How does white furniture fit into the overall style of the interior?

Pros and Cons

First of all, let’s look at the advantages:

• Visual lightness. Compare the same item in faded, colored and black. The first one attracts less attention: which is especially important in small apartments.
• Versatility. White color goes well with any other color in the palette and is suitable for absolutely any room – living rooms, kitchens, children’s rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, balconies, hallways.
• Weight of colors. Anyone who has ever matched a snow-white wardrobe with something of the same tone knows that it can be absolutely different! Light, dark, warm, cold.
• Practicality. It may seem strange, but light cabinet furniture is much less capricious in maintenance than dark or black – dust and dirt are almost invisible on it.
• Psychological influence. The shade symbolizes purity (ideal for bathrooms and kitchens), innocence, awakens bright feelings, removes negativity. Helps to concentrate (good for an office).

Important! Too much whiteness can cause depression and melancholy – to avoid this, dilute with warm or pastel tones.

The photo shows a bedroom set: wardrobe, bedside table, chest of drawers

Among the disadvantages is the impracticality of upholstered furniture. Milky upholstery looks impressive, but it is easy to put a stain on it. Don’t give up on a white sofa if you dream of it – choose models with removable covers and/or Easy Clean furniture fabrics. Thanks to the protective impregnation, stains are not absorbed into the upholstery and are easily removed with water.

The second disadvantage is the mismatch of texture and color. For example, white furniture with glossy facades is easy to clean. But textured shagreen, especially with frequent use, on the contrary, accumulates dirt inside the holes.

Also, there was once an opinion that white products are more expensive: but it is not the color that matters here, but the material. For example, light or dark laminated chipboard costs the same, as do light or dark solid wood.

What does it go with?

To understand how white furniture will look in the interior, you need to know not only the design features of the room, but also the texture of the furniture itself. Cabinet furniture can be divided into 2 categories:

1. Glossy. A room with white furniture will seem larger not only because of the color, but also because of the reflection of light in the shiny coating.
2. Matte. It looks more strict, usually has a classic silhouette.

In the photo, a combination with a red sofa

Both options go well with wood: wooden kitchen countertop, floor finishing, decor next to white furniture will look appropriate, stylish.

As for the combination of shades, there are no restrictions:

• Off-white. Translated from English, it means something like “not quite white.” This technique involves the use of different shades – for example, a snow-colored set is combined with silver or pearl color of the walls.
• Neutral duet. Paired with beige or gray, it creates a feeling of monochrome – the technique is more contrasting than the first, but still quite “modest”. Allows you to use any additional shades.
• Bright combo. White can visually refresh, dilute 1-2 “eye-catching” shades: in this case, choose diamond or snow-colored for a pair with cold finishes (blue, green, purple). A room with bright warm tones (yellow, orange, red) is best decorated with the same warm white furniture: coconut, almond, antique.

When designing an interior with white furniture, try to adhere to the basic rules:

• Use large or contrasting fittings: for example, handles will help to emphasize white furniture in the kitchen interior.
• When combining white walls and white furniture, pay special attention to accents: they will help to get rid of the feeling of hospital sterility.

The photo shows an example of off-white design

• Even when creating an off-white interior, remember: the walls should be darker than the furniture, the floor – darker than the walls.
• To visually change the geometry of the room, use a bright contrast by installing snow-white products against a dark wall, or by choosing bright wallpaper (photo wallpaper) to match the white furniture.

What styles is it better to use?

Previously, white furniture was considered an indicator of status, used in luxurious interiors, such as the Empire style. Today in stores you can find products that are absolutely different in quality and appearance, suitable for most styles.

• Classic. Give up corners and clear lines in favor of rounded shapes, so beloved in the classics. White furniture can be decorated with glass inserts, milling, carriage coupler.
• Empire. You can’t do without a chic, even slightly pretentious design: gilding, figured cutting, rich fittings emphasize the luxury of the chosen furniture, its cost.
• Minimalism. The option when white walls with white furniture can be in one or similar shades – the effect of “dissolving” cabinets or a sofa will be appropriate in minimalism as never before.
• Provence. The French village has a special charm, stands out from the rest. White furniture here is both decorative and very functional: it goes well with forged elements, wood trim, and pastel colors.

• Scandinavian. Representatives of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, like no one else know how to double the natural light entering the apartment, because the climate here cannot be called sunny. Pale-colored furnishings are one of the secret techniques, because furniture can add the missing lighting. White walls with white furniture are justified not only in minimalist design, but in Scandinavian. Here, the decoration and furniture perform, rather, the function of the background, allowing the decor to come to the fore. As a background, it is better to use simple products without unnecessary decor.
• High-tech. If in Scandi, Provence or even classics, the main companion of white is wood, then in this modern high-tech direction, pure color is most often combined with glass, metal. All 3 components reflect light well, making them ideal for compact studio apartments.

How does it look in the interior?

Hallway

In typical layouts, not much space is allocated for the hallway, but this is where roomy storage with cabinets, chests of drawers, and tall cabinets is required. To avoid them looking bulky, use white furniture instead of any other.

Living room

According to statistics, the hall contains the most items: from armchairs, sofas, to a coffee table, decor. In order to focus attention on one thing (for example, a bright sofa or a painting), the rest of the items should be plain.

The photo shows a light living room

Bedroom

A room with white furniture looks more spacious, fresher, cleaner. It is pleasant to relax in a white bedroom, it is comfortable to sleep, it is easy to wake up. The bed, bedside tables, chest of drawers, and wardrobe can all be in one color.

Children’s room

The color should not be the only one — bright contrasts should still be used in a child’s room. Successful combinations: with yellow, pink, blue, green, sand.

Kitchen

A white kitchen set looks equally good in a spacious room and a tiny Khrushchev-era apartment. Thanks to a large selection of textures and materials, everyone will find an option to their taste.

The photo shows a white kitchen set

Bathroom

Plumbing and furniture in one color scheme require a “dilutant” in the form of dark, bright or pastel colors. Use them on the floor, accent wall, in the decor.

If you can’t decide which items will look better, look at successful examples of interiors with white furniture in our gallery.