Interior Décor Tips:
Technically, white is not truly a colour. It is the presence of all colours, just like black is the absence of all colour. White is beautiful and has had significance in culture and society for as long as history dates back.
It is most often associated with purity, healing, goodness and well-being but when it comes to interior décor, keeping items their original shade of white is not always so easy.
When decorating your home with white as the main colour scheme you need to keep in mind how quickly it will show up dirty marks.
For every décor item that you buy for the interior of your home, you need to keep in mind how easy or difficult it will be to clean and maintain.
The larger the item, the harder it will be to clean. However, there are a few ways to use white as your main colour and prevent stains and spots from becoming a headache.
When buying furniture for a modern white themed interior, we suggest you choose plastic ones; pressed wood with a white plastic layer will also be ideal.
Bleach and baking soda easily removes stains from most plastics without harming the surface. Painted wood is also an option if you prefer more rustic looking décor. If you are going to paint the wood yourself, use oil based paint.
If you do not like the shine of oil based paints try to find a matte finish paint or consider lime-washing the item. Spray paint will also work, although it has a tendency to make little bubbles on the surface and some types of spray paint chip off easily.
You must also be careful when choosing décor and furniture items that are used often, like couches. A white couch will get dirty quite quickly.
A leather couch is easier to clean and lasts much longer than ones covered in fabric, although it will be much less costly to have the fabric type one reupholstered. In general, it is better to stay away from using white for high traffic items in your home.
Black would be a great option for these items as it will most certainly fit in with any other colour scheme if you ever decide to change your interior again.
You can also use a burst of colour as a bright accent against the white (like post-box red couch). Avoid white carpets.
If you choose white for your bedroom décor, your white duvet should not be used to sleep under; it should merely be an accessory. It is always worth investing in good quality linen that will stay white for as long as possible.
Choose a high thread count (at least 180) cotton percale. In the bathroom, hand towels should preferably be off-white; a light grey will stay looking good for much longer than white, especially if there are children in the house.
A room that is decorated in white needs lots of sunlight. Sunlight makes white come alive. At night, simple lamps or candles should be used to create atmosphere.
Bright artificial light can give the interior of your home a very clinical feel – not very inviting. White is very basic and you should not incorporate too many other colours into the décor of the room. Art work especially should be to a minimum.
If you really want to display some art, choose works that are very simple and in only a few colours that are all connected to each other.
Painting shadowy abstract figures on white walls are very popular at the moment and many people use stencils to do this.
White will never go out of fashion because it goes well with any colour and there are very few people who don’t enjoy a mainly white interior.
It has also been said that people suffering from depression can often benefit from being in lighter surroundings and research has proven that people that come home to a white environment at the end of a hectic day relax easier and feel noticeably calmer.
Have a look at these images for more interior decorating ideas using white: