31 days to make your rental a home// white walls.

yesterday i asked the question: "to paint, or not to paint?" [and all the students of english literature groaned and poor willy shakes rolled over in his grave.] today i want to win you over to my [non-painting] side by sharing with you a few inspiration photos from my pinterest board called "white walls."

as a non-painting renter, i'm always on the lookout for fabulous decor that is not dependent upon the wall color to make it look lovely. and you really don't have to go far to find gorgeous rooms with white walls. we can thank the recent trend of minimalism and clean, fresh decor for that :)

and i will agree, that in many of the photos below, the white on the walls is a lovely shade of white, and your walls may not be quite as lovely a shade of white, but the principle is still there--we don't need to rely on the wall color to carry the look and feel of a space.

the above photo was the first image that really spoke to me [more like shouted], and said, "hey!! look at me!! i have white walls, and i'm still soooo chic!!" and even though the colors are turned up to eleven, the white balances their volume. i love. love. love. this image :)

this image is so classic. and the wall color looks so close to a builder beige, and yet the bright color of the sofa along with its lovely lines and details make you forget that this family probably hates painting too.

the reclaimed wood in this space is the real star. the colors and texture draw your eye, and anything but a white wall would just be competition.i also love that there are a pops of color, but that this (in contrast with the first photo) is a very subdued, calming space.

this one is incredible to me. i love that it's just white and yellow, but that they decided to frame in the fabric (? or is it wall paper??), and not just as a mid-sized, or large wall-hanging, but a GIGUNDO wall hanging that has the same effect as wall paper, [but without any of the glue or mess]. i bet this wasn't too expensive to pull off either--some lovely fabric or paper, and a few molding pieces painted and fit as a border. so lovely.

and this one makes me catch my breath. white on white. all the texture, but not a single photo in sight. incredible. and probably pretty cheap too ... the cost of a bunch of "throw-away" frames and a couple cans of high-gloss white paint.

did you notice a theme or trend?? i did ... in every single of these photos, there's something interesting on the wall, and in front of the wall. something that takes your attention off the wall and to it.

and in the end, the wall is just a backdrop. the empty space behind the gorgeous thing that we're all mooning over.

and those gorgeous things we're all mooning over?? you can pack them up and take them with you. that's the beauty of being a non-painting renter ;-) the defense rests.

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to see the previous 31 days' posts, check out day 1, where i've got a running list. :)