In the white room with black curtains near the station...

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how my partner and I painted our front room a dark cool gray...and how much we love the transformation.

Well the painting, it didn't stop with my office!

Last weekend we rallied and busted out the rollers and trays again to paint our main living room white. Now I know what some people might be thinking--"White's so boring! Why not choose an exciting color!" Well, this room is in the middle of our flat and gets no direct sunlight. Even in its original buttery yellow, it could seem like a dungeon. And the semi-gloss finish of the white paint we used reflects light throughout the day, making the whole flat seem brighter.

Contrary to popular belief (which probably comes from people like me, who were scarred by growing up with sterile white walls in a suburb somewhere) white can be incredibly dramatic. Like the dark gray of my office, colors and accessories can really stand out against a white background.

Trust me. I went through a period where I rebelled from my white-walled childhood upbringing and simply had to paint every room of my home(s) a different color. Sometimes I think that's what your 20s are for. Now I'm over it. And after living with the buttery yellow for four years, I was ready for a change. (Please don't peg me as a color hater--remember that I prescribed a lemony yellow and a bright green for Amy & Akhil--it's just that the gray and white better reflect my and my partner's tastes.)

Here are some before (yellow) and after (white) photos:

And of course, we got new bookshelves:

Some may call it the look a bit sparse, but after years of "artful clutter" I figured it was good to edit. Regardless of what you might think of this particular look (I know some folks will prefer the warmth of the "before" shots), it's always a good idea to shake things up every so often.