Nights and Days in White

From the Veranda mag. website Designer Darryl Carter's country house.
Syrie Maugham's famous white drawing room that started the vogue for all white interiors.
Last photo courtesy of Visual Vamp's blog.

Recently Visual Vamp posted an entry showing a series of all white spaces. My own personal feelings about those kind of spaces is mixed. Sometimes, I look at them and think, "How peaceful...serene....beautiful." Sometimes, I think, "How do you keep all that clean...Do they buy Chlorox by the vat? Are they like the hostess in Sex and the City who only serves 'clear liquours, white wine, and white foods?'" And, sometimes I think, "How boring." As the title of my blog implies, I do love white and off white paint...for trim, for walls, for slipcovers, occasionally for walls. However, everytime I've personally tried to go completely neutral, it's only been a matter of time before the serenity fades and I start thinking about adding pops of color...just a few...a pillow here, an accessory there. Then comes the accent paint...maybe just in the back of the bookcases...perhaps on an accent wall. Then, I decide the color looks so good I paint the whole room. Then that color is so great, maybe the next room could be a complement...etc., etc. Then one day, I look around and decide the house looks like it was decorated by a drunk, colorblind clown with a Sherwin Williams gift certificate and start dreaming of Benjamin Moore's White Dove...and so the cycle starts.