Why are white walls so bad?

[Shugardrawers]

Call me crazy, but I like white walls. They feel brighter to me and if I decide I want to bring home a burgundy couch I don't have to stress about the lavender walls. Besides, white goes well with my dreams of cottage style decorating. So why won't people just shut up about what color I'm going to paint the walls? Have we gone completely the opposite direction now? Used to be people rarely painted their walls anything but white. Then everyone decided it really was ok to have sage green walls. Now I'm a freako if I really do want white. Paint your dining room black and red for all I care but stop telling me I'm nuts for leaving my walls white!

 

[HunnyPots]

Its because we now have channels like HGTV and DiscoveryHome where "designers" tell you that you SHOULD paint your walls with whatever color is trendy at the moment. I say if you like white walls then you should have white walls! You are the one who has to live with it so it should be what you want. All my walls are a shade of white except the bedrooms. Ours is taupe (which I am really getting sick of), my DD's is lavender, and my DS's is a silver-gray.
Do what you want; its your house!

 

[Shugardrawers]

Ah yes, the same designers who glue hay, silk flowers and cardboard on unsuspecting home owners walls and charge $10k for it.

Painted walls are great for those who enjoy them. Heck, I even like looking at them. I just can't live with them. Twice now I've been asked what colors I'm painting my dining room and living room. Then I'm told not to be afraid of color. I'm not "afraid", I just don't want it!

I may, may paint my walls a very pale buttery yellow in the future but for now I'm sticking with the white and you can't stop me neener neener neener!!

 

[cryssi]

LOL We are not much by the way of decorators (which is weird, I know b/c we are more or less creative people) and didn't paint any walls in our house. Ok so the house is really not decorated...we hardly have ANYTHING on the walls, and for window treatments, only blinds.

Anyway, I like houses that have colored walls, but always had white walls growing up. I wouldn't even know where to start, and we can't be bothered with painting! LOL Besides, I would probably get tired of any color but not want to repaint! Lazy!

Our house is very neutral (beige carpet, white blinds, maple laminate floor) so if we want to decorate, we can do it with any furniture or accessories...no paint!

Long live the white walls!!

 

[HunnyPots]

Ah yes, the same designers who glue hay, silk flowers and cardboard on unsuspecting home owners walls and charge $10k for it.

No kidding!! I've seen things on those shows that would have me calling a lawyer if they did it to me! Better to have white walls than hay on the walls anyday!

 

[azgal81]

I personally can't stand white walls I am such a big fan of color. I wouldn't tell anyone not to leave the walls white in their own house though if they wanted to. Some people just like white some like color!

As far as paying a desinger 10 thousand dollars to decorate my house. Yeah right I can do it myself that's why I watch HGTV to get ideas. Although even some of the things the designers do to people's houses on HGTV are not my taste at all.

 

[golfgal]

White walls look ok in the right setting but MOST houses/furniture/woodwork looks better with color on the walls, even a pale color. It isn't that white is bad it just usually doesn't do anything for your decor.

 

[SplshMtn99]

I have both white & color. When we moved in 13 yrs ago, we painted everything "porcelain". (We have natural woodwork & doors -- stained -- not painted) But over the years, a few rooms have gotten some color. Main reason for porcelain walls, is because we have blue wall to wall carpet almost everywhere. And it's a vibrant blue. It's gets alot of complements. I decorate with alot of greens (all shades) & oak wood & an accent color here & there.

I like to re-decorate alot....but we HATE to paint. I would rather spend the money to buy something in a different color than have to paint. Its because we are METICULOUS & it takes us FOREVER to paint. Can you say anal? LOL

Now on the otherhand, my DSIL has new house with WHITE everywhere -- walls, woodwork & doors. Hardwood floors. I find her house very "cold". I think its because hers is just VERY white --- with no distinction in the trim or doors.

So, my advise is to pick something ever so slightly off white. The wall still reads as white, but you WILL feel the difference.

I STILL love my 13 yr old porcelain walls.....but after about 3-5 yrs, I tire of any shade of colored paint I put on the wall & wish I could change it but don't dear suggest painting to DH. Mainly because, even though green has been IN for quite a few years now....the shade that is IN (& for sale in accessories) keeps changing.

I'm honestly surprised I still get as many complements on the shade of blue carpet we picked all these years. BUT, it's really hard to get things to match it in the stores.

 

[sm4987]

I don't mind white walls at all. Very few rooms in the house have changed colors. The walls were a creamy white. I only painted my room a lavender which I am so tired of and the kids bathrooms. ALl the rest of the pain in the house has remained the same. My bathroom and kitchen already had wallpaper in it. I haven't changed it, but that doesn't mean I love it either!

 

[pppiglet]

I used to be a fan of all off white walls. Didn't like color at all. Now our kitchen is green and white, our dining/living room is tan and blue and cream, DS room is Dark Blue, Olive green and beige, Bathoom 1 is green and cream and burgandy, and bath 2 is now being remodeled with taupe tile, white vanities, light rose and med blue. Office is very pale grey/blue that looks very pale green grey sometimes! Our bedroom, living room, and hall is the only thing with off white walls now. I am sure it would look bigger if it was all off white again, but this is real relaxing and cozy and I like it!

 

[pppiglet]

SM4987 - the reason my kitchen is green and dining room blue is that we painted over pink and lavender wallpaper! Was way easier than stripping it!

 

[Aimeedyan]

It's your house - tell others to back off! You're the one who has to paint it or look at it

You won't find a white wall in my house - I lived too long in rental houses to look at white walls anymore but I am a HUGE fan of color, it makes me smile, and it completes the decor look I am going for. I also find it to be a very cheap decorating fix; I can paint a room on a boring Saturday for $30.

But I would never tell someone else to paint their white walls! Some people like them that way

 

[sm4987]

pppiglet, I painted over the wallpaper in my kids bathrooms, but the kitchen breakfast nook is so large, I'm just to dang LAZY!!!! I'm looking at moving into a new house, with a beautiful creamy white all over. I'm looking forward to that.

 

[pppiglet]

I'd move into a new house any day to avoid painting again!

 

[graygables]

I am a color lover, too, so our walls are all something deep, rich, or colorful. My office is AKL-themed with Peanut Butter, Semi Sweet, and Brazil Nut on my walls!

That said, my parents are doing an addition and my mom is dying for some color. My dad told me as we were leaving for Home Depot (btw, this is a highly educated man who is on his 3rd career as a college prof ), "Candlelight White is the first choice, and for Pete's sake, don't get no yellow!" My mom and I settled on "Light Topaz" in homage to my birthstone and her wanting a deep, dark gold. It was like Designing for the Sexes with the 2 of them! Dad agreed that it wasn't quite "yellow", Mom was ecstatic that it wasn't white. The irony of it all is that the addition is for my DAD! Poor man!

If you want white walls, go for it. They are chic, go with everything, and accentuate artwork beautifully. Chefs are trained that food even looks better on a white plate. Besides, it's YOUR house...tell any naysayers to get their own walls!

 

[jennyL]

My DH and I are building a new house and we like color after being in rentals for 8 years. LOL However we have to let the house sit for awhile so that we can find any issues so we picked a whole house color from the builder. What did my DH pick out as the color to go with but Softer Tan. So instead of white we will be beige. LOL I guess it will be a contrast to the white trim and anything is better than painters white.

I would never say anything about what others wanted to paint their rooms though. Its their house and I may not understand it but they are the ones living with it.

 

[New England Eeyore]

The house I grew up in was all white walls. When I finally bought my own home the first thing I did was choose colors for evey room in the house. No white walls at all! To me, painting is easy and a quick way to completely the feel of the room. If we were to ever buy new furniture I'd have no problem repainting the walls to match. But that's just me.

 

[DisneyDazed]

We didnt want to paint are walls either but were talked into a neutral color that would go with just about anything. I have to say, now I cant even imagine living with white walls. They seem so boring and dull to me. The whole place is much warmer and cozier now. You would be surprised what a shade or two difference it makes.