Modern and Elegant White Home Decorating Ideas

When considering colors for home decor, there is not only a rainbow from which to choose there’s a whole palette of shades to consider, shades that hover between the colors of the rainbow, a panoply of tones and hues with which to play. And yet, sometimes the most helpful and even the most exciting exercise is to go back to the basics of interior design, striping out all color in order to start with a clean slate; sometimes the most interesting and surprising thing you can do is to go back to good old white.

Working with white home decor can be a very effective way to create a distinctive look that you want for a room in your home. Gone are the days when stark white was associated with institutions or sterile environments. More and more people are opting to go with implementing white home decor in the look of their homes to create a dynamic and dramatic look.

Contemporary decor asks for the minimal in color but maximum in texture and form. Above are some great examples of high texture in pure white. Play with your home palette by contrasting smooth and shiny with matte and textured objects. From the floor to the ceiling you should be exploring texture. Consider whitewashed barn wood floors and antique furniture with hits of new and contemporary plastic or ceramic pieces. Here are some tips to use white in home decor:

Shades of White for Decorating Your Home:

Snow White:

This is the most reflective of all whites capable of dazzling and disturbing the eyes. It is also the most popular, versatile, useful and least expensive paint on the market. This is the paint to reach for when you move into a new house or apartment and want to start afresh. It allows you to see the proportions and make decorating decisions with clarity. Snow white is the perfect color to blend with other colors as it reflects the top coat’s color back at itself to give it maximum intensity.

Ivory White:

Ivory is a mellow white, easier on the eyes and more flattering than bright white. Natural ivory yellows with age, and the name is applied across a range of warm, pale shades of white. Ivory reflects any incoming light and instills warmth. Use it with muted colors such as Prussian blue.

Butter Cream:

This rich, yellowy, creamy color was the most popular color for interior woodwork during the Edwardian period, when light colors and pretty patterns replaced the gloom of the late Victorian years. Now it is most often used as part of the country decorating palette, in which shaker style and historic colors combine in harmonious simplicity.

Cream:

Cream is a neutral white with a slightly yellow cast. It is a classically elegant color in a modern setting. Cream has a warming effect even on stark, minimalist interiors. It mixes well with pale gray, stone, suede and chocolate browns.

Tips to Use White in Home Decor:

• Accessories such as bowl full of water with gray-green stones, throw pillows on a white sofa and a goldfish bowl, all seem to have a special place in the all-white room.
• Bittersweet chocolate walls need white furnishings and furniture to balance the look of the room.
• Black and white color scheme has a clean and classy feel when used on floors, walls and furniture, in stripes or checks.
• Blue and white room reminds us of sky and water bodies and are quite serene to look at.
• Colorful table linens, food, flower and napkin arrangements, all seem to get more attention when the dishes, plates and cups are white.
• Green and white remind us of gardens and wilderness. Bluish green may add a touch of undersea environ while lime green instantly makes the room look cool and funky.
• Lighter tan hue or pale sandy tone for the walls look even better with white moldings.
• Orange citrus hue with white in a room looks quite tempting while kids love combination of purple and white.
• Pastels such as light pink, yellow, pale green, baby blue and aqua with white moldings and trim look absolutely lovely.
• Red and white theme Decor featuring strawberries or touches of dramatic blacks, aquas or hot pinks, is just perfect for holiday decor.
• Today, white has gained a new status and popularity in the hands of creative interior designers who break the clinical dull monotony of hospital-like white room with astounding use of colorful furnishings and accessories such as fresh flower arrangements and patterned bedsheets, pillows and coverlets. Add colors to the room daily that seem to stand out against the white background.
• White is considered the most popular neutral color and was almost a default color for walls, ceilings and bed sheets in older times.
• You may replace the harsh blinding white with softer ivory, beige and cream tones for the perfect look.