Painting walls and ceilings all white

[basilflower]

My partner wants to paint all the walls and ceilings of our next house white, mostly to avoid having to be careful in the join between the wall and the ceiling. He says we can brighten up the rooms with colourful pictures, curtains, bedding etc.

I'm not keen on this idea, I've always preferred some kind of off white on the walls, with white ceilings. I think that having all white everywhere will just look a bit stark and clinical.

I know this is down to individual taste, but has anyone lived in an all white house? How was it? Or perhaps a house where it's not white but walls and ceilings still all the same colour?

I'm trying to persuade him otherwise, but I can't say much in argument except for that I just don't feel it'll be very nice!

Thanks!

[flumpybear]

We've just had our lounge, kitchen, bathrooms and hallways all painted white, we lived in a rental whilst we were doing up our house and I really liked it. We have some feature walls though. Our bedrooms are all colour though.
I actually really like it white but only with splashes of colour in the feature walls and the art work we have chosen ... Plus we have wooden flooring and darker tiles in the bathrooms so it complements IMO

[TreeBird16]

My house is all white with walnut floors. I don't think it's clinical at all. I have bright furniture and curtains. I Have 2 small girls so all their stuff if around too. Their bedrooms have lots of pink/ purple accessories. You'd have notice they were white. My bedroom is bare, white, and clinical and I love it. It's my refugee from the madness. The best bit is I can fly around with a little pot and apparent brush and have completely immaculate walls again.

[TreeBird16]

Apparent brush = paint brush

[basilflower]

Thanks both, maybe it wouldn't be so bad then, it would certainly make the painting job quicker, plus I hadn't thought about the ease of touching up when required.

[Oblomov16]

All white here, through choice. I love it. Very Scandinavian.

[Rainbowshine]

Yep it is fine. Lots of textures help too. Easy to freshen up as you don't have to find the closest match to the colour you painted when the kids have left finger marks everywhere!

[crayfish]

My house is all white because it's a new build and I have to wait a year or so to decorate. It's so so so so boring! And I am a fan of neutral decor, but White is so bland and it shows every mark so the walls look grubby all the time.

Weirdly in my old loft flat, I deliberately had white walls and ceilings but somehow it worked in the sort of industrial setting. In a three bed semi? Not so much.

[Oblomov16]

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/42332464/list/what-to-know-before-you-paint-your-walls-white

That white room with the green looks fab. The blue of the bed looks good too.

[DoubleCarrick]

My ceilings aren't even white

[mrsmortis]

I've lived in Germany for about 7 years at various times of my life. This seems normal here.

With my flat I've added blocks of colour (sofa, bedding, shower curtain, curtains, etc.) and it's been fine. It does depend a bit on the age of the property though. I wouldn't do that with my 1930's period semi.