Nature’s Color Wisdom: Lessons on White From the Great Outdoors

As clean as new-fallen snow, as mysterious as moonlight, as rich and comforting as freshly churned butter and fluffy sheep’s wool, white is far from boring. This perennial decorators’ and architects’ favorite can work with any style or mood, it highlights shapes and texture like nothing else, and it’s easy to pull together a look with it. (Everything comes in white.) Start looking at white through the lens of nature, and you’ll find boundless inspiration. Let’s get started.

Horse Fine Art Photograph White in nature. White in nature is striking and sometimes mysterious — think of a white horse, swans on a placid lake, bleached bones in the desert, white froth capping a wave, mist hanging in a valley, craggy white cliffs and moonlight.



Minimalist white. White is the minimalist’s dream color, fresh and bare-bones. Without the distraction of color, the eye is drawn more readily to architecture and form. It’s also a great color for creatives who work with lots of visuals during the workday; white space at home — in effect a blank page — allows the eye to rest and can help refill the creative well.



‘Porcelain Nest’ Photograph Winter white. Freshly fallen snow, a white winter sky, snowdrops peeking up in the otherwise barren ground … winter white is the cleanest of the whites. Usually white in nature is changeable — it’s hardly ever “just white”; there’s always a bit of blue, gray, or yellow in whites found in nature. Beware of going overboard with absolutely pure white in the home — too much white with no break would feel akin to being stuck in a blizzard.


Modern white. Reviving, cleansing, pure and simple, all-white spaces can be ideal oases in a modern world. In the space shown here, the wide swaths of white are broken up with natural wood tones, which keep the palette from feeling stark or clinical. The simple palette allows the shape of the sculptural chandelier and dining chairs to shine.



Modern Wall Decor - $75 Earthy whites. Think of a woolly sheep, papery garlic skin, creamy milk, a clutch of white eggs, daisies and roses. With more variation than snowy whites, these earthy, natural white tones are easier to live with and work well with other neutrals or richer hues like barn red or turquoise.


White with light woods and zinc. If that woolly sheep were a room, perhaps it would look something like this. White furnishings mingle with natural woods in a variety of light tones; frosty-looking zinc light fixtures and a simple schoolhouse clock complete the look. When the main hue is white, subtle textural details, like the herringbone-patterned floors and plank wall shown here, stand out even more.


Warm and antique whites. Richer, creamier tones of white, like a dollop of cream with plenty of butterfat, are easy and comforting. Antique whites can run the gamut from the palest cream to aged parchment and muslin. These hues make a natural partner for other warm neutrals, like beige, warm gray and coffee.



White in the garden. Zero in on any flower, like the fat hydrangeas shown here, and you will find a hint of green, sometimes blue or blush pink or yellow. Any of these color combinations would work well inside the house — just think of using white as a main color and use a fresh, spring-garden shade of another color (green, blue, pink) in small touches.



Summer whites. Summer whites seem to amplify the sun, acting like a giant stretch of sandy beach, brought indoors for your pleasure. White in summer feels fresh and utterly simple, too — when you are lounging in lightweight clothes, doesn’t it make sense to dress your home in light layers, too? Try diaphanous white curtains, white painted floors and white slipcovered furniture. Place a row of sun-bleached shells and stones in the windowsill.



White for budget decorators. Decorating with white can be incredibly easy and inexpensive. Found a funky piece of junk shop furniture? Paint it white to transform it into something chic. White cotton duck slipcovers; curtains made from painter’s drop cloths; big-box-store white china, towels and bedding; and simple white accessories, like vases and pitchers found at flea markets and yard sales, are all affordable and chic ways to decorate a home with white.


Simple white. There’s nothing simpler than a freshly scrubbed white room with smooth wood floors, whitewashed walls and bleached slipcovers. If you want to simplify your home, embrace white. Classic, timeless, appealing to all eras and styles, white as an interior color is a great unifier.

Tell us: What do you love about decorating with white? Do you prefer stark, snowy whites or richer, creamier tones?

More color ideas from nature: Lessons on Green From the Great Outdoors

Fun Houzz: An Architect’s Guide to Color

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