being your own boss working from home

Ten Reasons Why I’ll Always Prefer White Walls

Posted on by Susan Earlam

White walls are easing me into writing about interiors this year. Let me share my thoughts with you.

being your own boss working from home
Photo by Emmylou from Chiascuro Photography

My focus will always be more on my own home than it will be on interior trends, as I don’t tend to follow them.

Aside from the costly nature of trying to keep up with trends, there is more to life than being a consumer, don’t you think?

As a blogger, I’m bombarded with emails about new trends every day. I’ve never been one to keep up with the Jones, and I think that is why many of you readers have stuck around so long! Thanks!

framed butterflies making your home more personal

I like to pick and choose from what is current, but I will always mix it with what I already have, along with things from the past, like antiques and vintage.

Today I wanted to share with you my love for white walls. I see White Walls as a central element in my home, like a good foundation, my walls are ready and able to hold and enhance art, books, midcentury furniture and so on. Basically, whatever I throw at a white wall, I know it’ll look good.

gallery wall bohemian living room with green velvet corner sofa

I don’t see white walls as a trend. I see them as a basic interiors 101, and that is why I think some people hate them. They see them as boring.

I’ve got ten reasons why I think white walls are great and will endure.

Here’s why I love them;

  1. It’s a timeless interiors look. A classic, it never dates.
  2. There’s a reason why most galleries opt for white walls, it put the focus on the art. In this case, whatever is in the room.
  3. It’s relatively cheap, great for budget decorating. Mistakes with colour can work out costly.
  4. It’s the safe bet when there are so many ideas around, sometimes you just want a simple, easy decorating life.
  5. You don’t have to worry about your colour being discontinued when you need to do touch-ups.
  6. For me, I’m happier in a lighter coloured, or white-walled room. It makes me feel energised and light, it helps me feel positive.
  7. I can see everything without putting a zillion lights on (another expense)
  8. Things always look crisp and fresh, even if the room needs a clean.
  9. White walls help me curate and organise all the visually stimulating things in the space, African masks, artwork, books etc
  10. I love dark walls in photos, in films, and in my friend’s homes, but to actually live in? I need that airy feeling that only white (and versions of white) can bring.
artist studio uncle manchester white walls
UNCLE apartment building art studio

I recently attended an Abigail Ahern Masterclass (I received a complimentary ticket) and I fully expected it to be all about dark wall paint. It wasn’t, although that is what she is known for, and what she prefers on walls. As it turns out we put rooms together in an extremely similar way, we just paint our walls different colours.

I love Abigail’s images of dark rooms she has created, but I could never live in them. What about you?

white walls over dark walls
Photo by Abigail Ahern, inside her home

It’s rather lovely, isn’t it?

But, as I’ve said, as beautiful as it is, White walls are the best fit for my home and me. I do have other colours on my walls, In rooms I’m unconscious in (LOL) or don’t use as often; in my bedroom and my dining room. The majority of the rest of the house is white-walled.

Found this interesting? I found a great article on Design Sponge all about the White Wall debate.

What about you? Are you light or dark when it comes to walls?

Published by Susan Earlam

Writer of fiction, lifestyle and home interiors

35 thoughts on “Ten Reasons Why I’ll Always Prefer White Walls”

  1. We’ve just started the process of buying a new build. Alas this means magnolia. But once we’ve settled I’m hoping it means we can get going with white walls!

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  4. Contrary to popular belief I actually quite like white walls! (Not the stark brilliant white. and beige isn’t happening though. No way haha) But after trying to live with an off-grey white in our last house it was just not for us. My toddler sees them as a challenge haha! I love that you just own it though Sus. It’s all about how a colour makes you feel. I think the dark wall thing is only taking off because people are getting braver with decorating, not because it wasn’t ever popular before. The white walls are definitely part of the “Sus brand” and I love it for that 🙂

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  5. Oh your timing is so good because I’ve been thinking that the first thing I’m going to do when we move house is paint a few of the rooms white so I have a nice clean canvas to work from. Also, I love AA’s style but nope, couldn’t live in it. I tried having a room painted in a dark colour that I use during the day and I realised how much I hated it. Far prefer living in lighter spaces 🙂 Is there a particular white paint brand/colour you’d recommend? xx

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  7. I’m a white wall girl too. It’s lucky that I am really, considering we moved into a new build with white walls last year and we’re not allowed to paint them yet! As much as I love the dark wall trend I know I’d get bored and want to change it. At least with white walls you can change up the theme and colour scheme without having to touch the walls. Great post! x

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  8. Got to agree with the white walls, so long as its in an already bright room…otherwise it risks looking flat and cold, in which case I’d go for a grey. I do love shots of dark though, as you know! As for trends, I feel exactly the same, sometimes it makes me feel anxious, thinking of all the “stuff” that becomes unfashionable so quickly and dumped. Sigh…

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  9. Abigail Ahern’s pitch-black schemes work because her house has massive windows and high ceilings. Unfortunately, that look cannot be translated to smaller houses (despite what Instagram may say). I like white because it brings comfort.

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  11. I love richly colored walls, in theory. In my home I prefer white walls. It’s like having a blank slate to create on.

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  13. I love white walls and they were a lifesaver when I moved into my house, I just painted it all white to create a blank canvas. Starting to add a little colour now though!

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  14. I’m a huge fan of white walls, too. I always get asked if they’re really practical with having two grubby kids but they absolutely are because it takes half an hour to repaint a wall if they get too mucky. I love the light they bring, too.

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  16. I love white walls too. All my walls are white and not because of a trend. It’s just so much easier to keep clean, especially with a huge dog (wipe and repaint parts of the walls).

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  17. I’ve always been a fan of just keeping it simple white too, but my family loves having color on the walls. It didn’t occur to me that a paint color could go discontinued, so true.

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  18. I would rather white than really dark but do like a bit of colour so I have some walls off white and some bright in the same room. The dark wall trend I think I would find depressing to live with. I need light, bright sunny spaces!

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