Is White Bedroom Furniture Classy or Classless?

If we flip through current issues of Home Beautiful and other home décor magazines, it seems that white bedroom suites are very popular at the moment. The last time they were this popular was in the 1980s. However, we need to know how to use them correctly if we are to avoid a repeat of the “bad taste 80s”.

Today, there are two main types of white bedroom furniture. There is the country or cottage type, and then you have the modern or contemporary type. By the end of this article, you'll have a good idea about which type you prefer.

The first type of white bedroom furniture suites - cottage or country - has a few "signature items" that make it unique. Read on to see if these items appeal to you.

The first "signature item" in the cottage or country look is whitewashed timber. This simply means timber that has been covered with a very thin layer of white paint. The paint is so thin that you can usually see the natural grains and knotholes underneath. An example of a whitewashed timber item in a cottage bedroom is a whitewashed oak bed with the lovely natural grains and knot holes showing through.

Wicker is another "signature item" in the cottage look. You might find white wicker storage drawers to hold your socks and sweaters in a white cottage bedroom furniture set. You might also see an oversized white wicker sitting chair to place clothes on each night.

Louvers are another big factor in white cottage bedrooms. You can find them in window blinds, and also in the doors of cabinets. Thick louvres (2" / 5 cm) are usually more visually stunning than thin louvers.

A new feature of cottage bedroom suites that is gaining in popularity is distressed white French bedroom furniture. The word “distressed” in this sense means to make something look vintage even though it is actually brand new. In home furnishings, distressing is achieved by sanding back paint in certain places to expose the bare wood underneath. Fabrics might be torn or ripped to a small extent. Distressed white bedroom furniture adds a bit of “street cred” to an otherwise conservative bedroom.

Let's take a look now at modern white bedroom furniture. Instead of using whitewashed wood or louvers, modern white furniture emphasises clean lines (which means no random squiggly bits). It also emphasises stainless steel or brushed aluminum door handles, and perhaps the odd translucent glass or perspex panel. Let's take a look at what I mean.

An example of modern white furniture is a white sleigh bed. It has a curved bedhead and footboard and minimal decoration. The shape of the bed is beautiful enough to speak for itself.

A matching white bedside table might have a glass top, a glossy paint job and stainless steel drawer handles.

In conclusion, remember to choose either the cottage look or the modern look. Don't mix and match when choosing white bedroom furniture.