FOR MOST INTERIOR DESIGNERS, white is relief: the outline creating silhouettes, the salve, the coolant, the oasis, and the calm. One of the great appeals of white in a room is its friendliness and flexibility. If a color can be openminded, white is. It’s willing to explore the possibilities of mixing, contrasting, and (or!) defining.
Yet it can also be a polarizing force. White is intimidating and downright daunting if used stem to stern, ceilings to floors, sofas to side tables. I covet white and find it irresistible in its myriad of shades, but sometimes—like a hot plate— it can be too much to handle.
Still, white is omnipresent in our daily lives. I think how flat and lifeless all of the prints and patterns I have lived with would…
