White Done Right: Traditional Elegance

Gold and silver tones lend sophisticated elegance to a traditional white space. Hang a gold-framed mirror, a chandelier with a bronze finish, or metallic candelabras. Choose candles in rich shades like burgundy and moss for added elegant zest.

Room design by Phyllis Harbinger.

Mistakes to Avoid

• When working in the accessories, avoid anything in a bright, saturated hue, which can destroy the tone-on-tone elegant feel.
  
• Avoid yellowish toned wood furniture or flooring like oak. That’s an example of adding the wrong shade to a white palette, which clashes.
  
• Avoid patterns since they muddle a monochrome feel.

Jennifer Nelson writes about health, fitness, lifestyle and home. Her work also appears in Better Homes & Gardens, Woman's Day, Cooking Light and O, The Oprah Magazine.