Kristina Wolf's House of Design

Interior Design, Accessorizing, and DIY Tips

white interior

Fifty Shades of White

fifty-shades-of-whiteAre you tempted to decorate a room using only shades of white? It’s a brave endeavor, but when done well all white rooms are absolutely stunning. They make you stop in your tracks and take a big, deep, pleasurable breath. The effect should be completely relaxing and provide an inviting space for you and your guests to sit down and enjoy rare moments of uncluttered mental and physical space.

Tips for Decorating an All White Room

First, let’s eliminate some of the negative connotations that go along with all white interiors. The most common, of course, is that they are difficult to keep clean. Keeping an all white room clean is a challenge, that’s true. They are not recommended if the room will be in the constant flight pattern of children or pets. That being said, being smart about your fabric and furnishings choices will go a long way towards helping you design an all white space that can, indeed, be kept white.

Secondly, all white rooms have a reputation for being sterile. Au contraire! This has much more to do with design and materials choices than it does about the fact that white spaces are boring. White is an accumulation of all the colors in the spectrum, so choosing varying shades, paying attention to lighting and using the right accents, your white room will be visually interesting.

Now that we’ve dispelled your doubts, let’s move on to the tips and tricks that will make your white room a showpiece in your home.

Choose the right white(s). Just as there are varying shades of blue or red, there are a variety of whites. Some are cooler and cast blue or grey tones. Others are warmer and will look more creamy. Selecting the right whites for your tastes is the first step. Typically, cooler whites are used in modern designs and warmer, creamier whites are used in traditional and transitional spaces.

  • A modern space will lean toward cool whites as well as linear accents and smooth surfaces with an occasional textural pop. You may opt for accents like metallics, glass or mirrored furniture that add visual interest and dimension but don’t veer from the modern aesthetic.
  • A traditional space will have more creamy whites and play up textures using lace, wool and distressed wood furnishings. Shiny accents and smooth surfaces are usually kept to a minimum. Vintage and antique furnishings will also enhance this aesthetic.

You must have texture. Those cold and clinical rooms we talked about above? Those are almost always the byproduct of a designer who didn’t pay attention to the textural elements. If color isn’t going to be the way you draw the eye, then texture is a must. There should be elements of soft and hard, low-profile fibers and more wooly or nubbly ones. Use a variety of finishes from high-gloss to matte sheens. Together, your varying textures will create a more interesting environment. Try to mix elements as well – wood, metal, glass, stone, natural fibers, etc.

Use stunning accents. As an interior decorator, I can never advocate “standard” accessories. I feel every piece should have a specific purpose. That being said, an all white room needs to have exceptionally purposeful accents and accessories since every angle, and every wall hanging, will draw the eye.

Decorating with Milk Glass

Have you every noticed that items that were once the property of “the common folk” wind up being trendy and highly sought after a generation or two later? Consider the price of an old farmhouse desk in an antique store and you’ll see what I mean. Another example of this would be Milk Glass.

Named for it’s white, milky color, milk glass was produced from about 1835 through the 1980’s. It was “porcelain for the masses” and allowed lower- and middle-class homes to enjoy similar aesthetics for their dishware and figurines as the upper-classes did via more luxurious options.

decorating-with-milk-glass

Milk Glass: Porcelain for the Masses

Of course, over time, milk glass has become a collectible and has made quite a comeback in the interior design world. You can find modern milk glass light fixtures and reproduction pieces from several manufacturers. Antique milk glass can run from a few dollars at a garage sale or flea market to thousands of dollars for rare and collectible pieces. If you don’t know your stuff, it’s easy to get ripped off.

Keep your eye out for the name Westmoreland Glass Company, which was one of the major producers of milk glass throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. However, many pieces lack any official manufacturer’s stamp so it can be difficult to know if a piece is truly antique or not. At one point, lead was used to produce milk glass, making the pieces ring like a bell when tapped.

Creative Ways to Decorate With Milk Glass

Of course, if it’s the look you want and the antique factor is less of an issue, you’ll be able to find affordable reproduction milk glass at big box stores like Ikea. Once you’ve started your collection, it’s time to get creative in how you display it.

In Groups. One of the most fun things about milk glass is all of the different shapes, designs and motifs that were used in its design. There are several different ways to organize your groups. You can use things that are the same, as in a grouping of milk glass bowls of different sizes or milk glass vases, etc. The continuity of the objects paired with the difference in patterns, textures or shapes is attractive. Or, you can do groupings of different milk glass objects, like a bowl, a few coffee cups and sweet milk glass figurines.

In an all-white design. Their fun textures and shapes, combined with the shiny white exterior makes them an excellent accessory for an all-white design.

Use them functionally. One of the best things about anything produced for “the masses” is its durability, and most milk glass is certainly that. You can use milk glass pitchers as vases or take a row of milk glass bowls or cups and plant them with bulbs or succulents. Milk glass looks gorgeous at night with the soft light of a candle glowing from within. If you have a few tea cups or bowls in your collection, try placing a votive or tea light inside and lighting it up. The bright white looks great with color so I also recommend using milk glass bowls or cake stands to display colorful seasonal fruit on a table.

Light fixtures. One of my favorite modern uses for milk glass is as a light fixture. Several manufacturers use milk glass for lighting fixtures of all types. They look especially good as a kitchen pendant because their vintage look works with any design style.