Are white jeans the fashion equivalent of the white room? A crisp, clean (and glamorous) look but impossible to keep, well, white? I have an awesome pair of white jeans that I never wear. Ever. Because it seems that any time I wear white, I manage to dribble something on myself, like bright yellow mustard. Likewise, I doubt I’ll ever enjoy the luxury of a white-on-white room. (Can you say pet owner?) Design icon Syrie Maugham popularized the all-white room in the 1920s and ’30s, earning the nickname “White Queen.” Fast forward to 2011. Designer Jonathan Adler never hesitates to don his signature white jeans, and many of his top decor pieces are in a bright white. The author of Happy Chic Colors calls white “the ultimate soothing backdrop.”
Photos: Top row and left :: Jonathan Adler Interior Design; Bottom right quadrant :: Syrie Maugham: Staging Glamorous Interiors, Acanthus Press
Soothing…until you spill something on it.
What do you think of the white-on-white look? Like white jeans, are white rooms achingly desirable but impossible to keep pristine? Or are you the proud owner of a room decked out all in white that has stayed that way for years? If so, what’s your secret?
Tell us in the comments below.
I crave color in my world. My mother has the white on white and it's just not as comfortable to live with, especially with dogs and kids and even very careful adults trying to keep from tracking in the detritus of living. I like to balance the contemporary, clean lines of urban chic and comfort, as well as assure i can spend more time celebrating livibg than cleaning. Oh, and give me some freakin RED somewhere!
I love bright white, especially for ceilings, boarders, crown moldings. It's clean, sterile, and crisp. But white on white on white is boring and lifeless. Color inspires. It can bring serenity, calm, excitement, warmth, joy, a sense of adventure, countless emotions, which is something true white on white on white lacks.
I love white on white rooms. If I can I will have all rooms white. It makes me relax and happy. My living room in California was all white.
Nope, not for me. I've lived with white walls to many years and it gets really boring. I can see that it would work for some and adding pops of color is nice. But for me and my husband we LOVE bright colors and being visually impaired we see bright colors better. All white rooms tend to become a blur for us.
I had all white rooms in the 80's and 90's and I absolutely loved it. I made myself make changes in later houses but I am ready to return to this serene look. It just made me feel peaceful and the house looked elegant and all the plants in my home just echoed calm. I never worried about spills because when they happened, which they did, I just cleaned them up…just as you would if you had darker colors. So I think it's time for a resurgence of white!
White on white looks like an unfinished room to me. I cannot imagine why anyone would want that look or the upkeep involved. I believe houses are to be enjoyed with your family, not kept as cold show pieces. I have 7 children, and every color of the rainbow throughout my house and I love it!
My Living Room Is White On White I love It & Every one that sees it does But Hard To keep up !!!!!
Love the White on White look, but Wisconsin winters are so loonngg, and cold, and white, as well! Because of the climate I feel that cool whites here are inappropriate. Whites here need to be warm. I love and have lots of soft, warm white woodwork, and cabinets, but they are tempered and balanced with color!
i have a while on white kitchen and there has never been a day that I ddn't just love it! At least once a year or so, I change out my accent colors and pieces and feel like I have a whole new kitchen, a new look and vibe! I also have a white on white master bath and make the same kind of changes whenever I feel like it. I can have a whole new space for relatively little money and it "picks me up and makes me feel good and happy"!
In April we had our main bathroom gutted. We replaced our harvest gold sinks with a beautiful white kohler pestestal sink we found at a Habitat Resale store. The toilet and tub were replaced with white fixtures. The walls are white tongue and groove as well at the ceiling. White porcelin 12"tile replaced the carpet and vinyl. I found two beautiful white floor cabinets with glass fronts and I splurged and brought a beautiful Pottery Barn mirror.
The results are fabulous. People cannot believe the difference in the room. We have had nothing but raves about the all white bathroom. We LOVE it.!!
HATE HATE HATE white on white. Especially white cabinets in a kitchen. Dumbest thing I ever heard of — unless you don't cook much or have a maid to clean up after you.
I'm just getting ready to do the "white on white" look in my livingroom. I'm up for suggestions about this:
Carpet is Olive green (can not change that right now, hope to get hardwoods someday), woodwork is white, walls will be white, furniture (couch and chair & ottoman), are white, drapes are white with wrought iron rods, coffee table is wrought Iron with glass top, wall unit is cherry, and I have one long wall that is brick (kinda of orange-brown-a few black bricks). Also a corner fireplace on brick wall. The room is maybe 20×14, and might mention this is a three and a half room condo. Should I paint my walls white or a light shade of Olive green ? I'm open for suggestions.
Need to commit in Cincinnati!
I love white as background "color," or as the accent for color, but too much white leaves a room cold.
White on white is totally a frame of mind. If you need order and peace in your world, it's the perfect place to go. Layering whites gives much more dimension and flavor to a room. A room should reflect what the user/creater needs it to be in their life. I've tried a room such as this and I would feel stark and cold so for me, warmth, warmth, warmth, even in this summer heat!
I love white; So clean..SO minimal. I just installed white Italian quartz for my kitchen countertop with black lacquered cabinets…..and stainless steel, polished. Wish I could upload pics here..anyone??
Whie is fascinating–innocent,crisp,magic—different angelic and you can not cheat on it –it is crispy clean–or dirty.Nothing in between–Love it for ever–never bored