The new year is almost upon us, but before I start anticipating 2013’s newest home decorating themes, I’m taking inventory of the most popular looks from the past year. One of my absolute favorites is an interior scheme done in white and pale (even raw) wood. Its roots are Scandinavian, I suspect; aesthetic is pure Nordic cool. It’s versatile too. You can mix in pops of color, from pastels to brights; weave in earthy textures and natural elements for an organic design theme or add a few well-placed industrial-inspired pieces. I prefer it in its purest form, as seen below.
These rooms are all done with an incredibly pared down palette, but there’s nothing boring about them. The look is fresh, and actually, quite active, since the wide variety of furniture forms lead your eye around the space.
In the kitchen on the right, designed by Bates Masi Architects, the sinuous curves of the contemporary kitchen bar stools stand out against the pale wood island base, and are nicely framed by the wraparound countertop. The wire stools in the kitchen on the left, designed by Weitzman Halpern Design, provide an airy contrast to the solid butcher block-topped island.
In the living room of this California residence decorated by designer Jamie Bush, custom floor-to-ceiling wood cabinetry is a dramatic backdrop for the clean lines of the furniture and white pottery collection.
The dining room, designed by Susanna Vento, is one of my favorites. I adore the multitude of diagonals, from the dowel-leg chairs to the splayed table legs. And that pale wood shelf filled with simple white ceramics is mesmerizing. Notice that each single piece is executed in both wood and white.
Finally, the most peaceful space is, fittingly, the bedroom, photographed by Paul Whicheloe, a mattress on the floor swathed in a puffy duvet, with two horizontal boards of plywood serving as a headboard/accent wall. The square wood pots of grass add a bit of Zen.
White and wood pieces for you to mix and match:
KITCHEN: 1. Color Story Counter Stool 2. Artcraft On the Spot 3-Light Pendant 3. Denver Modern Butcher Block Kitchen Cart 4. Orbit Faux Leather Adjustable Height Bar Stool.
LIVING ROOM: 1. Zuo Carnival Modular Loveseat 2. Possini Euro Design Cloud Pendant 3. Hudson Stone Wash Finish Sideboard 4. Kennedy Glass and Leather Hurricane.
DINING ROOM: 1. Azzo Side Chair 2. Quorum Ashford 3-Light Provincial Chandelier 3. Hudson Stone Wash Finish Dining Table 4. Hanging Wooden Wine Rack
BEDROOM: 1. White Microsuede Slipcover Bed 2. Cerno Silva Baltic Birch Desk Lamp 3. Hudson Stonewash Wood Nesting Trunk 4. Natural Pine Wall Mirror