Trend Alert! Winter in White

You may have snow outside your window this winter – or not. But you can enjoy the bright and cozy combinations that winter white allows inside your home this year. White isn’t only for summer, as seen in the myriad of outfits trimmed in white fur, paired with off-white cashmere sweaters, worn with oyster-shell white wool pants and pulled together with a touch of color in a dazzling hunter green scarf trimmed in bright white fringe. You can create the same show-stopping arrangements in your home when you turn your bright white hot summer room into a warm, inviting white winter wonderland. Winter white, in all its creative variations is a trendy color to wear for the 2012 season – and it’s all over the home furnishing fashion pages. Paint giant Benjamin Moore even carries a new color called – that’s right, Winter White. You don’t have to go so far as to paint your entire room, though that’s a good place to start to freshen up a space for the holidays. (You can roll on a quick coat over light-colored walls in one afternoon.) A plush white leather recliner, a new white linen sofa and side chair, white-washed dining and end tables look thoroughly modern against your holiday greens and bright red poinsettias. 

Don’t try to match whites. It’s never going to happen. Instead, embrace the many shades of white, from eggshell to oyster, cream and ivory. The great thing about decorating with winter white is that all shades complement each other. Unlike the nuances you see in an orangey-red or blue-red, whites don’t hold other variations from the color wheel. They’re all just tints from the same base. If you don’t want to completely redecorate at this busy time of year, introduce touches of the trendy winter white in your accessories. Start by stringing white lights throughout your house and on the tree. White lights have long been favored by the traditionalists who opt for style over substance. Rug & Home carries a nice selection of lamps with art décor themed white lamp shades that will spiff up a lost corner that formerly held a stocky brass lamp or worse – no light at all.

Create a centerpiece of decadence on your floor with a thick, plush white rug from Kas. Their white Bliss rugs are the ultimate in rich winter white wonder that will transform your space. And the price is reasonable enough that it won’t break your gift and holiday decorating budget.

Wear white proudly this winter and entertain in luxury when you accent or surround your space with the glorious shades of white that are all the rage.