Introducing Modern French Design in the Perkins Cottage

For some reason, the fascination with all things white increases during this time of the year. Or perhaps it’s because the thought of Christmas puts people in a snowy kind of mood. Either way, when I write these Gothic series posts whether the article is geared towards fashion or home decor, people flock to the information.

In this segment of the Gothic of White Rooms, I’ll be discussing a particularly intriguing renovation or rather a new home interior design plan I recently completed. My clients live in beautiful Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Tarheel City makes the perfect place for a concept design such as the one we made for their newly purchased cottage style craftsman home. The Perkins have a 6-year-old daughter. The couple also works at a popular software company. They wanted to create a relaxing environment where escape came easily after a hard day of work and chaos. Creating this design for the vibrant family turned into a love affair that now has me craving a modern French design of my own. Maybe someday.

Let’s dive into the details of this post. If you’ve followed Live Well Be Fabulous and read my recent Instagram post then you’ll know I’m transitioning to a full interior design business. The feed is now mixed with my three favorite things: travel, fashion, and interior design. In the past, I’ve written articles about the allure of white clothing. Just as an all-white outfit holds the ability to turn heads, an all-white room design plan can do the same thing when executed with care. We don’t want our house guests to feel as though they stepped into a hospital, so seeking second and third opinions is the key to a fabulous all-white room design.

Step 1: Consider your flooring.

The Perkins chose a modern French interior design plan. This means elegant pieces of furniture, neutral colored walls, elegant window treatments, marble, and minimal decorative frillies. These elements dominate the heart of modern French design. The flooring should be the first place you start when considering an all-white decor plan. Is the wood or the marble or the carpet predominantly warm tones? Or is it a cool flooring? Decide on the answer to this vital step first. And then move on to step two.

Step 2 Choose your paint wisely.

If you followed the advice of step one, then step 2 will naturally fall into the correct place in the all-white design plan. Narrow your wall color candidates down to five whites. And yes, white paint comes in many many different shades and tones. However, the choice should be easier now if you know the undertone of your floor color. The Perkins house uses warm tones throughout the entire plan.

Step 3: Work with your designer to create a mood board.

Be sure to include the color of the window frames in this step. The Perkins house has white window frames that work very well with the modern French interior design they chose. I’m not so sure it would have worked as well with a French Country Cottage design, a different ball game altogether. Ideally, your mood board should contain 10-15 items.

Step 4: Decide on the main furniture pieces first.

The furniture you choose for an all-white room plays a key role in the overall theme. Consider your lifestyle. My clients have a six-year-old daughter. Yet they love the modern French interior design… AKA all White Everything. For their design plan, I chose leather couches and wooden tables for the living room. Highly fragile items such as glass for the bedrooms.

Step 5: Work with your designer on 3D rendering.

There’s nothing more appealing than seeing an all-white design plan come to three-dimensional life. These rooms capture the essence of history just as well as its darker interior design cousin. You don’t want the plan to become too sterile, however, so make sure you incorporate pops of color whenever appropriate and possible.

I’m a huge fan of both all white and all black rooms. For me, the statement that both neutrals represent (yes black walls are now considered neutral) remains equally intriguing no matter which way you choose to go. These two design plans can be tricky. It’s always best to solicit professional advice when using the extreme sides of the color spectrum in your design plan. KaSonndra Leigh Designs has a new paint & wallcovering plan tailor-made for this type of interior design. We can help you determine a whole house color scheme based on the type of design plan you’ve chosen.

I hope you enjoyed this first segment of the Gothic of All-White Room Design. This will be an ongoing series and we plan to publish a new segment each time we have a new all-white room design to present.

Until next time, enjoy your design filled day.

XXKaSonndra