White rooms...

[Heather]

For those of you with white painted rooms, what's it like in the winter? In the summer yes, I can see it - but would it be stark in the dreary months? Thanks!

[Zuzu's Garden]

Hi Heather,

I've been following Nordic blogs and decorating for years now. They "go light" to deal with the dreary months.

To me, white-on-white interior rooms feel serene and the light is amazing. I am working my way through all the painting I need to do using Behr creamy-white. The ceilings and walls are white, the kit cabinets are white, the baker's rack is now white, and I'm thinking of painting the ornate mirror and coat rack white. Everything is getting lighter and brighter and I swear it is making me feel happier. When I add something with color, it pops.

As the seasons change, the accents will change and I think it will keep this little house looking fresh and bright.

:)
Zu

[Heather]

Zuzu - that does look fresh, doesn't it? Is that yours?
I keep thinking of that pic you posted with the white room and leather chair...
Would you think the same room would look good with forest green couches?
I just don't want to regret "going white" and not having it look good in the winter.

[Zuzu's Garden]

Hi Heather,

Yes, that's mine. Finished painting the open cabinet over the kit sink a few days ago. Today, I start on the cabinet doors.

I think the forest green would work too, because it is the dark/light contrast that is so pretty.

Zu

[yarborough house]

zu - I Love all your white posts. They are my fave on blogland.
I too love white but kinda will take it slow- four kids - 3 being boys + white just = disaster to me..but slowy it will all be white soon. :)

[annielinz]

I love all the nordic blogs with their white rooms but I don't think I could live with it, they seem to leave me a little cold. I need a little warmth brought in with wood and accessories. I'm not a white white person, more on the warm creamy side, even my wedding dress was ivory. I like these rooms for example:

[Heather]

See Annielinz I'm worried about the fireplace being "lost" like the mantle in the living room picture you posted and that's the room I'm thinking about whiting....
I'm like you too, need the warmth of wood/earth tones in there.

[annielinz]

I can see that Heather. hmmmmmmm
Is your FP going to be the focal point of the room or do you want it to blend in? Do you have a pic to share?
Maybe you could have the mantle or surround be a warm wood tone while the walls are white. Or maybe:rolleyes: do baby steps, by slowly going towards a white room. That what I did with my kitchen. I went from (IMO) a in your face green walls to a light beige. Going from color to light is an adjustment. All you can do is give it a try, your other rooms have come out so well, this room will be no different!

[Heather]

Thanks! My living room is the same light beige (looks like) as your dining room and YES baby steps - hubby isn't going to "get" this one at all I'm sure.... all this will have to happen AFTER I finish painting the outside of the house...

ps - I like both colours in your dining room!

[CohenCottage]

I had an all white house when I was in grad school, and it was very serene and relaxing. It looked great during the holidays with white christmas lights and silver and glass ornaments on the tree too. Our current house was way too stark with all white, though, so I guess some of it depends on the house/lighting.

[Heather]

Did you paint over all the white in your current house then, CC?

[CohenCottage]

We have painted all the rooms except for the guest room, and have chosen colors other than white. I usually love an all white room, but in this house it just was too stark...not sure if it's the lighting or the vaulted ceilings or what...

[Lynzee]

I have an all white house, Heather. It's great in the winter because it's light and bright even on the dreariest days. I change accessories every so often when I feel the need for color but, overall, I love the serene, relaxing feel of the white.

[Heather]

Ok well, my trim is kinda cream colour and I don't suppose it would look ok against white. It's my living room I want to lighten up - it's beige so maybe something in between white and beige...

Lynzee, did your house come white or did you paint it? If you did paint it, do you mind sharing what colour you used?

CC, our house came to us with yellow on EVERY wall. The first year here I couldn't paint (had the baby...) and the yellow finally drove me nuts! It's all gone now, yeah! Ha I found an old pic.

[Lynzee]

At least it was a nice shade of yellow, Heather.

Lynzee, did your house come white or did you paint it? If you did paint it, do you mind sharing what colour you used?

Oh no...it didn't come white. In fact, it had the darkest paneling I'd ever seen in most of the rooms. I'll see if I can't find an old picture for you so you can see for yourself. The little one's room had been painted bright purple and had purple carpet, the paneling in the bathroom had been painted white--but with no primer, so it gave new meaning to the word "distressed"--and the kitchen and dining room had wallpaper "stripes". Apparently, someone had tried to remove it and failed.

We were on a serious budget, so we splurged on Zinsser primer, then painted with white Walmart brand paint. I always add a few drops of black paint to my white paint to keep it from yellowing and I think that makes the white a little less stark.

Found the picture. Also, when I was looking for the picture, I saw an old picture of the living room. It had a chair rail and was burgundy below the chair rail and pink on top. Can't believe I forgot that!

[CohenCottage]

Heather, that yellow isn't too bad, but it would have driven me crazy too! I just got a gallon of benjamin moore's 'dove white' and it is a nice white that isn't too stark and isn't too yellow. it looks good against our kitchen cabinets and they are between white and beige...

[RoseMary]

I love to look at white rooms. They are so beautiful and look so peaceful. But, I couldn't live with one. For one thing, it wouldn't stay white long out here with all the traffic on our dirt road and everyone (including pets) constantly tracking in mud. And two, I LOVE color. And lots of it. It makes me feel happy. My house is really a hodgepodge of color~or will be when I get through (if I'm ever 'through':)).

My walls in the living room~dining and kitchen area are all pine tongue and groove~which is not dark, but just too much wood for me. The end of the kitchen does have green (and I think that white would look just as good on it). I will eventually have that same green in the living room wall that mirrors it. The rest of the pine will stay, so I guess I just want lots of color to 'balance' out all the wood.

[Heather]

Lynzee you did the perfect thing for that paneling, I think, painting it white! I bet that looks really good! Zinsser is the best, eh?

CC, do you have trim? I'll go look at that BM colour - I have their samples here somewhere.....

[CohenCottage]

We have trim around the windows and doors and baseboards, but we don't have any crown moulding...

[chyna]

I've wondered about the all white rooms too for winter or even fall for that matter. It just makes me cold to look at them. :o Now for summer and spring they would be wonderful. And yes the anti-white warrior has considered all white before. :eek:

[yarborough house]

I think the all white rooms don't have to be cool and stark. You can put accents in there that will help warm it up. Case in point Zuzu's post of Atlanta Barletts rooms. They are all white with a few other things thrown in. The leather chair etc. Also, all white rooms should never be just one color of white. They are usually layerd with many shades of white and light ivory and then also many textures- chenille, linen, cotton, denim etc.

For fall I can see a white room with a nice leather piece of furniture with a throw over the back. Some pumpkins across a mantle and then some pinecones in a bowl. Simple but also warm.

We need to all search the internet and post some pics on here. I'll do that when I get back from teh paint store- off to find a benjamin moore that is not on vacation :)

[Heather]

Oh Zuzu... you're the white expert - set us straight, k?

I know I can't do the white thing because of my creamy trim throughout the house. It's more for the trimless, right? Or for those who paint the walls and trim the same white colour?

[CohenCottage]

I think you could totally do all white and cream if you have trim! When I had my all white house, very few things were the same shade of white, and I threw in a lot of light colored tans and cream and beiges too.

Here is a neat blog post that has all neutral colored rooms that aren't stark or boring... http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2009/08/small-stylish-houses.html

It's also about small stylish homes!

[Heather]

Oh good examples of white rooms with trim, thanks! I like the first pic - not white-white but it has the white room look and the trim is defined, you know?

[CohenCottage]

Yes, it was one of my favorites too...I really liked the dark bookshelf wall too. It's the color we painted the insides of our front and back door. I also really liked the bathroom with the grasscloth wallpaper and the house that had the darker kitchen with fancy appliances...I really liked that dark paint and the tile in their bathroom. I know that isn't appropriate for a white rooms post, but I was surprised b/c I usually don't like dark!

[Zuzu's Garden]

Hey there!

Well, I keep on posting white pics on my blog. My fav so far is this one:

http://a-cottage-in-the-woods.blogspot.com/search/label/Cottage%20Bedroom

Not all white. Love the wallpaper. Crazy about the dresser/2-door-cabinet/mirror. Notice the touches of pink and green? That can be changed in a wink of the eye - that's why I love white decorating so much. Get tired of it? Change the accents!

Zu

Oh, and if you'd like to see more of Atlanta Bartlett's style, I blogged about her new Pale & Interesting online store today.

[chyna]

To bad Memmey has been MIA lately. Her livingroom is a white room, or was until she started changing things. I like it. maybe it is the style of the room that I can appreciate all white in. Not those modern white boxes which I would not consider in a zillion years (and the anti-white warrior awakens). ;)

[CohenCottage]

Here is a lovely house that is mostly neutrals and white...I love it how she mixes traditional, distressed, and glam all together. Maybe I need to get some fancy pants chairs recovered in cow hide? That might be too much with a cow hide rug in the same room, though.

http://www.styleswoon.com/2009/08/17/judy-judy-judy/#more-2420

[mac78]

I think you could totally do all white and cream if you have trim! When I had my all white house, very few things were the same shade of white, and I threw in a lot of light colored tans and cream and beiges too.

Here is a neat blog post that has all neutral colored rooms that aren't stark or boring... http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2009/08/small-stylish-houses.html

It's also about small stylish homes!


I absolutely loved this link. Thanks for sharing. I will have to go back again and look. Some great rooms.

[cheapdiva]

Hey ladies!

I've been MIA for the last 2 weeks - busy, busy, busy - mostly working on our kitchen! FINALLY have a sink and water in the kitchen. Put up the beadboard backsplash last night so the electrician will come finish the last of the wiring on the 2 main walls. The third wall will get finished next month - long story.

Memmey is "lurking" - says she doesn't have much to add these days. But I am headed to Louisiana next week and will be at her house next Friday and Saturday - junking with her and my best bud!!

When you see my "new" kitchen you'll see lots of white. But I am painting the beadboard apple green. I love white but even with the kids gone, the husband and dog just don't work with all white.

[chyna]

Tell Memmey that I said hi if you would. :) Can't wait to see the pics of your new kitchen, sounds just wonderful. And a relief for you to nearly be done right? This must be the year of the kitchen on here, seems like everyone is doing something to theirs. Or at least quite a few of us.

Has anyone seen that there is a paint specifically formulated for painting your counter? I saw it at Lowes and said "yippee". I may not have to do that Rit dye thing I was thinking about. ;)