Simply White, Benjamin Moore announced recently that this is their colour for 2016. White is associated with freshness, purity, innocence. It is a colour which invites you to dream. It is as a blank paper, up to you how you want to fill it: to write a letter, to make a drawing, to fold and unfold, to keep it pure. White can represent a successful beginning. It is considered to be the color of perfection.
White is fragile, you see every spot, every impurity. For some it can be cold, sterile, not knowing how to make it cozy, so you can feel at home.
feathers found on White & Shabby - detail stitches found on AY-R - White Polaroide found on Tarabanski
It is all about how you will approach it, it can be very sensitive, poetic, ...... We have white all around us: milk, snow, chalk, limestone, minerals, clouds....
image found on weissesrauchen - Spool Vases by Mara Skujeniece Edwin Pelser
White is offering a sense of peace and calm. It is the colour of protection and encouragement. White can be very inviting, very warm, even in the cold winter months. It all depends on which materials you will choose.
perfect for day dreaming - found on Lauren Conrad
Handwoven fabrics, thick yarn, natural materials
Knitting Noodles - woven blanket Texturable Decor
Old fashioned crochet, vintage fabrics, embroideries. There are many shades of white, it is not only optical white.
crochet blanket Coastal Cottage - vintage pillow La Casa Decoto
Wood, leather will bring a touch of warmth. It is a perfect combination of a natural material with a "cold" colour. Fur will keep you warm, give some comfort.
Flag Halyard Chair by Hans Wegner IDEASGN
Play with light: lamps in paper will give you a warm ambiance, the light is filtered through the Japanese paper.
"The light of the Akari lamps of Vitra is like the light of the sun filtered through the paper of Shoji. The harshness of electricity is thus transformed through the magic of paper to the light of our origin - the sun - so that its warmth may continue to fill our rooms at night" (Isamu Noguchi)
Akari lamps by Isamu Noguchi Vitra - Floatation Ingo Maurer
White offers a purification of your thoughts, and emotions. It is refreshing. No wonder it is a perfect color for the bathroom. The walls finished with tadelakt, washed linen, to bring a touch of sensuality in a, if not, sterile environment.
white stone washed linen Linen Tales - image bathroom found on Home and Astray
White is clean, giving an impression of efficiency, organisation.
bathroom found on Est - bathroom tiles found on The Style Files
White is a colour mostly used in modern interiors. But some hand embroidered bedlinen will give a special touch in the most minimalist bedroom.
minimalist bedroom found on Apartment Therapy - embroidered pillow cover on Tumblr
So how can we use white in our home without creating a cold atmosphere:
- use natural materials: handwoven, washed, knitted, embroidered
- make rich combinations with different cushions , throws
- play with tones of white
- combine with wood, leather
- finish the walls with tadelakt, paint with eggshell finish or wallpapers with a structure
Make it a place where you will feel refreshed, can leave the daily stress behind you.
I'm curious to discover soon what Pantone's 2016 colour will be, I'll keep you updated on that.