The number one go-to color for a Scandinavian home is definitely white. It’s a color that will brighten even a dark Scandinavian home, making the space look larger and getting the most out of daylight.
Even though it’s easy to paint a room all white, does not mean that it’s easy to make the room look elevated and put together straight away. It requires an understanding of different shades of white and the impact it will have on you and your furniture. Ideally, your should work with white with adapting it to its surroundings.
To make you pick the right white for your home, here are 5 tips in finding the right shade of white. Making your home into a Scandinavian and minimalistic dream house.
1. Determine what you are keeping
The first step in understanding how to decorate with white, is to understand the color scheme that is already in your home and that will continue to be there after a renovation/decoration update. This can be key furniture pieces that you still want to use, a wooden floor or carpets. These colors will determine what kind of white you should add to your home. Analyze if the items have a warmth to them or a coolness to them. A grey carpet will for example be cool while a golden wooden oak floor will be warm.
2. Understand the undertone of white color
The next step is to understand the undertone of a white color. Believe it or not, there are many different colors of white. Picking the right one for your house and room can be really key in making a room feel put together. A white can have a warm, cool or neutral undertone. A warm white undertone is normally mixed with a tiny amount of yellow, orange or red. While the cool white undertones is normally mixed with a blue, green, purple or grey color. A neutral white has not been mixed with any color.
The undertone you go for will determine a lot of the atmosphere in a room. A warm white will make a room feel warmer and a cool white will make the room feel cooler. If you have a lot of warm colors in the room that you will keep, then a warm or a neutral white will work better. If you have a lot of grey, steel, blues, then a cool or neutral white will work better for the room.
Are you in a situation where you have the option of starting from scratch without any existing furniture or floor, then I would recommend of check how much sunlight the room is getting. If you have a room with not a lot of sunlight, then go for a warmer white.
3. Take your time when deciding
After you have decided if you are going warm, cool or neutral, it is time to go looking for the ideal white color. Go to a paint shop and have a look at their options. All paint colors will have an explanation of what they are mixed with, making it easier for you to understand if it is a warm, cool or neutral white. Make sure that you bring color swatches home. Bring the swatches into the room and see how they look in different lighting and at different times of the day. This will give you an understanding of how the white will look after the room is finished.
4. Mix and match different white colors
You can of course mix and match different whites. Just make sure that you keep on the cool or the warm side of white while doing it. Make sure that the different whites that you are adding are allowed to ”breathe” from each other with sometimes mixing them with other colors. This can for example be brown wood or black steal. Try also to add the whites in different textures and fabrics. This will make a white home look more dynamic and interesting.
5. When to go for a neutral white
If you are looking a super crisp look, then a neutral white is a good option. A great combination is to add neutral white to all your walls and then add some white fabrics to the room that is either warm or cool. Then you get the effect of cool or warm while keeping the room neutral and crisp.
And there you have it, 5 steps that will take you closer to figuring what shade of white that is the correct one for you. The key is to understand your own home and room, what you already have in it and what you want to achieve. And take your time, it will save you a lot of time getting it right the first time around.
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