the power of white

I remember a sudden realization I had in an art class in college about the power of black. Use pastels or colored chalk on black paper, and the colors suddenly jump off the page.

In quantity, white can do the same. Wood tones, for instance, get lost in a multicolored roomscape. But with a backdrop plentiful with white, they come to life. Instead of being "just wood", they become a focal point, and we become aware of the variety of warm browns, golds, reds, and tans that can exist in a single piece.

I stumbled across an old House Beautiful article recently entitled "The Power of White," and it reminded about of this simple trick for making colors appear more vibrant. Here are a few of the photos featured in this article about a home interior by Myra Hoefer.

 

  

  

And here are just a few of the other photos I've come across that illustrate this same principle...

from Cottage Living

From Elle Decor via Shelter

From Cote Maison