At Home with White, Atlanta Bartlett

Everyone's talking about At Home with White by Atlanta Bartlett, touting this book as one of the best in home decor on the subject of white. It really proves that timeless white is a perfect canvas for a home. While the pictures are stunning, there is some real life practical advice on how to use white - notably how to make a white decor scheme work by understanding white color families. Here Bartlett breaks white into 6 main color families:

chalky - romantic, ice cream, pastel shades

muted - 'work well in older homes and complement antiques beautifully'

neutrals - 'buff, taupe, beige, with undertones of yellow, brown or grey, work in elegant interiors'

creamy - 'warm and soft off white tones that would work in a country setting'

cool - 'crisp, clean and modern, has bluish undertones' (think Ikea)

grey - 'work well in cold daylight, and are therefore popular in Scandinavian countries, and are a mix of black, red and green pigments'

Your light source, or piece of inspiration furniture or accessory, can help you choose which white family to adopt. Here are some inspiring pictures from her book: