Blue or Green or Teal Great Room or Living Room Art or Painting or Picture
Where did the time go? A year ago yesterday, we moved into our electric current new-to-us, really old dwelling, a house we didn't originally intend to seriously consider buying, only that we all actually dear.
(Me: Is information technology annoying that I proceed telling you lot how much I love our firm? Will: Nope, because I never desire to move again.)
The house was built in 1912, only the interior was completely redone the year before we bought information technology. We hear it was a gut job. (They fifty-fifty moved a staircase!) And every wall in the house—with the exception of an attached porch off my function (beige)—was painted white. Specifically, Benjamin Moore's Simply White.
A quick annotation about these photos: I love y'all muchly, but I am not a home blogger, and this is not a business firm bout. I promise these pictures give you an idea of our space and how it impacts our white wall satisfaction level.
Clean slate on moving day
We'd tried white walls in the past, and weren't happy with the look. In our old homes—built in 1939 and 1960—they didn't wait pleasingly elementary, they looked unfinished. My previous white spaces looked apathetic, no affair how much texture or pattern I worked into the room.
I thought white walls weren't for me.
Simply and then nosotros saw this house. It's a 1912 Craftsman, with lots of calorie-free, ten-foot ceilings, and interesting architectural details. We decided pretty quickly to leave the white walls for the fourth dimension being. Moving is exhausting, and not painting is easy.
Our living room vi weeks afterwards nosotros moved in. Don't worry, the goggle box hasn't been over the mantel for a long time.
But besides, we liked the look—and when else were we going to get the chance to live in an all-white domicile for a while with so little piece of work? We viewed it as our opportunity to experience the business firm with a neutral-ish backdrop then nosotros could decide how we wanted to motility forrad. My friend Myquillyn calls this "quieting the house."
What the pros say about all-white walls:
I was surprised to discover that professional designers don't like all-white walls. House Beautiful calls information technology "a paint color mistake you should never make," and they're in skilful visitor. Designers say it's rare that a single color—no affair what it is—truly suits every room in the firm. People are drawn to all white because it's simple and easy, only that doesn't hateful information technology looks practiced.
Looking into the library from the living room. Read more than about our library hither.
But look. What about all those gorgeous white rooms on Instagram and blueprint blogs? Well. It turns out that designers also say that white photographs really well—and so much and so that information technology often looks much better in photos than in existent life. The Wall Street Periodical even calls white walls "Instagram gold," considering they look terrific in photographs and hands combine to make a unified grid. (Psst—information technology'due south as well easy to artificially amp up the lighting for photos, and nigh of those pattern mag white wall photos I dear get serious lighting aid.)
Flat pigment is best for looks. More than on that in a minute.
The salvaged wooden isle warms upwardly our all-white kitchen. I take a lot of book stack photos hither because the light is amazing.
What I know at present nigh because the all-white look:
• Our instincts were expert: when choosing paint colors, the bones of the business firm are important. White walls highlight the architecture, so you need to like it.
• Natural calorie-free is a must. Bright white rooms are lovely, but dim white rooms expect institutional. (Rule of thumb: if you need to plough on lights during the day, there's non enough natural light for white walls.)
• What I didn't realize: what'southward outside the firm affects how the walls look inside the house. Of class a large tree in front of the window blocks low-cal, but they too cast a greenish glow into the room. Ditto for our exposed green rafters, and the copse whose leaves turn orange and cerise in the fall.
It's piece of cake to add pops of color to a neutral backdrop.
• Texture is of import or your place looks sterile. This comes from the firm itself, like in that very elevation photo with the painted wooden wall boards, or the fireplace and mantel. And textiles, and besides furniture and floors. (Ours are hardwood throughout, with area rugs, except for the sunroom, which has wooden floors painted a medium gray. I wish I knew what the actual color was.)
I twelvemonth in, here's what I've learned virtually living with white walls:
• It's like shooting fish in a barrel. So like shooting fish in a barrel. We have four kids and a canis familiaris, but we can touch up paint on the whole house in ten minutes because nosotros just need one can of pigment, or two if the trim needs assist.
• Except when information technology's non. Our walls are flat white, which tin can't be cleaned. The trim is eggshell, which is easier (but not piece of cake) to wipe off.
• More easy: having a uniform scheme (if we tin can call this a "scheme") saved me from having to brand piles of decisions at a time when I couldn't afford decision fatigue. Plus everything seamlessly flows.
White walls are great for photographs, especially this textured brick. It looks yellow-ish here: we snapped this right after nosotros moved in and didn't all the same know how to shoot the white walls. Shirt from Readerly.
• It photographs really well. I have 60% of my blog photos in one of our white rooms (with great low-cal), ofttimes in front of a painted white brick wall (the only wall in the house that's semi-gloss) similar the one above. (I'grand guessing I take another 30% in the library, which has good light, but not amazing light.)
• I was agape all-white would feel boring, but it feels (more often than not) serene. I did have to consciously add personality with accents, which stumped me for a while, just we got there. (Throwing a party gave me the nudge I needed.)
Our living room: white walls, neutral bones, lots of texture.
• Everything goes with white walls, right? Nope. Our white walls read as "cool" in our infinite. When we moved, I was then excited about bringing our adored taupe sectional into our new space. The warm tones nosotros carried over from our previous house clashed with the cool tones in our new place. I was flabbergasted. (That sectional is in the basement, replaced with grayness and brown leather sofas I love with our cool white walls.)
• Houseplants await amazing against white walls.
• The lighting matters then much. My favorite white rooms are the ones with light on 2 (or 3) sides. Information technology's hard to get smashing light in a room with light on ane wall only. My urge to paint over the white correlates perfectly with the amount of light a room gets.
The fireplace, decked out for Christmas. Even without the stockings, the rock, brick and wood provide texture and visual interest.
Where we go from here:
I haven't done anything to our domicile for a while, and while nosotros're definitely settled in, the house isn't remotely "finished." Not that a house is ever finished—only after a six months reprieve from thinking about our space, I'thousand ready to dive back in and cease some halfway-done spaces and hang a lot more art and photos, and I'll definitely exist because paint options. Afterwards a year with white walls, I have a good experience for where white is perfect, and where pretty neutrals could meliorate serve the space.
Nosotros're well-nigh to de-white at least one room: my daughter and I are planning a mini makeover for her room, she wants to pigment. I agree. Her room gets gorgeous light—for about two hours a 24-hour interval. The rest of the time the white looks blah, so nosotros're choosing a overnice neutral that better suits her infinite.
And for what it's worth, the pros say we'll come across more than dark, moody colors in the years to come up. When it comes to my domicile, I'm not trendy—but I practise like to look.
I would love to hear almost your experience with white walls. Have y'all ever lived with all-white, or de-whited your own living space? I would love to hear about it in comments.
P.S. The furniture y'all live on, and the furniture you live around. And I'm not waiting for the side by side house anymore.
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Source: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/white-walls/
48 comments
Nosotros moved terminal June and painted our bedrooms and office, but the remainder of our firm is white. The previous owners painted the ceilings a different shade of white and there's about 6" of that shade at the top of each wall. That drives me crazy. I agree the white walls are keen for photos, only it doesn't feel warm enough for me with the furniture we currently take and the lack of sunlight we get. I call back information technology looks great in your firm, especially with all those windows. I accept been in dear with your library since you start posted information technology!
Our last home had a very low-cal, yellow based color that I loved, but all of our photos had a yellow cast to them. I am withal trying to decide what color to go with when we do go around to painting. I love to search colour schemes on Pinterest!
Karrie says:
Our walls are yellow pino with clear terminate. Not my fave, simply I accept appreciated that I don't have to "decide" what to paint the walls!
One of my favorite rooms e'er was painted Sea Star by Benjamin Moore.
Shell says:
Interesting postal service Anne!
I agree completely with the exterior impacting the inside. Terminal yr I was really tempted to paint my greige/taupe walls cloud white to friction match the trim. I had these lovely white silk defunction and I was convinced it would look so light and airy. Fast forward to this winter. Afterwards over ii months of white snow and white skies I couldn't stand white anymore. I took the white curtains down and put upward the one-time green ones and am very happy I didn't paint the walls. I'm pretty certain once the green of spring and summer are back I will be dreaming of white over again ; ). For now I'm happy to have some warmth and colour on my walls. If I lived somewhere that didn't have 4-vi months of snow on the footing I might be tempted to paint more rooms white.
All-white can be very zen and focus the attention on other aspects of the décor. Nosotros have very good calorie-free, with e and due west windows in our "great room" (open-plan living/dining/kitchen). When we bought the place, we covered the pinkish and mint green walls (seriously) with white, but after a few years nosotros went for a barely there ecru, that's simply the glow of sunrise on white. The piece of furniture is mostly white, and y'all can't tell the difference unless you hold a sofa absorber against the wall. There's just a little warmth to it. Sometimes the ultra-clean, very white look tugs at my heartstrings, just I'm not in the mood to paint.
Amy Marini says:
Wow, seriously Every house is being painted gray and white inside and out. I hate when everything looks the same. I want anything that isn't gray and white, merely I do Love white. I need New Different inspiration❣️
I but have to annotate on this fun post, Anne, since I have e'er had white-ish walls in every one of my eight grown-up homes. Every single room. I used to retrieve I wanted something other than white walls, but information technology was really important to my hubby so we accept always kept it simple. I've had then many friends encourage me to paint the walls a fun color — specially when our kiddos were fiddling. Might sound tiresome to some but I only looked at it every bit one more than decision I didn't take to brand. (Nosotros did wallpaper once which was fun just never, e'er again. That's another story!) You are so right most white not going with everything – and almost how the outdoors and natural light make a difference. Nosotros used to live in an uber contemporary house on the side of a mountain. Shaped similar a triangle with lots of glass. White worked best there. I warmed upward the spaces with textures, earthy tones, pops of color. Easy to decorate with that elementary palate. All very soothing and, every bit you said, serene. Our current dwelling is painted a warmer white, merely it'south still white in every single room. I honey it. Peaceful.
For choosing neutral colors, I highly recommend reading or listening to Maria Killam, who has an excellent explanation of "biscuit" type colors. Her blog is Colour Me Happy and she is an excellent teacher on color, or "colour" (she is Canadian). .http://www.mariakillam.com/blog/
Kim says:
We had white walls in a previous house with beautiful, unpainted cherry woodwork. And brownish carpeting. Information technology was lovely in the summer and autumn when the copse were lush and leaf shadows danced over the walls. However, we live in a cold climate and six months of chocolate-brown and white indoors and brownish and white outdoors could not exist mitigated by any number of color pops. It just about drove me mad. When we moved, I painted everything in pale shades of greyness-light-green and grey-blue and grey-lavender and I am a much happier person (though I still love cherry woodwork!)
Debi Z says:
Kim, your paint colors sound beautiful! Can you share specific colors?
Janean says:
This post came at just the right time, as I'thou selecting paint colors for our entire first flooring. Currently, nosotros accept a few different shades of a buttery yellow in every room ?. If I never see yellow once again, ??. Information technology but casts a dingy hue over everything. I considered white, and then I was glad to read the pros and cons of all white. Our bedroom is painted a night chocolate brown. It works great for a bedroom and it's a very large room with vaulted ceilings, and then information technology tin handle the colour without feeling claustrophobic. Information technology'south very soothing to my light balky tendencies. Still, I did acquire that night colors evidence dust easily. I think we're going with Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, a classic grey, or 'greige', with warm undertones. Information technology's their near popular color and beloved by decorators because it tin get absurd or warm depending on the low-cal or surrounding objects. It works as well with white trim and nighttime wood. We have a fairly open up flooring plan, and so I think I'1000 going to stick with that one color for continuity and ease of touch ups equally you mentioned. I also programme to paint our kitchen tile, which is a dated multicolor design, a high gloss bright white to convert information technology to a subway tile look without re-tiling. The only spot I plan to add together a petty color is the laundry room and possibly the powder room, where I'm going with a calorie-free blue/aqua. I'm thinking Benjamin Moore Ocean Air, Wedgewood Gray, Palladian Blue or Sherman Williams Ocean Table salt. Taking suggestions! The laundry room is small-scale and has no natural night and the powder room has a tiny window. Happy painting!
Grace says:
My hubby and I bought our first house in the summertime, so it was our start opportunity to actually have control over the paint color in our home. Each of the rooms of the house we bought was painted a different colour and nosotros actually came in and painted the whole thing white. It's a pretty tiny business firm, and the "white" actually has a green undertone – nearly similar an extremely light mint. It completely refreshed the house and made everything (like the unfortunate flooring) wait meliorate. I honey it! And I beloved seeing how the color changes depending on the room or the fashion the light is shining.
Diana says:
Love this! We are a White House. Nosotros use a soft State White then information technology isn't glaring and I adopt a semi-gloss. Information technology isn't dull and wipes like shooting fish in a barrel. I can choice upward colour with curtains and decor. I call back the creamier shade works well with cool or warm colors and any season. I observe it calming. Love white!
Birgitta Qvarnström Frykner says:
I practice like white walls. After moving to my latest house i fell in love with a creame colour for my kitchen cabinets, then my hubby brutal in love with s.c. italian tiles with ochre and green and burnt ochre. He as well chose a wallpaper garland with the same colours. And now i am so frustrated, i am used to change curtains the twelvemonth around in the rooms after holidays and seasons. For ex before christmas the 1 of december, we change all curtains around the house. Christmas red and "warmer" cloths like velvet. And so later christmas i desire to change back again. But i LOVE bluish in the kitchen an the other clours at that place brand it impossible to use that color. This seems that i change curtains a lot merely i dont. In our bedroom, twice like in the guest/ tele room. The living room. But to accept white walls is preferable so y'all can chose any colours in furniture, defunction, carpets you want. Y'all are always able to find a warm or phone call color, vivid or matt. White is a whole range. In the UK they use Magnolia in everything that is always a applied color. If you are tired of your white, wallpaper just one wall. That will e'er exist enough for a change
Angela says:
Hmmm, but hither in the UK, magnolia is also a euphemism for 'boring'! Builders used to slap it everywhere in new-builds, but a warmish white will top it any day.
Melanie says:
You may say you're non a dwelling blogger, only I love seeing pictures of peoples homes!
I lived with roommates in rentals well into my adulthood, so when I bought my home this past year, I wanted anything but "rental white!" (But I recollect a nice quality white paint looks swell in some homes). Almost of my rooms are a very calorie-free shade of gray that pulls slightly warm. I painted three of my 4 chamber walls navy blueish – which I beloved – but only because I accept other light, blusterous rooms to spend time in.
I experience similar I need a summertime house and the winter house. In winter I want something cozy and warm, but when summer rolls around that coziness only feels cluttered and oppressive (and summertime'south lite, breeziness feels common cold and empty in the wintertime). I tin can do some changing for the seasons with accessories and textiles, but I'm not about to repaint and buy new styles of furniture with every modify of the season!
That shot of your couch and all those pillows looks SO cozy and comfy.
I realized that the carpeting you have in your library is the same one I have in my living room – I honey it so much!
I'm with you, Anne! We had our new-to-us abode painted Benjamin Moore Simply White, too, superlative to lesser.
http://www.lindastoll.internet/2016/05/scrapping-wish-list-creating-haven-iii.html
I'd choose the aforementioned color all over again. Everything is low-cal and brilliant and airy. A wonderful fresh palette.
I just wish it wasn't chipping here and there on that woodwork … and was a chip easier to clean.
;-}
Give thanks y'all Anne for giving us a peek into your lovely celebrated home! I love the all-white with pops of colour. It is and then clean and bright. Ironically, just yesterday I published a postal service on my weblog all about our Fixer Upper and how the kitchen and dining room are my "happy place". At that place are lots of photos of before and later. Sharing your earth helps the rest of us! https://world wide web.adventuresofemptynesters.com/the-empty-nest-the-newly-renovated-kitchen-and-dining-room/
Moved to DE in Aug 2016 to a newly built home. Walls were left painters white…waitiing the year out for settling cracks to be repaired – so we were going to paint. In the meantime, we decided to move to Charlottesville- another new home and another yr of white walls!!!!
Such a helpful postal service! I covet the await of white walls in all the Instagram shots I see only our 1940 Cape Cod doesn't have large windows and we have large trees and close neighbors so information technology's all making sense now that the lack of natural light makes white a hard colour to piece of work with in our house. Thanks for saving me a lot of time chasing something that's not the right fit! So glad you've settled in a space that feels like home 🙂
Guest says:
After spending my formative and collegiate years in homes without being able to paint, I was determined one time on my own to never have manifestly or white walls once more. That being said, just shy of twenty years in to that, I greatly appreciate lighter and more neutral walls.
I'thou glad I read your mail because your pictures had just well-nigh convinced me to go white but we exercise non have strong natural light so I'm thinking that's a no go. One of the reasons we don't have not bad natural light is one of the things I like about the house ironically – the front nor back face east or westward. Our last house had an east facing front and west facing dorsum and it was blazing hot in the evenings which drove me bananas.
Neat post and thank yous for sharing your habitation and what you've learned!
Thank you so much! I finally sympathise what I did wrong. Nosotros bought our start business firm last may and it had a variety of problem paint colors (my son's new room was Pepto Bismol Pink) so I appear we were painting the entire interior on motility in and that it would exist all white except for one wall in the master and ane wall in the family room. I was SO excited after our concluding habitation had some beige walls that made the house look dim to me. Just when it was finished it didn't quite work. Months later I'yard all the same dissatisfied. After reading your post today I call back I finally become it – we just don't have enough light for what nosotros did! It has been an interesting learning experience (all first homes are I'm certain) and now I'yard taking fourth dimension to get to know the space and us. One of these days I will take the chance to make some new pigment choices hither and I won't exist painting the entire space white!
Mary in TN says:
When you are ready to endeavor colors, paint two coats on a very large piece of cardboard. You can motility information technology around the room at different times of the day and run into how it looks.
Kathleen says:
I have slowly been re-painting the interior of our home in white. Our house does not get a lot of great natural light – we take a lot of pine trees on three sides of our house. Simply we also accept a ton of woodwork – wood paneling on the vaulted ceiling of our main living area and more oak built-ins than you could e'er want, plus natural wood trim and a gigantic two-sided brick fireplace that sits in between our dining area and living room. I've heard people say that you can never have enough storage only I'grand here to say you definitely can! (And we have 3 minor kids then I'm coming at this from the perspective of a family of five and all the trappings of small children.) With all the built-ins, plus windows, doorways, hallways, etc. nosotros have very few fully, uninterrupted wall spaces and I'm finding I like the white to provide some consistency between rooms. Our bedroom is more than of a very light grayness but I painted our guest room/home office from yellowish to white and it was transformational for me. It is northward-facing and was instantly then much brighter. So I do think there are always exceptions to every rule and, of course, we all take to just be honest nearly what nosotros like to live with. Your house looks beautiful and I honey all those big windows!
Lezley says:
I painted my entire abode white when I moved in years ago. I wanted something like shooting fish in a barrel that was not magnolia. Magnolia is used in almost every rental property in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, collection me bonkers!
I have added colour with curtains, furniture, accessories and fine art. If I become bored information technology is easier to change acessories etc than repaint. I dearest it. The white is calming, peaceful. It also provides a slap-up backdrop to the great views of parkland from every room in the apartment/flat.
We've lived in our firm nearly 15 years and it was all white when we moved in. Nosotros painted and repainted till I found colors that worked, my married man only goes with the flow.
We've painted every room but one. Unfortunately it'south time to repaint some of the rooms. Want the same colors, just need painting. Every bit for that one unpainted room, maybe someday.
Your house is so pretty and I like the white! We go along coming back to a stake greyness colour for our walls fifty-fifty every bit we move to different houses. It seems soothing and works for us.
Lauren says:
The matter nearly white is that it always feels clean to me. And it forces me to stay clean which is also a skilful affair. Depending on whether you accept northward or due south facing windows it's important to choose a warmer/cooler white to complement the room otherwise the color will never seem quite right.
All that being said, I exercise also love color in the correct places. Our master bedroom is a very deep green with almost dark gray undertones and since we accept natural, American carmine floors, a cathedral ceiling and a wall with a triple gang of windows it really feels like existence upwards in a treehouse. Information technology is incredibly serene.
My "library" is also painted a darker brown, it's chosen Ticonderoga Taupe by Benjamin Moore, and the book cases are white and there is a large bay window that lets in enough of natural light. The feeling is cozy without being cramped.
The largest room in the house has very foreign brick on a alpine fireplace. It has a beige-pinkish color (have you figured out that I alive in an early '90s house still?) and it was such a start contrast with the white walls. I painted them a very soft taupe and at present the brick blends in very nicely and the walls are very neutral and low-cal.
My entry hall and staircase are what I thought was going to be a soft, sunny yellow…but I hate it. That'southward going back to white very soon! Merely which white????
Anna says:
I'chiliad Swedish but living in Copenhagen, Kingdom of denmark. I remember probably 90% of all the walls in Scandinavia are white! Couldn't imagine living without the lite it gives during the winter months. Having said that, our old apartment we did have one wall with William Morris' bluish arbutus in our sleeping room and Joseph franks epic red Eldblomma ( check it out!) in our living room alongside white walls, information technology looked fantastic with 13ft to the ceiling! Your business firm looks lovely Anne!
Ashley says:
Aaah! I didn't the tiptop half of my family room Navajo White (BM I call back) and I love information technology. I wasn't prepare to deal with the neutral wallpaper on the bottom merely when I practise I'll do the whole room that color. I desire to practice my kitchen and living room (where nosotros spend nigh of our time) in the aforementioned colour but it sounds like my 60s rambler isn't a skilful candidate (lights always on in the kitchen, LR is north-facing with i window). Sigh. I just dream of all white!
Crystal says:
White walls are one of the things saving me this winter! Everything in our dorsum room — curtains, walls, countertops — matched our terrible 70'southward wood cabinets, and only absorbed light.
I painted the cabinets navy (Benjamin Moore Stunning) and the walls white, and I can't believe the deviation. Having moved from a southern country to a midwestern one, I really felt the shorter winter days partway through the season, merely non this year!
I likewise love being able to use some of my favorite deep and brilliant colors while keeping the overall feeling peaceful. It's light, blusterous, fresh, and calm, and I can't wait to pigment the residue of the house. (Full disclosure: I'thou a light-loving introvert.)
I greatly adopt matte walls, and I've been impressed with Regal Select's washable matte — on the wall between the stove and microwave, grease and tomato stains wipe correct off, whereas they stuck stubbornly to the previous biscuit eggshell paint.
I thought I didn't like all-white walls. Nosotros rented for years earlier buying a house, and ane of my joys of ownership a house was the ability to pigment… until we got through about room #iii, lol. Anyway, we're currently renting again, and we accept off-white walls throughout, and I Do similar them.
Lindsay says:
This post was timed cracking for me! We moved into a 100 yr one-time refurbished farmhouse and it has virtually all flat white walls. After a year (and with iv kids, 9 and under) let'due south but say the walls are looking BAD! Crayon does not come off flat paint and my girl'south masterpiece is a highlight going up our staircase. Eeks! I was thinking of pigment the staircase Revere Pewter. The kitchen and living room become greatvkight and may still stay white just definitely not flat white! Thanks for sharing your experience with white. And I love how you added pops of color to your rooms!
Catherine says:
Thanks for the great post. I take just bought a new dwelling house and painted it all a "cool" white. I love information technology'. Updating kitchen and piece of furniture to white with black accents. Large black and white prints and i wall all glass overlooking trees and hills. Lots of natural light in my new open program space. Waiting impatiently for new slate leather lounge and chairs, black flooring lamp and new shelving and cupboards. Wooden floors and rich rugs with gilt and blood-red accents. With such stunning views from every window or wall, it really works. A move abroad from xanthous based warm whites and I feel at-home and peaceful and slumber very soundly. I will allow you know if I get tired of it after 12 months! ?
Kelly says:
My husband and I but moved from Mexico City, where all apartment walls are kept white. I love white. Information technology's fresh looking, make clean looking, and light just bounces everywhere to assist lighten the space. 2 months ago nosotros bought a house that is all dark buffet colors: gray, biscuit, brownish, forest light-green. It's cozy and warm, but information technology also feels dark. At that place isn't much natural calorie-free either. Last weekend, we painted my son's room that was bright teal and purple with sparkles-seriously. We merely did the white primer because nosotros were looking at a light grey or light yellow. I fell in love with the white primer!!! The room is the brightest in the house! Nosotros're in a ranch and his room is right off of the kitchen. It'due south and so bright in there it makes me desire to go hang out in that location instead of the other rooms. And so, I'm contemplating painting the rest of the house white. It would be slowly, room by room, but I just love how bright it looks in here! Next will be the kitchen cabinets and walls. Thanks for the blog almost white walls!
Jenna says:
Late coming to this mail. I have been renting for many years and got tired of looking at white walls! I just bought a business firm a few months ago and the previous owner painted the main level a medium gray. I thought I liked it at kickoff until I started decorating and did some diy furniture painting and at present my decor doesn't fit well with the gray. I'm wanting to go dorsum to white walls just overwhelmed by all the diverse shades of white for paint! I take huge windows and plenty of natural light in the house. Approximate it'south time to get some colour swatches and see what works best.
Glenda johnstone says:
I take white walls in the living room entrance foyer and halls in my dwelling house. I love them then much….I am having my kitchen dinning room remodeled and am going all white !
Sue says:
I came late to the party, too, merely it's such an opportune fourth dimension for me! I'chiliad in the process of painting my formerly dark-green and white striped kitchen a pale cream on the walls, with white trim and white cabinets. My daughter in police force, upon ownership a house with great white rooms in the front, said that Yeah, they looked overnice, but she couldn't bear to get out them such a Non-Color when at that place were and then many GREAT COLORS in the earth. Merely what she ended up with was a trendy night grey with white trim, and yes, it looks nice, merely the white looked better, in my opinion. Gray is non Luscious. (Lets talk virtually Salmon Pink, or Teal Blue or Red!)
I'grand grappling with the reaction of some of my friends, that they seem to find my kitchen a lilliputian "blah", but I'm loving it. The busy stripes, the flowered border and orange knotty pine wainscoting were just driving me nuts. I wanted serenity, and I've got information technology. I LOVE looking at the simplicity and the warm tones (cake batter cream); it looks like a Vermeer painting. I had not considered the effect of how much lite you get affecting the success of white walls, but the kitchen faces south/west and has windows on two sides.
I grew upwards in colonial homes which my mother tended to paint white, with colonial greens, golds and blues for trim. When nosotros moved to NYS, our old farmhouse had scarlet wallpaper in the LR, simply after a while, nosotros changed information technology to white again, with floor to ceiling bookcases, red oriental rugs and ruby upholstered couches, every bit well every bit a fireplace with a warm ruddy mantel. So now my own showtime home has white shiplap-way in the LR, with a very small amount of cream wall, and reddish border, as well every bit white painted brick behind the woods stove, and red oriental rugs, with a nighttime red/brownish leather couch. My bathroom is bright turquoise with white beadboard and countertops. My guest room is current (berry) red, with white trim. My bedroom is deep green with a lot of white accents. So, I accept colour! Only people who say White is a Non-Color—-Is a white nuptials dress a not-color? Are white skates a non color? White sails? White teeth? White peonies? White is truly a color!
Sue says:
PS Anne: That yellowish chair was the about inspired determination y'all e'er made!
Holly says:
Being a military family the last 29 years we have lived with white walls a lot! At that place's even a whole decorating group called "White Walls" for military machine spouses. While I do love colour – I ordinarily paint our kitchen a buttery yellow – I too love white. Benjamin Moore's Dove White is a favorite. Designers/Pros aren't ever right. All you have to do is await at Joanna Gaines and the farmhouse shiplap craze to know that white tin can look fabulous! We are currently in a rental with muddy gray/purpleish walls in the living/chief bedroom that I would love to just pigment white!
Dee says:
I accept to acknowledge that to me, white walls demand that everything else in the room be "perfect." You have to take piece of furniture and accents and wall art that pulls it all together, and I find that hard. Plus I LOVE color. We didn't paint the existing colors in our last house, but after this business firm flooded and we had to gut and bladder drywall, I finally had my risk! Our living/dining/kitchen expanse are in a shade of burgundy. The living room is actually slightly darker than the other 2, but you lot don't really notice it. I had wanted it to be noticeable just now I'thou glad it's non!
Our bedroom is something like resort green – and it really does make me feel like I'm at a resort! The bathroom is dark-brown – once again a spa-ish color. My son wanted blue and green so he got what he wanted: two walls blue, 2 walls in a complementary greenish! And my office is in orange. Yes, orange! It's even a pumpkiny colour. I've read that yellow is the #1 color to generate creativity but I'm not a fan of yellow, so I went with the next well-nigh creative color. The accents in this room are brown and (when it's straightened up, not like it is at the moment!) it's very warm and inviting.
Therese says:
I forgot to mention that I love lots of colors in artwork, and color in accessories. I guess that's why I like "white" walls. Correct now, my mahogany furniture and artwork looks kind of "not right" with the BM Maritime White wall colour.
Therese says:
Possibly it's because I grew up with white walls, merely I dear very very lite walls. I am thinking I will go with BM Collector's White with our electric current home, which was congenital in 2003 and feels like I am living in a brown cave. At that place are LOTS of windows only all of the walls and ceiling were painted PPG Lulled Biscuit when we bought the domicile (with a crimson xanthous biscuit tone to coordinate with the tile floors, which look beige until I endeavor to select paint for the walls…..and then the floors started taking on a pink beige tone).
I tried BM Feather Downwards, but that color turned greenish xanthous on the walls. It looked "okay" with the floors, only everyone's skin looks awful against the pigment. And then I tried BM Maritime White, which is nice but feels depressing and dark when it's cloudy exterior. The only time Maritime White looks proficient is when the sun is blazing bright and ALL the defunction are open up. So BM Collector'south Item is next on my listing to try. Wish me luck. (I used BM Collector's Detail in our concluding dwelling house, in the family unit room, and it was beautiful night and 24-hour interval, rainy and sunny, summer and wintertime. And all my art looked fabulous.).
I like "color" in other people's homes, simply I tin't live with it.
Diane says:
Loved reading this and all the comments. I'thousand a color girl all the way. Our sometime house had no white walls. Chinese red for the hall, Mediterranean blue in the kitchen, deep royal imperial for the bits that showed in the library, to list a few.
Withal my married man and I are planning to move into an independent living cottage in a retirement community where the walls are all neutral and may not be painted. I've been a flake anxious about how I'll deal with that, so your post and the comments gave me some valuable ideas. Cheers.
Margot says:
I chose all white because I couldn't commit to any colour scheme! The east facing rooms accept Plume Downwards walls with Cloud White trim and await fabled. The west/southwest-facing open kitchen, breakfast nook and family room is painted ALL Deject White, BM majestic matte and Satin Impervo for trim. The Feather Down looked crazy warm in the W/SW exposure so I went all in for Cloud White. Loved it for a few years but I'm And then sick of information technology now. I badly want a modify. I don't want to have all the molding and trim repainted but I can't for the life of me notice a pale neutral or greige that pairs well with Cloud White and I desire a lite color. So I'm stuck ! Wish I hadn't chosen Cloud White. Anyone have any good ideas??
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