What the heck! You want to paint your room white?! Like crisp white. Oh, and you want a white kitchen!! Oh, my goodness.

Whether you have sat looking at your space and thought, “man I am bored with this room – it just needs something,” or you have a ratty looking chair in the corner that just has to go, you really can substantially change the look and feel of your room with a few simple changes.

Ladies no wonder men think that we are crazy. When I started my business 15 years ago and was invited into so many homes (thank you all so much) … and I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “Oh man, I am so sick of these white walls! They are so boring, and I just want some colour.” We had husbands cringing all over when they heard I’d suggested “roasted red pepper” on the walls or I’d recommended they paint their wood cabinets “Zeppelin Grey”!.

Well ladies guess what? You are all in luck. White is here, it is in, and it is beautiful! White is classic, it is clean, and it is crisp. White matches everything, right? Paint your walls white and your can add any other colors and can’t go wrong… or can you?

Well you have to be careful, let’s put it that way.  There are so many different shades and tones of white.  Yes, I know it all sounds so simple but if you pick the wrong tone, the same thing that happened to my old neighbour could happen to you. Here’s the story… the little swatch of colour he looked at appeared to be pure white in the store turned out to have a bit of pinky tinge to it. Capped off with his red roof, yep you guessed it, he and John Cougar Mellencamp, they are living in Pink Houses– good ole song!

There are many factors that come into play when it comes the way your eye receives color. Seeing the true colour when picking white or any colour for that matter can be tricky. You have to be aware of the undertone of the paint as well as pay attention to the lighting in the room you are painting.  Is the lighting in the room natural or artificial? The finish you choose for your paint colour can change the overall look dramatically.  If you have a lot of sunlight in your room it would be better for you to choose a cooler white to cut the warmth coming in but in a room with more artificial or LED lighting a warmer white paint tone will help balance the cooler/bluer hue.

It can be a bit tricky and it is important so pay attention to these factors and consider consulting a professional if you are not certain. This will help you to be assured that you will get the result you are hoping for!

We have established that white is back, and this is a good thing! But now we have to keep in mind that you can have too much of a good thing! If you are considering going to white walls, especially in your kitchen and if you are considering white cabinets, but you also love a white dining table, etc. Too much is too much. I always give the example of the oak in the 80’s. People overused it with oak trim, oak cabinets, oak dining and chairs, oak coffee tables, stairs and railings. Oh, and don’t forget floors. Sheesh! What happened was that it erased itself out! Even if you had invested in the most intricate carved table or high-end oak cabinets with too much of the same it blends together and nothing stands out.

Adding contrast is the key, even if you use different textures to achieve this. For example, you have white cabinets so do a textured white brick backsplash or a white herringbone installation that has high gloss finish. This will trick the eye to stop and take notice of the texture change. Do a soft subtle brushed gold door handle or pulls. Maybe consider doing your island in a contrast or even an alternative face of the island in a rock or coloured tile. It will make all your white choices stand out.

Just make sure you choose your white wisely for tone and finish. Don’t overuse it and you will be happy and in love with your white home.