Monochrome interiors are one of the main fashion trends of 2016-2017, as rooms in the same color scheme look stylish, modern and spacious. Many designers and apartment owners support this trend, in which the most popular background colors are shades of white and beige. Together with such interior styles as modern, minimalism, art deco and neoclassicism, white tones in the design always look advantageous.
In the photo: Interior of a white bathroom
Using the example of projects and photos of apartment and house interiors from the portfolio of designers Ruslan and Maria Green (Moscow), we will look at the latest trends in the interior design of various premises.
In general, a white interior is a very modern approach to decorating an apartment or country house, as it provides for a certain laconicism, which is now in price.
In the photo: Relaxation room in a country house
White or accent furniture
Advantages of snow-white furniture:
- pure color, beautiful shape;
- illusion of space – expands the space, being unnoticeable;
- comfort – conducive to rest and relaxation.
It is better to equip upholstered furniture with removable covers, even white ones - they are easier to wash than to wipe a stain off the sofa.
Dark furniture on a light background looks no less advantageous, but a solid closed dark wardrobe or a huge leather sofa is completely unacceptable here - a dark spot will ruin the design idea. Light-colored covers are then placed on upholstered furniture, and cabinets are decorated with silver inserts and mirrors. The kitchen set creates the necessary contrast in the room and can become the only color accent on a light background.
Most often, wooden ones are purchased, “wood-like” - stained or bleached oak, cherry, Karelian birch, spruce, light beech, alder, mahogany and others. Plastic, metal, glass, any combination of them will also fit perfectly into the interior.
It is advisable that the colors of the furniture do not blend with the floor - otherwise its beautiful shape will be completely invisible. This does not apply to shelving partitions that perform the function of zoning.
Use white paint to improve the functionality of your closet
Most dressing rooms do not have windows. In addition, the idea of the need to create full lighting in them very often comes too late, after the renovation is completed. As a result, we have, to put it mildly, a poorly lit space where it can be difficult to find the right thing or choose an outfit for a party.
You can maximize the look and functionality of your walk-in closet by painting all surfaces with reflective white paint. To find out the reflective properties of the white paint you choose, carefully study the labels on the can. The higher the LRV (Lumin Reflectance Value) value, the more light will be reflected.
White highlights the other colors it surrounds (which is why it is so often used in art galleries). This will allow you to understand the color combinations of the items of clothing you plan to wear.
It is not at all necessary that the interior of the dressing room matches the color of the walls in the bedroom. Paint it white with a slight hint of the color of the bedroom walls.
Add color to an all-white room
A bathroom whose color palette is limited to white looks beautiful, but, alas, a little boring. A stunning color accent will help get rid of this feeling. A white bathtub, sink and floor will look striking against any color that catches your eye. Red mosaics, emerald and blue tiles or even monochrome metal covering one of the walls will make any snow-white bathroom look sophisticated and sophisticated!
White color can make your interior versatile
White creates a canvas for you to decorate your interiors differently depending on the time of year. Whether you love fall with its gorgeous yellows and reds, or you love the bright colors and pastels of spring, a white background gives you the flexibility to change your decor to suit your mood! Create an all-season home that is welcoming all year round - all you need to do is change rugs, cushions, curtains, and bedding. In summer, a white interior gives coolness and freshness and does not need seasonal colors.
Let works of art take center stage among the white
Have you ever wondered why art galleries tend to have walls painted the same bright white? This technique allows the architectural details of the room to be thrown into the background so that nothing prevents visitors from focusing on the works on display.
If you can't imagine your home without paintings, sculptures, or any other eye-catching pieces of art, consider placing them on a white wall, on a white mantel, or above your crisp white bed. Do not doubt that the attention of your guests will be focused on the artistic values you have!
But unless your home has a great art collection or a breathtaking view, white can be a dead color, or at the very least uncomfortable, as a backdrop to the usual clutter and chaos in your home. Agree, not everyone wants to publicly display all the imperfections of their daily life. This is why young families often choose to put off the pure white they dream of and instead opt for khaki, which will endure and hide everything.
Transformation with decoration, furniture, lighting
A budget option - the old floor can be painted or varnished. You can also put an inexpensive white laminate over the old flooring. You can use paint that is not so expensive, but at a reasonable price.
The cold shades of the kitchen interior will be transformed by natural wooden furniture in warm colors. In the dining area, install a folding table with comfortable chairs.
Note: A sofa with legs and a transparent coffee table will add lightness to the living room interior. A more inexpensive option is furniture from affordable brands, but no less stylish. The sofa can have the simplest cotton upholstery or matting. The coffee table can be replaced with a wooden stool.
Lighting can also add variety. It all depends on the budget - either expensive pendant chandeliers or pendants with spherical shades. Or these are more economical designer lamps.
White decor with natural colors, such as green, looks very expensive. This could be olive vases or a designer poster.
In an inexpensive option, you can use drawings or toasters printed on a color printer.
Stylistic solutions for white
Looks most advantageous in the following styles:
- Provence - bleached natural wood floors, light furniture, discreet rustic, floral patterns;
- country music is very popular in European countries. In Russia, in the kitchen or in a studio apartment, the central element becomes a white Russian stove, a lot of bleached flax, roughly processed wooden surfaces;
- loft - open plan, light brick walls, screens, partitions in shades of silver, steel, with deliberately accentuated rust in some places. Artificially aged furniture, as if from the Soviet past;
- minimalism – few objects, a limited number of color accents, virtually no decor, multi-level lighting;
- hi-tech - a lot of light, steel, silver, glass, straight lines. The most functional furniture, the latest household appliances. There are light blinds on the windows, mirrors on the walls, the walls themselves are smooth and light;
- contemporary – comfort, ergonomic furniture, combination of different materials. There are relatively many color accents on the walls here;
- classic - furniture made of light wood, walls decorated with light marble and silk wallpaper, strict forms, symmetry in everything;
- Baroque - an abundance of white stucco on the walls, ceilings, columns, pilasters, in combination with bleached oak furniture will create the unique atmosphere of a real palace;
- eastern - low furniture, reed mats on the plank floor, milky-white drapery in the center of the ceiling, duplicated on the windows, mostly warm shades;
- Scandinavian - apparent coldness, simplicity, roughness of decoration, but at the same time unique comfort, a lot of warm light;
- Art Nouveau - smooth curved lines of furniture, an abundance of plant patterns, including stucco, luxury in everything.
Combination with other colors
There are particularly good alliances that it is advisable to keep in mind if you are decorating your home with white paints.
□■ White and green (olive) – fresh and natural. This is what a blooming garden looks like, so such an interior will be associated with spring, with the month of May.
□■ White and gray or beige – restrained and noble. The interior turns out to be intelligent, not pressing on the psyche, and with great potential for the use of various decorative moves.
□■ White and blue or Tiffany shade will help make the interior look fashionable, even sophisticated. Often smoky gray is added to this combination, resulting in a very harmonious color triad.
Advice. A cramped room with a lack of natural light will be “stretched out”, filled with air and refreshed by the combination of white and bright blue tones. A white-red or white-violet interior with chocolate nuances will add noticeable chic to your decor. Just remember that the more elements of saturated color in the overall range, the “heavier” the interior and the “smaller” the room.
□■ White and black – solemn and elegant, like the keys of a piano. A black leather sofa against a white curtain or a black bar counter along a glossy white wall is not only stylish, but adds an impulse of energy and makes the atmosphere multidimensional and dynamic.
If you have identified white as the base color, do not be afraid and do not hesitate for a long time when choosing a partner color: red, blue, purple, and yellow will do... With the help of such bright spots, by the way, you can delimit the room into zones and create points , where attention will be focused.
The more white you use in a room, the more different textures and patterns you will bring to the table. Feel free to use not only various white finishing materials (plaster, stone), but also white textiles, furniture, porcelain vases and matte ceramic figurines. For what? — The play of highlights and shadows on different white surfaces will give a greater number of shades, making the interior textured and voluminous.
White in minimalist style
In this style, the most important thing is to place accent colors. White is a wonderful background, but threatens to leave the interior without dynamics and zest. Therefore, be sure to add brightness. Gray, black, gray-blue and chocolate shades will look especially advantageous.
Use white when decorating a modern or traditional kitchen
The beauty of white is multi-faceted - from creamy white tones that pair well with traditional and classic wood kitchen cabinets with marble countertops, to the ultra-modern crisp white of minimalist kitchens. Many homeowners love white in the kitchen because it makes the room look clean and keeps the style as close to classic as possible.
Choosing the right shade of white
The first problem may arise already when buying wall paint, since white is not a specific color, but a whole range, a whole, if you like, family of shades, which consists of dozens of different shades of matte and glossy, warm and cold, shining and matte.
The general list includes sterile white, pearl porcelain, frosty white and snow, milk, cream and ivory, as well as opal, moon, coconut .. as well as the color of white chocolate or sea foam, flour, mother of pearl - pearls, colored paper and parchment.
It's very easy to get confused, especially if you don't have much experience combining white with other colors and shades, and you don't know how external factors can influence this color, giving it different shades!
Warm white is not suitable for a minimalist room design, but goes well with the need to create a visual image in pastel colors;
The dazzling white colors are more in keeping with the understated style and design, but it's cool. Therefore, such rooms require more natural light with sunlight;
Pearl white and ivory will soften the harsh sunlight if the room has, for example, panoramic windows!
Such problems can be solved by carefully studying the color selection tables and comparing the possible shades of paint for the walls. Moreover, the problem is solved by a combination of shades, but only the right one, with a certain contrast of white of different shades and depths. One example is the combination of cool white tiles, frosty northern colors and walls painted in warmer tones with hints of grey!
What does white textiles and decor look like?
Creating an interior in white tones is not limited to finishing: decorative elements can also be made in this color.
For example, airy tulles are most often diamond or cream shades. You can also decorate the windows with thick curtains, blinds or Roman shades - all of them look light and relaxed in alabaster.
In a white bedroom interior, a plain bedding would be appropriate: it is easy to wash (can be bleached), it does not attract attention and looks modern. Textile options for the living room - blankets and sofa cushions of all possible shapes and sizes.
If both are done in white, the decor will remain relevant at any time of the year. Light details look best on a dark sofa, but will also be appropriate on light gray furniture.
In a white interior, the decor can be not only fabric: paintings or photos framed with mats are an excellent option for wall decoration. Snow-white vases, figurines, candles and other elements also create coziness.
The photo shows light airy tulle
White in Scandinavian style
This is a northern style and white occupies 70% of it. It feels unique comfort and lightness. Moreover, its construction is very simple. Minimum details and color combinations. White in this style is combined with gray, black, blue and wood tones.
The best combinations of white
Although white can be combined with any other color, among all the possible options there are duets or trios that are loved by designers around the world.
For example, a contrasting duet with black. Expressive, but at the same time achromatic and pleasing to the eye. It can be the basis of modern high-tech styles and minimalism. To keep the apartment in light colors, the background remains snow-white, and small accents are made black. Black and white prints, as well as unusual textures, are always relevant.
Accents in a white interior can be highlighted with something brighter: lemon, light green, azure, bright orange. The companion is selected according to temperature: cold snowy needs blue, warm antique needs orange.
If you want to keep the finish in light colors, bright colors are unacceptable: pastel colors should be used instead. Pale, desaturated shades will not look patchy in contrast, but can create the feeling of a colorful interior.
Beige and gray will complement the snowy interior in a classic or Scandinavian interior. Monochrome combinations look harmonious, leaving the possibility of adding a third tone in detail.
In the photo, a combination with black and green
Advantages and disadvantages
Although people tend to criticize white for being impractical, it is one of the favorite colors among designers and serves as a starting point for most interiors. White color is widely used as a main, accent or background color; he carries a positive attitude and has many positive qualities:
- Expansion of space. White color reflects the sun's rays better than all other shades, which means it makes the room brighter and expands the space.
To make it brighter Source lakbermagazin.hu
- Compatibility. In a physical sense, what we call white is actually the absence of all spectral colors. Therefore, it can be easily combined with all other colors.
Idea for a country house Source vannadecor.ru
- Diversity. Like any other color, it has a lot of shades and halftones.
Beige and white luxury Source www.thespruce.com
- Neutrality. An important advantage is the lack of connection to style. The color is appropriate in classic and modern styles; all shades look good on surfaces with a wide variety of textures.
Game of halftones Source www.ivd.ru
- Background for experiments. With white walls, you can update the design of the room as often as you want, for which it is enough to change textiles and update accessories. The transformation will be quick, easy and inexpensive.
When white is not enough Source www.thespruce.com
- Relevance. An interior with white walls never goes out of style. A white living room or bedroom will look stylish and fresh no matter what trends are booming in a particular season.
In the traditions of the past Source homester.com.ua
The disadvantages include the following considerations:
- Many people believe that white color causes an uncomfortable feeling and makes the room cold. In fact, the feeling of warmth or cold depends on the shade, and white has plenty of warm undertones, including ivory, eggshell, and white chocolate.
Mediterranean style Source www.ideasonthemove.com
- Many people find too much white boring. However, the problem has a simple solution: a combination of several shades and textures will rid the room of the aura of facelessness.
In ethno style Source www.99.co
- Like all light shades, it is considered impractical; supposedly there is a lot of dirt on it. This argument does not stand up to criticism - if you do not monitor cleanliness, dirt will be everywhere - on white, and on brown, and on black. A different color scheme is preferable, perhaps for the flooring or walls of a nursery (and not always).
Modern design Source i.pinimg.com
- The only significant disadvantage is that the slightest irregularities appear on the white surface, but this is a question of the quality of the walls.
Dark grout in the tiles creates the desired contrast Source eocdn.eofastighet.se
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in interior remodeling
