Notes from the Field: Winter Whites

By Karin Lidbeck Brent

While I love the flow of the bold, vibrant color schemes reviving the walls and furnishings of homes today, the calming effect of rooms in soft whites and pastels brings a sense of order and peace that I find soothing.

Like a morning frost layered over a winter landscape, rooms designed with hues of whites, soft greys, and pale blues appear anything but dull and chilling. My friend and interior designer, Lauren Muse, does this so well: Lauren’s room-scapes in palettes of wintry pastels show just how warm and welcoming the hues of winter can be.

Lauren provides a bone quatrefoil mirror nestled in a landscape of greys and whites within this room designed for her client’s home on the Connecticut shore. It’s a wonderful focal point and a Muse Interiors touch of glamour.

Photo by Chris Meech Photography

Lauren’s masterful eye, layering a soft palette with subtle patterns, brings a quiet serenity to this room. Off-white Italian linen, stried blues and grey-cut velvet are a few of the sumptuous and colorful textures created for this sitting area of the master bedroom.

Photo by John Bessler

Like fluffy white snow, her choice of color and texture offer a dream-like, heavenly comfort. Grey-blues and creamy whites are often Lauren’s go-to color combinations for master bedrooms.

Photo by John Bessler

Photo by John Bessler

Lauren’s vision for this casual white dining space, featuring shades of crisp white, soft blue and tan, invokes a feeling of relaxation–everything a morning breakfast should be.

Photo by John Bessler

Photo by John Bessler