White On White
By Christa TerryI’m seeing a lot more white-on-white with white interiors these days and a lot more shops full of furniture to help people achieve this striking look. Brocade Home, a division of Restoration Hardware, is one such retailer.
I like, I like, but it would never, ever work for me, what with five variously colored cats, a husband who makes not infrequent oopsies, and a baby on the way. I clean enough as it is — I don’t feel like dooming myself to a life of endless dust rags and mops. I will, however, happily come over to your white-on-white house and bask in the starkness.
October 17th, 2008 at 10:34 am
And I suddenly find myself flashing on that episode of AbFab where Patsy and Edina are visiting their hyper-minimalist friends who don’t even have a place to put the bottle of wine our girls brought.
That and The Producers with Carmenghia scolding Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder that ‘white, white, white is the color of our carpets!’
White on white can be pretty, but it would never work in my world. Hell, I didn’t even go white on white with my wedding gown! It was silver grey on cream with scarlet shoes! And a Dress MacDonald arisade.
If just isn’t me if there isn’t a cacophony of color.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Oh gracious, how I am with you on both the love of white and the influence of cats in decorating! Every “home inspiration” photo in my scrapbook is full of white furniture, and that wlll never happen for much the same reason. Our first and last decorating question these days is: “What can the 4 cats, dog, and soon-to-be baby not destroy?” And sadly, the answer is “Nothing.” No fabric is strong enough, no shelf is high enough … NOTHING is safe!
October 19th, 2008 at 7:09 am
I have the white on white kitchen with the stainless steel accents – done in a moment of madness when form, and the pristine-ness of it all overcame function. Although the 7 year old twins are very careful and well-trained in spill management, and the husband is a heroic cleaner and dedicated to the extermination of stains, I wouldn’t suggest white-on-white unless you live in quiet isolation and have a large staff of tireless faeries who will dust, scrub and occasionally sand bits off as required.
October 19th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Twistie: We have one white item in our home — a white bathmat. Well, it was white. Getting wet, getting walked on, and (occasionally) getting christened with a hairball has turned it a sort of ucky off white. Now imagine that throughout an entire house. Icky!
Tara: We bought a sort of taupe living room set and so far that has been best with regard to cat hair and the occasional spill. Most everything else we own is non-upholstered so things just wipe right off.
shiloh: I had to let all my faeries go, sadly, so my kitchen will remain colored for the time being. Maybe when my kids are grown and the cats have all passed away? Retirement is only, what, eons away?