Decorating with White Walls – Why We Can’t Get Enough Of Them
Whether you rent a small apartment in the city, or you own a large home out in the suburbs, the great equalizer is the age-old conundrum: what colour should you paint your walls? At some point, most of us make that trek to the local home renovation store, and gawk at the selection of shades available. As we all know, if you walk through the paint section of any hardware store you will be inundated with colour; the selection of hues is absolutely dizzying.
Why are there so many options? Because colour is a very personal choice, and for good reason. We associate colours with specific moods, emotions and memories. In fact, certain hues can evoke feelings, both good and bad. For these reasons, choosing a paint colour for your walls is a big decision. After all, unless you are game to redecorate often, wall colour is a choice that we need to live with for a relatively long time.
Is there an easy alternative to mulling over the endless stream of swatches? There is actually. The choice of designer’s and homeowners alike is white. Not only is it currently trending, but decorating with white walls has many benefits.
The Gallery Effect
Have you ever wondered why the walls in an art gallery are painted white? The reason for this is simple: the blank canvas encourages any artwork to stand out and receive the attention it deserves. Your home’s decorating scheme is no different. In all likelihood, you have personal pieces of art that you would like to showcase.
These can get lost on coloured walls, but by placing them up against a white wall, the art pops. Furthermore, there is no competition; decorating with white walls allows your art to stand out without any conflicting additions of colour.
Similarly, showcasing architectural details in your home can be part of your interior design. And why not? That exposed wood beam deserves to be a room’s feature. Decorating with white walls encourages those elements to stand out and be noticed. The absence of colour on the wall allows your eyes to focus on the structure of the space, accentuating those architectural details.
The Personality Effect
People have always decorated their homes. In fact, “home decoration began when artistically inclined cave dwellers painted pictures on their walls”. What began as something only the wealthy could afford, has transitioned into an enormous industry, fueled by individual style and taste. In most cases, what you are trying to achieve when decorating your home is a space that reflects your personality.
Decorating with white walls magnifies this ability to infuse yourself into your decorating scheme. By creating a blank canvas on the walls, you can inject your personality in other ways, without having to compete with distracting wall colours. It encourages you to use your creativity, and lets you experiment with colourful accessories.
You can for instance, introduce pops of colour and personality by adding fun pillows and throw cushions, bold prints and patterns, colourful furniture and appliances, as well as vibrant flooring and area rugs. What’s more, is that you can change these out with the season or simply on a whim.
It allows for inexpensive décor changes, when new trends become irresistible. Decorating with white walls encourages you to make bold decisions that speak to you; the absence of colour in the background “makes the foreground explode into focus”.
The Timeless Effect
More than any other paint colour, white walls lend a room a serene, and relaxing appeal that is timeless. In fact, decorating with white walls never goes out of style! It is the most versatile colour choice, with enduring reasons. For instance, white can be used with any design style from modern to traditional. The focus is on the choice of furniture and accessories; white walls work with anything.
If your design style is maximalist or cozy and collected, white walls offer negative space to counteract the continued doses of colour. The white walls allow somewhere for your eyes to rest in between collections, leaving a room feeling fresh rather than cluttered. Similarly, in a room infused with bold, vibrant accessories, white walls will quiet the noise associated with so much colour.
The flow of an open floor plan is aided by painting the walls white; there is a cohesiveness that appears easy and sophisticated, and there are no distracting colour combinations. Similarly, the clean, crisp vibe of decorating with white walls, works well in both small and large spaces. Because white is the most reflective of colours, the walls will bounce the natural light from windows, making any room feel larger and brighter.
The Instagram Effect
One reason why decorating with white walls is very popular right now is because white photographs very well, especially on Instagram. Now that may seem trivial, but 1 billion people use Instagram every month, and images are key. There are many people posting pictures on this social media platform, and the white backdrop showcases everything very well. Just one more reason why decorating with white walls works for everyone.
When choosing a paint colour for your next decorating project, opting for white can be an easy and logical choice. It offers a simple, sophisticated look that encourages creativity and expressions of individuality.
It lightens, brightens and makes any room appear larger. Still experiencing difficulty deciding? A Certified Ultimate Decorator & ReDesigner™ is trained to help you pick out the perfect colour palette for your home.
Let them help you decide, and avoid the dizzying array of paint swatches.
