It may come as no surprise that I *love* white walls (and white floors…and white textiles…and white décor…).
So I was happy to see this Apartment Therapy feature on white bedrooms. How gorgeous! I think the monochromatic color scheme gives the spaces a serene, minimalist look, even when they have a little more “stuff” in them.
They’re also a great example of how “minimalist” doesn’t have to mean “modern.” Now I love streamlined furniture and glossy surfaces as much as the next minimalist, but my favorite bedroom of the lot (pictured below) is actually quite the opposite:
Photo via Seeing this space actually made me miss our old 1920s bungalow in the States. DH and I had painted every single wall, ceiling, door, window, and piece of trim a uniform white. Not a creamy white, or an eggshell white, or any other kind of decorator, hint-of-color white. We used the “bright white” that you pick up in giant cans straight from the home improvement center’s shelves—the kind that doesn’t have to be carefully mixed into some pretty shade at the counter.
The monochromatic paint job took significant time and effort (in one room, we were painting over a brilliant emerald green) but the results were amazing. It gave an ethereal, airy feeling to the space, making the rooms look larger, and the walls as if they were floating; the effect made me smile every morning when I opened my eyes to it.
It wasn’t the first time we’d covered every inch of a place in a beautiful, stark white. In fact, we’d done something similar to almost every apartment we’d lived in.
I’m writing this as I sit in our new UK flat, with warm, cream-colored (almost light yellow) walls. We won’t be trekking down to the paint store anytime soon, as our lease prohibits us from making cosmetic changes. It’s strange, though; my husband and I have moved around a lot, and always settled in quickly to any new living space. This place, though lovely, has never felt quite like “home” to us; it feels more like an extended-stay apartment than “our” space. Originally, I’d chalked it up to living in a foreign country. But you know what? I think it’s the walls.
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I understand that attraction to white walls now that I’ve spent 4 months living with them. In my bedroom, I can really appreciate the calm and serenity they provide – especially when meditating. Out in the living space on the other hand, with dark wood everywhere I think I’d like a little color…but with the flat on the market and me leaving in a matter of months…they’re staying bright white.
Thanks for that link too, I’m heading over to AT to have a look!
Hi Jesse! Enjoy those white walls while you have them, because you never know what the next flat will bring…
Yes, minimalist doesn’t necessarily mean modern, for me it means “natural/country zen” and the white walls and my white/natural colored decor is so very serene and soothing.
Zoe, “natural/country zen” sounds gorgeous. I love spare spaces with natural/rustic features (like wide-plank, distressed wooden floors).
Does not necessarily mean Modern. but Minimalist definitely does not mean that door and frames you have. The bed frame is so heavy on the eye. It still looks loaded and baroque even though the room is empty ! Does not look minimalist at all. I think, it looks like a nice classic white space.
I am not sure I felt comfortable in such a room. I would feel it is not as immaculate as it should be, so, it would impact much stres.
nicole 86, that’s certainly understandable!
For me, minimalist is definitely not modern. It is calming uncluttered space. I like the cleanliness of the room above, but it feels slightly institutional. At the Apartment Therapy site, I find the romantic look of #3 appealing. Although, I’d still need to remove some pillows and most of the items on the tables. The flowers (on the table & window treatment) add a nice touch of color. Apartment Therapy is an interesting site. Thanks for the link.
Thanks for your comment, Marie! I think it’s wonderful how “miminalism” can encompass so many diverse styles.
I can understand your love of white. I personally am not a fan. I grew up in a house where all of the walls were white, and it drove me crazy. My current apartment also has white walls. It just feels blank to me. I like my home to feel warm, and a yellow can do that for me. My office walls are a shade of yellow, and the light from the lamp in my office makes it feel warm, and like I want to be there.
That said, to each their own. The best thing that a person can have is to know what makes them feel best. Cheers to your white!
SimplePGH, wish I could trade you my cream/yellow apartment walls for your white ones!
Yep – all but 2 little walls in my place are white. Even all my bedding is white. It’s perfect.
David, I agree, that *does* sound perfect!
I used to always have colors on my walls–bold ones. But my new apartment has white ones and I’ve also come to see the beauty and simplicity of the lack. I like it!
Hi danielle! It’s interesting how you and Jesse (above) have come to appreciate white walls through living with them.
I love white walls too! My favorite of all the apartments we’ve stayed at had a lovely bedroom with a white bed, a white closet and white walls that go all the way up to a 4 meter high (of course, white
) ceiling. It was so zen and so peaceful it’s now my inspiration for our own place later.
Thanks a lot for sharing that link to apartment therapy’s feature!
Mia, that bedroom sounds divine! My other love (besides white walls) is high ceilings. What I wouldn’t give for 4 meter ones!
In theory I like the idea of white walls, but with so much less stuff around I do find colour is creeping back in, my current favourite is duck egg blue. And it fills and warms up the space without the addition of things. I like pale, “barely there” colours for walls. If I lived in a hot climate I would love white walls, but in our rather cold and grey country I find I need a little colour.
Frances, that’s a good point on how wall color can substitute for stuff in “warming up” a space. A great tip for minimalists who don’t like an all-white look!
Minimalist to me, is just not having stuff to clutter your eye and mind.
I’ve found a lot of really beautiful, colourful bedrooms with very little STUFF, that seems minimalist to me
Everyday Minimalist, I agree, a colorful bedroom can also be minimalist–the key is the lack of stuff/clutter. White is simply a personal preference.
I love this picture. I want to live here. Only, I would eliminate the bed and keep a futon mattress on the floor over some tatami mats.
Abhishek, my thoughts exactly!
Hmmm we’ve never been allowed to paint our walls, but I’m not sure we’d bother if we could–white is relaxing and I find clutter to be tiring. But I recently stayed in a hotel room where everything was a pale, pale green and the sparse furniture was painted with the same. I think the uniform color made it seem more relaxing . . .and that green–it reminded me of my great grandparent’s house that was built in the 20′s. So, although I wouldn’t have imagined it, the color actually did not make me nuts!
Trish, I’d love to see a photo of that hotel room–it sounds very pretty.
[...] Minimalist Home: White Walls [...]
To each his-or her-own, I guess, but I have to say I disagree. I explain it all here: http://dont-be-normal.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-i-dont-like-white.html
(can’t figure out how to post a link here)
Thanks for the link to your blog, Kurt. I love reading different opinions, and your line about Chinese visitors made me burst out laughing!
Thank you very much! I do get a good zinger once in a while
. And it’s great to hear some good feedback about my blog, I just started it and I’m trying to stay motivated to keep writing it. Thanks again!
I’m new to ths website and so grateful I found it. A few years back I had an all white bedroom and absolutely loved it. It was so peaceful and yet gave me so much energy. I remember thinking that it was a little bit like what heaven must be. Since then I took a liking to the shabby chic style, but it’s still a calming atmosphere for me when my room is neat and tidy.
Welcome, radiana — great to have you here. Your all-white bedroom *does* sound heavenly!
Miss Minimalist,
I have recently stumbled across your blog, and I’ve been reading (and learning from) a lot of your older posts. As a second year university student, I am beginning my minimalist journey (partly out of neccessity, mostly by choice), and I’ve learned a lot from yours and others’ stories.
I am proud of your minimalist accomplishments, and I’m certainly glad that you’re sharing them with the world. However in this instance, I’m not sure I like the subject of your post. To be clear, I find the idea of painting every room white in a house/apartment counter-intuitive, and opposite to the ideology of minimalism. It’s like catching up with the minimalist Joneses: you think a minimalist should have a pure white room or house to live in, so that’s what you turn your living space into.
By no means am I trying to insult your tastes (if that’s what you love, I respect it), but it doesn’t make sense to me to go out and spend money on paint and then spend all that time painting over difficult surfaces like emerald green. The people that move in after you are most likely not going to leave all the rooms white (unless they happen to be minimalist too
), so why not leave the walls in the colour they came, save some money, and spend your time outside where there are no walls to paint?
Again, I mean no offence to your tastes. This particular post simply made me think harder about what it means to be minimalist, and I’d like to thank you for that.
Thanks for all the inspiring stories and posts, and I look forward to having more contact with you as I dive into the blogosphere and start sharing my minimalist journey with the world too. I’m excited!
Geoff
LOL, Geoff — yes, not bothering to paint at all would certainly be the most minimalist approach!
White walls are simply my personal preference. I just love the way they look, and it’s my own little way of “decorating” without filling my house with stuff.
Thanks so much for your comment; it’s great to have you here!
[...] a distinct lack of color here; but as most long-term readers know, I *love* white (see my posts Minimalist Home: White Walls and Minimalist Design: White Floors). I particularly like white linens in the summer – so cool, [...]
I really enjoy this blog – great to see a minimalist that likes design too. I love white but I think it’s not always essential. I am a massive fan of the architect claudio silvestrin, see http://www.claudiosilvestrin.com and he uses white sometimes but often doesn’t. What he designs is not modern, but its spiritual and concerned with sensation and feelings. And his spaces work whether small or large. Keep up the great posts! mark
I love reading your blog and plan to buy your book someday. Don’t think I could live in a strictly white dwelling though. I like color and all the emotions it brings with it.
Paula, I guess that people respond to color(or lack thereof)in different ways.I used to have a more cluttered and very colorful space when I was raising my kids.Now it’s just me and hubby and two cats.(our dogs both passed this year from old age,and white would NOT have worked well with them.Now though,I love our white space.I find it calming, minimal, peaceful, zen-like;the way that the light filters through the rooms,casting different shadows and patterns on the walls and floors makes me feel so peaceful…
Whew! We just finished painting the walls in our two-and-a-half story open entry hall/staircase. They had been a very arty coral pink, egg yolk yellow and soft pear yellow, as if there were a sunrise/sunset (the windows open to the east and west), courtesy of the previous owner and his architect (we have lived here 12 years!), but I finally bit the bullet and got a 5 gallon bucket of ultra pure white (the Behr one with the primer built in. It turned out to be whiter than the Valspar ultra white previously painted on the trim). I also painted the stair risers, which were a scuffed up pine–the rest of the flooring is oak.
It took all of the Christmas break to do!
I love it! It’s like it snowed in my hallway. So exhilarating! Now, onward to the rest of the house. Let’s hope it doesn’t take quite as long.
Then back to minimalizing per your marvelous book!
I’m slowly in the process of painting every wall in this place white! It will be worth it, I love decorating in plain white and black.
Great post!
[...] stuff; even a single wall of color can have a dramatic effect. However, if (like me) you’re a devotee of white walls, you can still benefit from a splash of color—simply choose fun hues for your practical stuff, [...]
I am so happy to hear someone else love white. Ever since I was a little girl my dream room has been all white! Since I live with 3 dogs, a woodstove, 3 sons & a messy husband, my walls are currently a warm (dirt-colored) tan to help me keep my sanity. But all the trim is creamy white & am currently transitioning all my dishes, towels, bedding & the few curtains I have into some shade of white. So now I know where my love & need for white fits in as I work my way toward having a very minimalist peaceful home. Thanks for your blog, it is a big help.
[...] this post, Miss M put up a picture of a beautiful bedroom (source: Apartment [...]
[...] are a talented writer. I’m slowly working my way through your archives and particular like this post, as well as this one and this one. And many [...]
That “lovely” yellowy colour on the walls of your rental flat is called “Magnolia” and its hated all over the UK, but dearly beloved of people owning rental units. I personally couldn’t wait to purchase a flat and the first thing I and DH did was gleefully paint over every square inch of “magnolia” with brilliant white paint in an “endurance” finish. Totally scrubbable. Tell me though – where do you put you, shall we say, “dainties”? Knickers, socks, etc.??
LOL, you’re absolutely right–in fact, the “Magnolia” color was even noted on our inventory check-in sheet! I had no idea it was so ubiquitous in UK rentals.
As far as dainties go, I’ve been keeping them in a packing cube for two years now — the perfect size for storage, and easy to transport when I move.
When DH and I were renting (I’m American, DH is Scottish), we found most landlords were happy to let you repaint the flat as long as you kept the colour neutral. We did approach the landlord first and offer to paint the flat at our expense, following quickly with volunteering to use a good quality white scrubbable paint. In 6 years we only had one refusal, most were thrilled to have the flat done at no expense to themselves!
Packing cubes. I’ll have to look for them on our next trip to Ikea!
Packing cubes don’t come from Ikea, they come from outdoor shops – by EagleCreek
The last house we lived in had all white walls. I have floaters(small black lines) in my vision and it was difficult living with the white walls. In our present house all the walls have colors and I never notice the floaters anymore. All the trim on the doors,windows and woodwork are white. Our daughter has an all white room. When my sons asked her what color she wanted her room painted, she told them to paint it all white. We don’t hang anything on the bedroom walls because we want our bedrooms to be as dust free as possible.