Winter White Done Right!

In Winter we seem to crave comfort and warmth.  Thoughts of steamy soup, creamy hot chocolate and crackling fires pervade our thoughts.  Creating a cozy atmosphere at home during the colder months feels primal.  A Winter white palette is one of my favorite Winter palettes to use.  It looks clean and sophisticated, yet relaxed and warm.  The key to successfully achieving this look is texture.  Using as many tactile materials as possible is really important in getting this look right.  A sister color scheme to the Winter white palette is the all-white color scheme.  Contrary to its moniker, not every single element needs to be pure white.  It is aloud (and necessary) to mix in varied shades of white, such as a very light gray and very light beige to achieve this look.

Below, I put together a Sample Board to show you how these elements work together.

I used a soft white area rug with a thin black zigzag pattern to ground the look.  The other elements are a linen sofa, cable throw and pillow, a white and gold canvas, a concrete cocktail table, white lacquered end table and console table and a Capiz mirror.  I relied on many textures such as shiny, fuzzy, sleek and matte to achieve this look.

Below, are some more elements that can be used to achieve this look.

 

Here are some rooms that I love.  These rooms beautifully illustrate this look:

 

Monika Hibbs All White Living Room

Monika Hibbs: All White Living Room

This designer used bleached woods, and linen slip covers to achieve a relaxed all white living room.

This second living room is designed by Victoria Hagan, and successfully pulls off the all-white scheme:

Victoria Hagan White Living Room

Victoria Hagan White Living Room

So, a few tips to pulling off this look:

  • incorporate as much texture as you can.  Fluffy pillows, animal skins such as lizard, shagreen and croc, bleached woods and Capiz shells are all great materials to use.  Materials that are rough, smooth, bumpy, matte and shiny add even more depth to your room.
  • Play with tone.  Use as many shades of white as you can.  Try ivory, grayish-white, cream, bright white, eggshell, linen white etc…There are over 1,000 shades of white, so the options are almost endless.
  • Add patterns in light gray and light beige to break up large expanses of white.  Pattern adds visual interest.
  • Choose a rug with some type of pattern (keep the color scheme light).  The rug is almost always the visual anchor in an all-white room.
  • incorporate metals to add depth.  I like to use gold with white.

Another look I love is the all-white palette for an entire home.  This is an extremely hard look to pull off; it is easy to wind up with a bland and sterile looking home.  As with the rooms above, texture (and pattern) are the key.  I smell a future post 🙂

Here is a no fail paint palette that you can use when creating an all white home.  I love painting every room a different shade of white.  The layered look it creates when you are looking from one room to the next looks very sophisticated.  The walls are an incredible backdrop to just about anything you put on them.

White Paint Palette

White Paint Palette

Let me know what you think of the all-white color scheme.  Have you successfully achieved this look in your home?  I would love to hear your tips or see a picture.

I will be posting on how to achieve a beautiful all -white scheme for your entire house.  Some other topics I plan on posting on this year are tile, art & window treatments. Let me know what topics you are interested in reading about.

xo Laurie

Ring in the NEW YEAR with STYLE!

I believe that hosting is an art.  Everyone knows someone who throws really fun and memorable parties, making it all seem effortless.  In reality, it is anything but.  A hostess acts as a conductor of sorts, orchestrating all of the details necessary in ensuring that a great time is had by all of her guests.  An important element to any great party is a fun and festive atmosphere.  Your decor is a fun way to create atmosphere.  You don’t have to spend a fortune, however, you do need to be thoughtful and purposeful in the decor you choose.

If you are hosting a party on New Year’s Eve, why not ring in the new year with style!  I always view New Year’s Eve as a glamorous holiday filled with champagne and all things sparkly.  One of my favorite NYE themes is the old Hollywood Regency glam look.  Here are two looks (a gray, black, silver and white color scheme, and a black, gold and white color scheme) to serve as inspiration for your party.

gray, silver, black & white color scheme

gray, silver, black & white color scheme

This look is a modern interpretation of the Hollywood Regency look and very easy to achieve.  The main elements of this look are mirrored furniture, tufted upholstery, bold, graphic prints and gleaming metals.  I added pops of fuchsia to keep it bright and interesting. This look was achieved using elements from Z.Gallerie, Lulu & Georgia, PB Teen & All Modern.  Below are some more elements that could be added to achieve this look:

The next look is a black, gold and white color scheme.  This is a more authentic HR look.

black, gold & white color scheme

black, gold & white color scheme

This look was achieved using items from Z.Gallerie, Lulu & Georgia, Serena & Lily and All Modern.  Below are some more elements that could be added to achieve this look:

In this version of the HR look, I relied more on bold patterns to create atmosphere and impact.  The graphic rug serves as the back drop to this look and the pillows, art and accent chair serve as the pops that add interest.  Every element is very structured with strong shapes.  The gold adds the sparkle to this look.

Wishing all of you a happy, healthy & prosperous 2016.  Thank you for taking the time to read my posts.  I would love to hear what you think, or if you have any suggestions for future posts.

xo Laurie