A Myth About White…In Decorating

decorating with white - this sitting room is all neutral with white fabric and gold and silver accents

Call it a myth or perhaps just a fear of the unknown of the joys of white in decor! For years now I’ve been reading comments on the Shabbyfufu Facebook page whenever I post a photo
of either my own white decor piece or that of a friend, or something found and shared from another page.
The horrors of white, the “I have kids and a husband”, or “I have dogs and it would never last in my home”. You get the drift here…right?

decorating with white - this white shoot is accented with pops of pinks for a bright and flirty Valentine's Day shoot
The shot above was taken last year during a special project, but I am here to tell you that my home has always had lots of white pieces from the early days of raising a family and then on. The kids are now grown but we have 3 dogs (and other assorted small pets:~) and the white remains…and not just for photo shoots:~)
Sorry about the watermark, it’s an older photo and I couldn’t find the original…
decorating with white - you can accent white decor with any color! Here is a white living room scene accented with coastal blues and green
When I had the sofa recovered after scoring it in a thrift shop, I used white denim and the seat cushion is slipcovered. It has been washed, the dogs have all sat here and one of them…ahem…tinkled on it before they were potty trained. It’s easy to bleach and one of just many pieces of white slipcovered furniture in our home…
decorating with white - white bed linens make for a romantic setting accented with bright pink flowers and silver globes.
As you can see I have a love affair not only with white, but with button tufting. This is the headboard in our master bedroom that we’ve had for 3 or 4 years now and it’s as white as the day that it arrived. I sprayed it with a stain repellent spray before our heads ever hit the hay for the first time here and I’ve never had to clean it other than a quick wipe with a damp rag once or twice.
So don’t be afraid of white, no fear because there is always bleach, Oxyclean, stain repellent spray and whiteners! More coming your way on some winter white styling soon…

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7 Comments

  1. Gee Singh Newbanks says:

    Well said Janet. 9 years ago, we had all white with 2 very active boys, their horde of friends and a bunny. We survived just fine. I switched to colours when we moved and am slowly transitioning back to neutral.. whites and creams. We now have a very spoiled chocolate lab boy. Muddy paws etch. wash and replace… easy!
    Luv your rooms!

  2. Shannon Fox says:

    Sigh… love it all.
    My next sofa, will be white.
    Love your photos, styling and style!! xo

  3. Faded Velvet says:

    Janet, This is SO true!! I grew up hearing oh my it's white it'll never stay clean! Clothes, shoes, and furniture. As an adult I have learned that, You can clean whites. What a revelation! I use it all the time now. Great post Janet, Faded Velvet.

  4. Such beautiful pictures…always love looking at your home…and that beautiful splash of blue…that is so you

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  6. Ariana Browning says:

    Beautiful pictures. Saw this from being shared on Facebook. I am slowly turning everything in my bedroom to white or neutral and I have nine dogs, a cat, and a bird, haha. I have noticed that the dark stuff usually shows off the dirt from the animals more than light anyway. I just love these pictures. Love the feel. Going to have to subscribe for more inspiration!

  7. You have such a wonderful and beautiful blog. Stunning spaces and I enjoy each visit.