A couple renovating their home has shared their top tip for a less harsh paint look, which involves ditching brilliant white for softer shades. George and Andreea, who have documented their full home transformation on social media, have imposed a complete ban on brilliant white paint in their redecoration scheme.
Bedroom transformation
The couple recently revealed their revamped bedroom, and the outcome has prompted thousands of followers to reconsider their own interior design decisions. The bedroom appeared considerably less appealing when the couple initially took ownership, with plain cream walls and harsh white skirting boards offering minimal warmth or character.
Now, that identical room has been transformed with a deep, autumnal red that establishes the atmosphere of a snug, distinctive sanctuary. Instead of retaining the brilliant white woodwork they acquired, the couple chose a more subdued tone named Drop Cloth, a colour created by Farrow and Ball, which the manufacturer describes as a "gentle mid-grey beige" that exists "neither too yellow nor too grey".
Softer transition
The objective, as the couple outlined, was to establish a "softer transition" between the striking wall colour and the woodwork, preventing the stark contrast that brilliant white would have generated. The result is that the skirting boards remain white against the rich wall shade, yet without the stark, sterile character that pure white paint can introduce into a space. As an additional advantage, off-white tones prove considerably more forgiving regarding daily scuffs and blemishes.
In the caption accompanying their Instagram video, Andreea put it simply: "POV: You finally convinced your husband to stop using brilliant white on all the woodwork." The couple's wall shade is Valspar's Tuscan Rooftop. For the skirting boards, instead of purchasing directly from Farrow and Ball, they had the Drop Cloth shade colour matched, which meant a different manufacturer was employed to recreate the tone at a more affordable cost.
Positive reaction
The reaction from followers proved overwhelmingly positive. One gushed: "So much better! Brilliant white was never a good choice." Another said: "Wow, this is such a fantastic combination!" And a third added: "I love that it still looks white in contrast to the wall colour, but looks so much more relaxing and easy on the eyes."
White paint can look harsh when the light and surrounding finishes make it read as cold, glaring, or overly high-contrast rather than soft. Common cases include north-facing rooms with cool daylight, very bright direct sun, cool "daylight" LEDs, undertone clashes, high contrast schemes, large uninterrupted areas, low-light small rooms, and lots of reflective surfaces.
In areas where white reads harsh, consider using an off-white with the right undertone and choose a softer finish to cut glare and hide flaws. Also, make sure your bulb colour is warm-neutral and test large swatches at different times of day before committing.
