A Love Affair with White - 9 Tips For Romatic Decor

By Loreen Epp  - Hooker Furniture

 

The flattering colors of flowers and cosmetics may be the historical favorites for romantic home furniture and décor. But today’s love affair with the color white is inspiring other romantic possibilities!

Perhaps it’s no surprise. White was, after all, the color of French lace, tea roses, canopy beds and wedding dresses long before it was the color of iPods. And white does have special powers! More than symbolizing purity, honesty and spirituality (…and enhancing natural daylight), white is chameleon… it can look new or old, cool or warm.

Here are a few tips for using this versatile, unique color to create a romantic lifestyle and ambiance at home…

• Thinks ‘whites’ rather than ‘white’! The most interesting white rooms feel slightly complex; the results of mixing a subtle range of white and off-white hues.

• Don’t think of white only in its purest forms. Today’s enormous range of white tones (ecru, ivory, eggshell, oatmeal, linen, etc.) offers a white hue for every style. The latest collection from Hooker Furniture, Primrose Hill features a Trellis White finish that is a perfect example of the more sophisticated and complex hues of white today.

Primrose Hill Dining Room

• Choose whites with similar undertones. Whites have either cool (blue, gray or pink) undertones… or warm (yellow, orange or brown) undertones. Mixing the two will make the warm whites look dirty.

• Use white all over! Resist the urge to add ‘accent colors’, such as black or other colors… an all-white room feels softer and more romantic. Good rule of thumb?  Use whites on everything except wood furniture or wood floors.  Or throw caution to the wind and make them white, too!

• Match white colors to the style they work with. Older-looking whites look best with well-worn woods, aged fabrics or antique mirrors. Newer-looking whites look best with contemporary shapes, dark woods or stainless steel.

• Use a range of white textures that suit your style. Think white marble with white cabinets… white damask with white garden roses or a white cane headboard…  white canvas or cotton with white-washed pine furniture or white plaster walls.

• Layer white textures. Hang white artwork on a white wall, layer two white tablecloths over one table or mix a variety of white textured pillows on a bed or sofa. Or use soft, sheer white curtains at the window for a very romantic touch as sunlight streams in behind them.

Melange's Mirrored Front Chest

• Add silver! There’s nothing quite so romantic, whether stainless steel appliances with snow-white cabinets, antique mirror-front white cabinets or silver candlesticks on a white tablecloth.

• Make it livable. Not to put a damper on the romance of white, but this uncompromising color does show more dirt. A solution is to use whitest whites on walls and ceilings, and darker whites or more textured white finishes on furniture.   (Tags: the color white, decorating with white, white furniture, white furnishings, white décor, white accents, furniture, romantic décor)