White is classic, calming, timeless, elegant and honestly, gives most of us hives at the thought of using it in our homes, especially on furniture! Who hasn't said "White is beautiful but I could never get away with it in my house, not with my family!" I know I have and can be honest and say that even now with two kids off to college I still find myself making excuses not to use it until my two high school kids are out of the house. Teenagers are never home, so what am I so worried about?

We worry about white because it shows dirt, and red wine and popsicles, and etc. etc. We worry because spending money on a nice piece of furniture makes sense only if it lasts forever, right? (Or at least until we tire of it, LOL). White just doesnt seem to have the longevity that other colors have.

I wanted to ask you to step outside the box, to step outside the latest trend if you will on using white furniture in interiors. I want you to use white but in a different way. It's not necessary to use in on your sofa or occasional chairs to get that gorgeous magazine look. Take a look. 

In this entry by Suzanne Kasler, the overall color is white. Suzanne fools our eye into thinking the room is white. We feel the calm, cool, classic pull of white without a white chair in site! Cool blues are added with the lamps and decorative bottles that adorn the table. Love the blue trim added to the black chairs, the perfect touch and perfect way to bridge the color from table to chair.

This is another great example of using white. Create an envelope with walls and floor and add other colors to the basic furniture pieces. The room still feels white but is much more practical. The key here is in the neutral, subdued palette. The soft hues compliment each other. 

This bedroom also created by Kasler, has a cool palette of soft blues, warmed up a bit by natural textures and wood tones. Notice the fabric on the occasional chair and ottoman, a light blue floral. Again, a room is created with the cool, clean crispness of white and not a white chair in site. Adding white lamp shades, white bed linens and using white on the trim pull it all together.

Living with white is not only possible but can be very practical. Go ahead, indulge yourself in a little white! You dont have to wait until the kids are gone!