Country Living - Country Living Shades of White: How to Use the Classic Color in Your Home

If you have ever felt borderline crazy during the maddening process of choosing a white paint, you have come to the right book. The following pages are packed with genius tips and strategies for decorating with the nuanced, occasionally baffling color, whether your style is rustic ().

And because country spaces should consistently feel cozy, youll also find plenty of ways to take the color from cold to comfortable. Throughout this book, youll find DIY ideas (Craft It!), vintage shopping tips (Collect It!), and creative makeover projects (Paint It!) that add warmth, texture, and patina to neutral spaces. Dont miss the chapter on classic country combos (), which showcases how fresh blue, red, yellow, and black can feel when paired with the crisp colorway.

So whether youre seeking proof that a pristine palette can be family-friendly (), weve got you covered like a cable-knit blanket.

Happy (stress-free) decorating.

Rachel Hardage Barrett
Editor in Chief

Its no exaggeration to say that white is the single most nimble color in the decorating arsenal. Depending on the texture and undertones, it can range from rich, warm shades to ethereal, cool hues. Whether your style is rustic, vintage, classic, or modern, white interiors can carry the aesthetic. And white, for all its purity, also has a bit of visual trickery up its sleeve. It can lighten a dim room, make a small space appear larger, obscure unsightly features, or emphasize prized ones. Whats more, despite its sometimes-bad rap, white is an easier-to-maintain color choice than it may seem. (No, really!) Read on to discover hundreds of reasons to put your spaces in neutral.

Color trends come and go. But white is here to stay. From classic Roman architecture all the way on through to sleek mid-century dcor, white has been a mainstay. As such, its a no-regrets shade used to coat walls and style furniture and accessories. Its a safe bet that it will read equal parts fresh and classic decades down the road.

The white in this sunny breakfast nook infuses it with an enduring style. Whats more, the color choice ensures the space will be equally appealing for years to come.

An impressive collection of eighteenth-century English ironstone serves up a smart display. These coveted white antiques take on a graphic, almost modern air when set against a cream-hued cupboard.

From the cabinetry to the paneling, white envelops this farmhouse kitchen. The pure-as-snow color choice highlights the rustic accents while simultaneously bringing a dash of polish to the cooking space.

White is not a one-note shade. Within the white spectrum there is a rainbow of iterations. If you look carefully at the undertones, some are blue or gray, others pink or yellow, and even others are green. The immense variety results in wonderfully diverse tones from stark white to ivory and tan.

From the vibrant white fabric on the sofa to the ivory backgrounds on the botanical posters and the washed-out wood dresser, this cozy California living room showcases how varying shades of white come together for a layered space.

Nearly a dozen neutral shades give this white bedroom endless depth. Decorative flourishes such as the pleated bed skirt and spindle-leg nightstands further enhance the effect.

This pass-through Texas dining room deftly showcases the diversity of white, ranging from tan walls to a gleaming white table.

A room painted white provides light, tranquility, and a sense of spaciousness. And in that blank canvas, endless possibilities can bloom. Unlike so many other colors in the swatch book, white is endlessly versatile. Depending on the accessories and architecture, it can seem right at home amongst romantic, rough-hewn, and austere dcor. When you change your mind and decide to embrace an aesthetic of a different flavor, white is ready and waiting to mix things up with you.

White projects cosmopolitan panache in this combined dining room and kitchen, where the crisp walls make a debonair combo with ebony furnishings and polished nickel fixtures.