I wrote about our big move a few months back and I think one of my biggest fears was that living in a rental meant I couldn’t paint. I’m an admitted paint-addict. If you know me personally you know this, I painted at least twice-yearly. I’m a fan of good color pop and I love to change things up. So when we decided to move I knew I’d be in for a tricky situation. A friend continued to remind me of the woes of white walls, but instead of freaking out – I decided to embrace the situation and make it amazing!
I’ve always been a fan of the shabby chic and decided to really incorporate it into our new home. Simple in nature, my boxes of decor nearly jumped out and onto the walls. It didn’t long for me to realize that white IS beautiful, and quite honestly, I looked at it like an empty canvas waiting to be filled.
Angie’s thoughts on taking white from drab… to fab:
- Embrace it. Realize that even if you have the choice to paint (but aren’t looking to do so) it’s okay! White can look beautiful, and it can stay clean. I love The Nester’s mantra, It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. It just has to be yours, make it a place you and your family are comfy in and you’ll find peace in that.
- Toss in color. I now love the clean white look, but I do think it’s detrimental to have pops of color in your sea of white. In my own home I like to “toss in” chunky handmade blankets, fresh flowers, shabby chic pieces, color images of my kids, etc. It breaks it up and allows for those items to really stand out.
- Don’t fear the cream. By this I mean, don’t fear adding some off white/cream to your white. All of our window coverings are sheer with an off white undertone. I love the flow of it, especially matched up with my black wrought iron rods.
- Add texture. By this I mean visual texture AND the texture of touch. As mentioned above I love my soft, yummy knitted blankets and quilts – but I also love the way my black wrought iron curtain rods stand out in our rooms. Hang an old door on your wall, scrapbook in an old barn window, or mount some enlarged images of your children.
- Change it up. The great relief for me is that, a ha! I don’t HAVE to paint. I have this blank space, I’m not committing to anything more than some holes in the walls. That is the beauty in it – you’re free to create what you want, when you want, how often you want!
- Keep it clean. Lastly, the “ugh” we all feel with white walls – keepin’ them clean. If you haven’t tried the magic erasers, you absolutely must. We stocked up before our move and although I ran into a bit of trouble on the flat finish of our walls – they really are a lifesaver.
Are you suffering from the “White Wall Woes”? Might you have some other ideas to share?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
In my first house I painted each room a bright, happy color. It was an older home and somehow this seemed to fit it. When I bought my current house it was all painted in a light, neutral color (flooring is all light too). I had a newborn and was simply too tired to paint and it grew on me. Now I don’t want bright colors anymore because the lighter rooms feel peaceful/serene to me. I enjoy playing with texture and here & there use some color… but overall keeping things neutral in this house feels right. Oh – I must admit that my nine year old daughter has been begging me to paint her room in vivid colors and I’ve conceded:)
I’ve struggled with the rental whites as well, this is a great perspective! Something I’ll definitely be looking to do in the future :) especially since the rental situation won’t be changing for quite some time!
Love this post! I’m dealing with white walls too, a recovering painted wall lover. I’ve got a title in my post edits called builder beige walls but have yet to get around to writing anything about it. I’m adding this to the Nest Files tumblr page!
I very much like what you said about adding texture. We live in a rented apartment in Europe and as we don´t now how long we´ll be here for, I won´t be painting walls, however am looking for other ideas. Thanks!