It seems we all love white kitchens and bathrooms, especially when it comes time to style a home for sale. White is a go-to color because it reads clean, airy and uncluttered to the eye. Working with a monochromatic palette can be tricky but particularly for white on white because any variation in saturation or hue can make one of them look dingy and dirty by comparison.
Here’s our YouTube video that illustrates this phenomenon.
There are a few simple rules of thumb that can be used to make the process of working with different shades of white easier and more effective.
Base Color
Actually, especially for those new to the art of working with one color, it’s easier to pick two base colors. One should be your key color (the one that you want to be most prominent to your eye when you walk in the room), and another one slightly darker. Remember that color is very subjective, so you should invest a few bucks in sampler paint containers so you can make large color sample swatches.
Study Color
To make an all-white color palette work, it is indispensable to study the color. By this we mean that we must consider and test the color in different areas of the room, under different lighting conditions and in different finishes. Natural daylight will affect a color very differently than an incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, or a full spectrum artificial light source.
Consider Size
Because we are working with only one color, our eyes will have to work much harder to figure out the edges of objects. That is why the size of objects must be thought of carefully. Larger and smaller pieces of furniture, accessories and features that create variation will help the eye find interest around the space.
Use Texture
The same consideration that we must give to size, we should give to texture. Texture in the different objects and surfaces around the room will create highlights and shadows that will bounce light in different ways and directions around a space. Use this to your advantage in order to tell a visual story for your brain when you look in the room.
Applied Finishes
Color can also be directly affected by the type of finish that is applied over it. Have you noticed that when you varnish your nails, the color looks different when it’s wet and when it’s dry? This is because light reflects and bounces at different rates from the surface. As a norm, shiny or varnished colors will look deeper to the eye. Make sure you use this to your advantage and not to your detriment.
Visual Breaks
Our minds are fascinating machines that are constantly looking for information. Staring at a blank white wall will make people uneasy and bored. Try staring at a white piece of printer paper and you will notice that your eye will try to focus on the surface looking for even the most subtle of color differences. It will try to find patterns even where they may not exist. We must help the brain find visual breaks, so it finds the room comfortable. Do this by introducing items where there is a break in the all-white sea. For example, you can use chrome or copper as the finish on fixtures to give the eye a place to go.
We could write an entire book on this subject, but we hope that this has given you enough information to tackle an all-white room. It is challenging as it is rewarding. Don’t forget to follow us so you don’t miss more articles and tutorials in the future.
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