I'm continually drawn to the all white rooms I've seen posted here on AT, but I too have problem with buying colorful accessories. The trick is to rotate your pops of color as the seasons change. That way I never get bored and it keeps the room from becoming stale. If a messy college student like me can handle an all white room you can too.

I painted all of my walls and floors white about 18 months ago. I used to have a lot of color, but when I decided to renovate, I was really drawn to the calm feel of all white spaces. Wood and natural textures keep it from feeling to cold and stark. I live in NYC and have a stimulating job, so having a calm atmosphere at home is great. The white really opened up the space. I love it.

To address some of the above comments... I am not an obsessive cleaner - luckily, the space is small. I swiffer about every other day and do an occasional mop. As someone else mentioned, the "magic eraser" sponge works wel. It really is amazing. I recently thought I might have to repaint some spots, but I used the 'eraser' and it completely brightened up the paint.

I didn't feel bad painting over the wood because it was not in good condition. I used low/no VOC paint, Ivy Coatings, mixed in BM Chantilly Lace, which has proven to be a really nice neutral white. Ivy Coatings makes primer and floor paint. I bought it at Green Depot.

Hope this was helpful for anyone wanting to take the all white plunge. The space can be seen here if you are interested... http://ow.ly/7kjh6