Brighten up your white interiors with a splash of colour

Fabulous white library wallpaper

 I live in a cottage and creating light is more than a challenge. I recently started to re-decorate and decided to use white. My windows are set about three feet deep so painting the inside of them white bounces light into the room. However, white as a whole can be a bit boring so I decided to add splashes of colour. I have used this gorgeous wallpaper by Young & Battaglia to show as an example. By adding a pink book to the shelves it takes on a whole new look, and gives a beautiful (but subtle) wallpaper an injection of personality.

With an added splash of colour

A small splash of colour can make an impact on a large area of white – when you add these small touches you will see a huge difference.

Place your hand over the flower and the picture is less than interesting

Kathy Dalwood is the master of this sort of style. Her interiors sing out to you with her clever use of colour against white.

Her kitchen is a dream as she not only has a white background but light flooding in from French windows which picks up the colours she has cleverly placed around the room.

Kathy Dalwood dining room

If you don’t want to go to the extent of using furnishings to get the look then you can try adding some bright flowers.

Kathy Dalwood's clever use of colour and an injection of colour with flowers

To prove that I practise what I preach here is a corner of my cottage. This is one of my 6 dining chairs, 4 are a stone colour, one is bright pink and the other acid green. I love bright blues - this fabulous French bedside cabinet will soon be gracing the pages of Ghost Furniture, but for now it is bringing some vibrance to my white room . A blue lampshade brightens up an otherwise neutral area at the bottom of the stairs.

Splashes of colour at home

This table with a brightly painted ormalu added to the surface is already available. You can buy it from my collection at Mydeco.

Ghost Furniture tilting table with a brightly painted ormalu in the corner

If you’re not a fan of white, bright colours can also bring vibrance to a darker tone – Abigail Ahern is the Queen of dark interiors and the effect of splashes of colour with dark grey or black is just as stunning.

Abigail Ahern's lights look great on a dark background

 Let me assure you of how simple this decorating idea is – paint all walls and pantworks white then test different areas by placing something bright into them. It’s fun and very very satisfying.