Winter Whites
White is normally thought of as a cold colour and not so much as one to use in your home to add cosiness during the winter months.
However by choosing the right shade of white and choosing the right accessories,using white in your home can have a stunning effect.
Take inspiration from a snowy mountain scene when the sun shines on it to make it sparkle! When choosing a curtain fabric, look for one which as a self pattern or subtle stripe in it, the same for upholstery fabrics.
If you want a soft texture look for velvet or chenille.
If you are going to paint your walls white you need to consider the natural and artificial lighting in your room.
Brilliant white paint will normally be too harsh so consider using a softer antique white or one with a touch of pink, yellow or blue in them.
A key element of using white successfully is to use lots of different textures.
For example in the bedroom on your bed you could use beautiful crisp white cotton bed linen, an off white woollen throw, a mixture of wool, velvet and antique linen cushions and add a cosy long pile rug to the side of the bed to warm your feet on when getting out.
To dress your windows you could use a soft neutral stripe as a curtain fabric.
To add a touch of luxury and sparkle you would use fabrics with a metallic look to them or accessories and throws with a metallic finish.
In the dining room whites and metallics look fabulous when decorating a table for Christmas lunch.
Start by using white table linen, use silver chargers with white crockery, bring out your best silver cutlery and sparkling crystal glasses.
As its Christmas decorate the table with silver baubles, white flowers and pretty candles to complete the scheme.
A word of caution when decorating with white you need to consider the practicalities of using this colour as it can be very unforgiving if you have young children or pets, unless you use washable fabrics and washable paint!If you want to use white it may be better to keep it to the bedroom or areas which are out of bounds to children or pets! Addingsilver, fairy lights and candles will transform a white scheme into something special and will make the scheme feel very warm and cosy.
However by choosing the right shade of white and choosing the right accessories,using white in your home can have a stunning effect.
Take inspiration from a snowy mountain scene when the sun shines on it to make it sparkle! When choosing a curtain fabric, look for one which as a self pattern or subtle stripe in it, the same for upholstery fabrics.
If you want a soft texture look for velvet or chenille.
If you are going to paint your walls white you need to consider the natural and artificial lighting in your room.
Brilliant white paint will normally be too harsh so consider using a softer antique white or one with a touch of pink, yellow or blue in them.
A key element of using white successfully is to use lots of different textures.
For example in the bedroom on your bed you could use beautiful crisp white cotton bed linen, an off white woollen throw, a mixture of wool, velvet and antique linen cushions and add a cosy long pile rug to the side of the bed to warm your feet on when getting out.
To dress your windows you could use a soft neutral stripe as a curtain fabric.
To add a touch of luxury and sparkle you would use fabrics with a metallic look to them or accessories and throws with a metallic finish.
In the dining room whites and metallics look fabulous when decorating a table for Christmas lunch.
Start by using white table linen, use silver chargers with white crockery, bring out your best silver cutlery and sparkling crystal glasses.
As its Christmas decorate the table with silver baubles, white flowers and pretty candles to complete the scheme.
A word of caution when decorating with white you need to consider the practicalities of using this colour as it can be very unforgiving if you have young children or pets, unless you use washable fabrics and washable paint!If you want to use white it may be better to keep it to the bedroom or areas which are out of bounds to children or pets! Addingsilver, fairy lights and candles will transform a white scheme into something special and will make the scheme feel very warm and cosy.
