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For the Love of White: The White & Neutral Home
Create calming, peaceful spaces in your home with white and neutral tones with the first home decorating book from The White Company, published as this much-loved brand celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary.
“The thing about white is that it goes with everything, it is a canvas for life, whoever you are and whatever your tastes. You just can’t beat it.”—Chrissie Rucker Whether you live in a tiny city apartment, a rambling country cottage or an elegant town house For the Love of White offers the definitive book on decorating with white and neutral ones. From room schemes for light, bright family kitchens and calming bedrooms to the all-important finishing touches—this is a book to be inspired by again and again. Illustrated with specially commissioned photography by leading interiors photographer, Chris Everard and organized into three sections—Country, Town and Coastal—the book provides both the advice and the inspiration needed to transform your home.
“The thing about white is that it goes with everything, it is a canvas for life, whoever you are and whatever your tastes. You just can’t beat it.”—Chrissie Rucker Whether you live in a tiny city apartment, a rambling country cottage or an elegant town house For the Love of White offers the definitive book on decorating with white and neutral ones. From room schemes for light, bright family kitchens and calming bedrooms to the all-important finishing touches—this is a book to be inspired by again and again. Illustrated with specially commissioned photography by leading interiors photographer, Chris Everard and organized into three sections—Country, Town and Coastal—the book provides both the advice and the inspiration needed to transform your home.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2019
50 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 13, 2023
I adored all the rooms featured in this book, but I wish there had been more photos of each room with different angles. I remember browsing Home & Garden magazines years ago and the designers would go into detail discussing the exact paint color they used, what factored into their decision to combine different colors, etc. I often found myself wishing for that level of discussion from the designer, everything felt glossed over here.
August 12, 2020
Yes white goes with everything, but it isn't nearly as calming for me as they seem to think it should be. I find this much white to be cold, hard, boring, and all looking alike. It can also be blinding in bright sunlight.
In some rooms here there's some neutral things like wood, but too often everything is white: walls, rugs, furniture, curtains and other fabrics. Even much of the artworks and decorative objects are white. Sometimes even the wood is deliberately toned down, grayed out if not painted white.
There's so much emphasis on natural light that they seem to forget that part of all days there isn't any outside light at all. Many rooms, at least what shows in the pictures, seem to have a limited amount of lighting for those dark times. Does everybody go to bed at sunset?
There's a love for low seating, supposedly comfortable. This forgets about people who may have trouble getting up from low chairs or sofas: the elderly, those with hip or knee problems, the uncoordinated, those who are actually disabled. Do they discourage those people from visiting? What happens when the people who live there fall into one of those categories?
There's also a fondness for long benches next to long dining tables. This would be awkward. Does everybody sit down and get up at the same time? Does everybody have the exact same preference for distance from the table? Doesn't anybody want a back to their seat?
Having white linen upholstery looks okay at first, but at least one specifically mentions having throws available to protect the white linen, and there was no mention of pets or children. This is not a house to be lived in; it's a showpiece.
I could not possibly live in any of these houses, and if I happened to visit, I would find myself wearing red or purple or bright blue just to remind myself that there is color in the world.
In some rooms here there's some neutral things like wood, but too often everything is white: walls, rugs, furniture, curtains and other fabrics. Even much of the artworks and decorative objects are white. Sometimes even the wood is deliberately toned down, grayed out if not painted white.
There's so much emphasis on natural light that they seem to forget that part of all days there isn't any outside light at all. Many rooms, at least what shows in the pictures, seem to have a limited amount of lighting for those dark times. Does everybody go to bed at sunset?
There's a love for low seating, supposedly comfortable. This forgets about people who may have trouble getting up from low chairs or sofas: the elderly, those with hip or knee problems, the uncoordinated, those who are actually disabled. Do they discourage those people from visiting? What happens when the people who live there fall into one of those categories?
There's also a fondness for long benches next to long dining tables. This would be awkward. Does everybody sit down and get up at the same time? Does everybody have the exact same preference for distance from the table? Doesn't anybody want a back to their seat?
Having white linen upholstery looks okay at first, but at least one specifically mentions having throws available to protect the white linen, and there was no mention of pets or children. This is not a house to be lived in; it's a showpiece.
I could not possibly live in any of these houses, and if I happened to visit, I would find myself wearing red or purple or bright blue just to remind myself that there is color in the world.
September 11, 2021
Loved seeing the simple beauty on each page in this book, a surprise for me in this book was seeing a Lighthouse Reno and I could feel its magic by the sea reminding me of a time where I stayed in a lighthouse for vacation. Enjoyed reading the short paragraphs to go along with each picture. I'd look through this book again a 2nd time and so forth just for the pictures.
January 14, 2023
I first became interested in The White Company after following my friends Instagram. I noticed a few White Company items and thought the simplicity was really effective. That was a few years ago… fast forward to now and with our current move pending I thought it would be a good time to have a look through the book!
I got the book for Christmas as a “coffee table book” initially but I always like to read any book I own so I finished reading this today. The designs inside are stunning as expected and even though the houses are on another level to anything you’d expect in a standard home the design principles are pretty simple and classic.
I love that the book breaks down different tips for you so you can apply the basics to any home, the glassware and neutral tones are wonderful along with the little additions of nature too. Obviously The White Company can be quite a pricey brand so I’ll be doing 90% of my future interpretations on a budget! 🤪 However getting some great tips is always a good start! Fab book ❤️
I got the book for Christmas as a “coffee table book” initially but I always like to read any book I own so I finished reading this today. The designs inside are stunning as expected and even though the houses are on another level to anything you’d expect in a standard home the design principles are pretty simple and classic.
I love that the book breaks down different tips for you so you can apply the basics to any home, the glassware and neutral tones are wonderful along with the little additions of nature too. Obviously The White Company can be quite a pricey brand so I’ll be doing 90% of my future interpretations on a budget! 🤪 However getting some great tips is always a good start! Fab book ❤️
February 9, 2021
For the Love of White features 12 homes decorated in a neutral palette in different settings. There are 4 town homes, 5 country homes and 3 coastal settings. The book shows you how to decorate in a neutral manner without losing any homely touches. Like any interior book not everything will appeal to everyone. There are classic homes, contemporary homes and those that are a little more rustic. Even though this book is classed as a coffee table book, I can’t see myself re-reading it (I have the hardback edition).
September 5, 2020
Beautiful picture book.
November 26, 2022
Nice tips, but pretty narrow style. It can be summarized as: use candles, good linen, nice flours, and all white.
August 17, 2025
Wonderful book
Plenty of time to dip in and out, Re-read also. As I don't have so much physical space, it was read this way. Lovely book
Plenty of time to dip in and out, Re-read also. As I don't have so much physical space, it was read this way. Lovely book
September 7, 2020
A bit of escapism, really - a view into some very expensive houses and a glimpse of how the other rather less than half live. The three homes of the owner of The White Company with some others - all featuring mainly white accessories and furnishings with a very little colour to soften the impact. These are not homes designed for very comfortable living, really (how does anyone with a large family keep everything so clean and neat?!) and they certainly wouldn't work for me, but then fashionable interior design and reordering of houses is not usually done with people with physical limitations in mind. (When they reach that stage of life themselves I daresay they will all realise how very impractical those big deep free-standing baths are!) You might get some inspiration from some of the general principles, though, and there was one kitchen idea which I already do (and it does work quite well). One can but dream of having so much room that you can have space for food storage, laundry, muddy boots all out of sight and not in the way, not to mention separate dressing rooms for clothes storage. I don't think my home will ever be an inspirational calming space, but I certainly might try for some rather less mis-matched things like towels in the bathroom and a few simple kitchen items. I think I like the lighthouse best, of the houses shown.
July 24, 2021
More of an extended magazine feature than a book
Ok, here’s my confession. I don’t do heavy, clunky coffee table books. I love the calming influence of white, and minimalist decorating. So when I got the chance to buy this book on Kindle, I did. However, the font does not lend itself to easy reading (I used the iPad app). Some of the indoor courtyard garden ideas were inspirational, but this was much more an extended magazine feature, than an actual book. For further reading, I recommend the delightful ‘Goodbye Things’ and also ‘Healing Home’ which I adore.
Ok, here’s my confession. I don’t do heavy, clunky coffee table books. I love the calming influence of white, and minimalist decorating. So when I got the chance to buy this book on Kindle, I did. However, the font does not lend itself to easy reading (I used the iPad app). Some of the indoor courtyard garden ideas were inspirational, but this was much more an extended magazine feature, than an actual book. For further reading, I recommend the delightful ‘Goodbye Things’ and also ‘Healing Home’ which I adore.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews