White on White

Like Maison Martin Margiela for the Maison Elysées hotel with the White Cover suite, the most audacious will soon adopt the White in total look to permanently warm up their interior... a subtle monochrome atmosphere of white ranging from very light grey to light beige. Indeed, we will like to play on multiple variations to give character to its decoration while surfing on the spirit of destitution and simplicity embodied by these «natural» stamped shades.

Whites are used in a variety of ways to decorate concomitantly woodwork, mouldings, walls and ceilings while bringing relief and depth to the décor: at Farrow & Ball, an undisputed expert in colours, the impressive palette of whites ranging from Wimborne White to All White and including the brand new School House White testifies to the infinite capacity of neutral shades to surprise us while imposing itself as a highlight. Because it seems to pre-exist in any decor, white in total look is not flashy: we should carefully avoid accumulating shiny materials that would sign a cold, archi contemporary, even clinical atmosphere to favour matt materials, borrowed directly from Mother Nature.

Plaster, wool, lime or porcelain: like the multipli- cation of whites, we will not hesitate to play with plural textures to enrich the whole decoration while betting on the accident to definitively reconnect with its Earth origins. Crumpled linen, chipped ceramics, very subtly flaked painted wood: white without false pretence must have lived to unleash all its narrative power. To perfect the decor, we will use bright white scattered throughout the strategic areas of the house, to give a design guarantee to the whole by incorporating masterful and immaculate pieces of design such as the Componibili storage unit from Kartell, the Saarinen marble table from Knoll or the Mr Bugatti chair from François Azambourg edited by Cappellini...

For those who, less reckless, would fear glare, white also works in small strokes ! Against a background of colours, the design pieces mentioned above inevitably demonstrate their ability to absorb light to shine better in the settings they illuminate. Another white to adopt without moderation: ceramics: a hymn to slow life and marked by the craftsman’s hand, it is now cultivated with passion in modern interiors in search of authenticity. Start your collection by giving priority to the purest pieces and a most natural colorama. Without hesitation, bet on the diversity of the material’s variations - stoneware, porcelain - and on the different types of glazes available to place on a shelf, or on the top of a fireplace, a multitude of eclectic but assorted objects, sourced according to the needs of flea markets and other designer sales.

Finally, pay tribute to white as an art form by investing in an eloquent work: since Malevitch’s famous white square on a white background is already taken, you are advised to take a look at the graphic illustrations and yet full of poetry of the young artist Charlotte Taylor who draws her colours from a monochrome palette to develop highly desirable architectural compositions...