All white is better than all right!

Adonis Adoni Adonis Adoni
Beyaz Ev - Mersin Çeşmeli, Emre Urasoğlu İç Mimarlık Tasarım Ltd.Şti. Emre Urasoğlu İç Mimarlık Tasarım Ltd.Şti. Minimalist living room
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There is no better colour to mark new beginnings than white. In fact, in colour psychology white translates to wiping the slate clean. Even though it might seem less simulating for the senses, it opens immeasurable avenues for creativity as it is a blank canvas waiting for lines to be drawn.

In your house, the colour white can paint your walls to add volume or you can incorporate white furniture into your living room. Have you ever considered redressing a weather beaten armchair with white upholstery? Or perhaps even repainting your old furniture in white accents?

There are myriad ways to introduce the colour white into your home. Besides unleashing creativity, white alters perception. Spaces that feel cramped can open up with the inclusion of white hues, whether adorning the walls or decorating the furniture.

Let’s see why all white is better than all right!

Paint your walls egg shell white

One way or another we all have tried to make our home feel and look a little bit bigger. The most effective way of achieving an enlarged perception is to paint the walls in brighter colours. Having white walls will irrefutably make a room appear larger than it is.

The reason is pretty simple. Light travelling from an energy source, whether that is the sun or a lamp, will bounce off white walls, creating a warmer ambience. Besides the altered perception, a white wall will create a background for incorporating art in a room.

If it meets with your budget, call a crew to paint your walls an egg shell white colour. Otherwise, you can always get your hands dirty. But before beginning any painting activities, make sure you have cleared the room of all movable items and have covered the rest.

Incorporate large white furniture pieces to give your room definition

Another way to make a room feel spacious is by using white furniture pieces. Similar to walls, light will bounce off white furniture and define a room with a warmer, brighter character. Perhaps the biggest advantage of white furniture though is their ability to combine.

White furniture can blend with any other colour and decorative style. Hence, your choices in décor can range from modern, classic, minimalistic, country, Mediterranean and chic, to name but a few. For example, when it comes to the living room, white furniture will become the default colour allowing you to find easily unique combinations.

If you want freedom in decorative creativity, white furniture is the way to go!

Repaint your old furniture pieces white for a traditional but modern look

An innovative use of white is by repainting old furniture pieces. You will breathe new life into time-worn furnishings and probably have a lot of fun doing it. The process will be relatively easy and inexpensive but there are a few tips that it is useful to know.

When you are repainting wooden furniture, remove any hardware. For example, if you are repainting a chest of drawers, remove its handles and pulls. Sanding is an important element in order to remove any protective varnish or lacquer on the surface. You should also use primer for the painting job to look even and don't be afraid to give a second or even a third coat of paint to achieve the desired result.    

If you are repainting metal furniture, the same process will apply with only a few small changes. You should first wash it well to remove any dust, grease or loose paint. The primer must be suitable for metal, while instead of paint you can use spray cans.

Reupholster your furniture in a white fabric

Another way to give a new life to old furniture is by reupholstering them in a white fabric. However, unlike painting, this can be an expensive process requiring expert hands. Besides the labour you should also include the fabric cost in the price so you can expect an average sum ranging from £200 to £400.

Hence, it important to take further factors into consideration, such as if the furniture is worthy enough for the price. Perhaps it holds sentimental value for you and money will be no object. But if you are looking for a cost effective reupholstering check the quality of the furniture. For example, a chair can be considered as being high quality if it has a solid wooden frame, glued and dowelled joints and eight way hand-tied springs.

Light up the space well with lamps

An abundance of light is essential to harness the full benefit of the white colour in making a room feel bigger and warmer. Obviously, there should be windows to allow natural light to penetrate the house.

In addition to windows, lamps should be used to light up the space. There are a variety of lighting fixtures that you can incorporate into a white dominated room. Floor lamps, for example, will be a great choice as they can highlight a specific space. With floor lamps there is also the added benefit of movability as they can be shifted around the room.

A great way to add further light is by adding layers. Scones can also be fitted on the walls for soft light accents, while a chandelier can govern the ceiling as the the chief light source. Or you can take the cue from the image above, with large LED bulbs fitted in the ceiling to drench the living room with light.

Keep areas clean and minimal

Finally, it is important to keep the white areas clean and uncluttered. The obvious reason is that on a white background dirt tends to be more evident.

There is no magic formula for a clean house but there are a few tips we can suggest that will make your life easier. Make sure to keep everything organised by incorporating storage spaces, either with double purpose furniture or with storage containers, such as wicker baskets.

Leave no visible spills and try to vacuum and dust every week. Embrace the minimalistic attitude of less is more and try to pick up all the clutter at the end of each day. Simple and effective ways to make the most of your white interior.

If you have ever felt that it's time for a new beginning in your home, white is the way to go. It will provide you with the opportunity to mix it with any decorative style you wish and will make any space feel warmer and larger.

Are you feeling inspired? And hopefully less apprehensive about introducing white into your home? Let us know your thoughts!

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