How to decorate with white: Part 2
Adding texture and colour to white decor schemes.
White is a wonderful base colour to decorate with - it is super versatile, but can also create a look that is cold and sterile if you are not careful. Decorating with white walls is a natural go-to for most people, as most people imagine that white walls are easy to pair anything with, but white walls can also feel alienating and cold. The trick is to add the right colours and textures to your white interiors to create the look you want.
Let’s unpack how to combine colours and textures with white interiors.
First up:
Creating cozy white interiors:
Creating a cozy white interior starts with choosing a warm white as your wall paint colour. Warm whites are whites with yellow, orange or red undertones. (If you are unsure about what colour a white has as undertone, hold your sample white against a pure white object, the base colour should jump out at you.) Use your warm white as the backbone for your colour scheme and add elements of natural wood and textiles with texture.
Above are some beautiful examples of warm whites to choose from: Riversand, Driftwood, Full Moon and Rivierklip all are warm whites, but you can see how they have different undertones of grey or orange within them.
The image to the right is a great example of decorating with warmth to create a cosy interior with white.
Easy steps to create a cosy white interior:
Combine different shades of warm whites
Bring in natural wood
Add texture with carpets and baskets
Creating a strong modern look with white:
Modern spaces tend to be minimalist, clean and subject to lots of high contrast. We love pairing grey whites, whether cool or warm undertones, with high-contrast colours like dark greens, strong yellows or the ultimate - intense black - to create a bold and modern look.
As seen in the images above, it is a good idea to pair whatever dark colour you choose with the same undertone of white, for instance, in the third pic from simplyorganized.me the walls are a slight yellow white, paired with a dark green-black door, yellow and green pair super well and makes this hight contrast combo sing!
Easy tips to create a strong modern look with white:
Use high contrast colours together.
Pair your high contrast colour with a white of the same undertone. (ex, pair a warm white with a dark warm charcoal, a clean, cool white with a dark navy etc.)
Choose high gloss in combination with matt finsishes.
Giving white a playful look:
Decorating with white also gives you so much freedom to play! You can use white as the backdrop to highlight some fun furniture or art pieces you have. Once again, the trick to make the look, look and feel coherent and designed, is to be mindful of the undertones of the white you choose. If you want to have a piece of red furniture stand out, choose a white with a contrasting undertone, so use a cool undertone white like Seashell or Winter Trees. If you want to keep your red piece of furniture looking as part of your decor scheme, rather choose a white with a similar undertone, a warm undertone like Cotton .
Easy ways to give white a playful look:
Add loads of bright colours in small pops around the room.
Pair the undertone of your white with the decor you want to highlight.
Bring white into your decor elements as well as your walls.
Whatever your dream home, we are here to help you achieve the look you want!
Visit us in-store or online for any help and advice with colour and paint projects, of contact one of our decor experts to help you with the whole decor scheme.