This is a common question and there isn't necessarily an straight answer. My first instinct is to say "no way, too contrived". I admit - I've always been a little dubious about artists offering to paint a canvas to "match your colour scheme". To me, this screams average hotel room or house styled for sale, not that these are bad approaches in and of themselves. I just don't think it's the right way to decorate your home.
Art is a hugely personal choice and it's often the key element that makes the room and gives it personality. It can add drama, whimsy, or just that accent colour that's missing from everything else. It complements or it contrasts - it doesn't have to match! And, without it, the room can feel dead. I love helping clients select art but I would never do so without their complete involvement. More often than not I advise on things like the size, framing, and hanging while the choice of the actual piece ends up wholly with them.
So, how do you know if the piece "will go"? Well, my philosophy is that if you buy what you love it will always work. Of course, the caveat to this is that the style of your home actually reflects who you are, not who your decorator or friend or mother is. And, if it doesn't, hire someone who will help you achieve that!
White is one of the most difficult colours to get right when decorating a room yet, in the vast world of possible paint colours, almost 70% of the paint sold is a white. Many home owners think white is the right answer and/or the easy answer: using white will make a dark room feel brighter; using white will make a small room feel bigger; always paint the ceiling white. But, have a look around...these so-called "rules" don't always hold up. Using white in a dark room can end up looking grey and lifeless. A small room painted in white can look unfinished - as though the owner couldn't decide what colour to paint it so gave up at the undercoat! A stark white ceiling can seem harsh and look bland.
Creating beautiful white rooms requires two key ingredients plus a healthy dose of strong discipline. The key ingredients are great light and good bones. Take another look at all of those beautiful white rooms that you see in magazines. They are always full of wonderful light streaming in through large windows and giving the space a clean, bright, even ethereal feel. While the photos below offer a more country aesthetic the same principle holds true in a modern white space.
The other element that is necessary is good architecture and pleasing proportions. This is because white doesn't give you an opportunity to mask poor proportions through the use of tone and hue (more on this in a future post). The rooms in the images above have generous proportions, high ceilings and the final key ingredient - restraint.
The furniture and accessories in these rooms are carefully edited, the use of colour is tightly controlled and the finishes provide an intoxicating mix of textures. These elements are important in all spaces but so much more critical for creating a successful white room. And, when decorated properly, there is a no more beautiful space than wonderful white!
And, on a final note, from Coffee With an Architect:
