There are so many whites out there, it is amazing. Why? Because white is a color, just like any other, and is ultimately, the least saturated or a low saturation of a hue. Example, take a blue and reduce its chroma until it looks white, It is still that same blue, but with very little chroma. That is why all whites look so different.
P. S., it has nothing to do with so called “undertones”, which is just a word people use that do not understand color science to subjectively describe what they see.
No big deal, until you decide to mix whites in your space. One white can make another look muddy, or dirty, or just “off”.
Why? You need to make sure there is enough difference in chroma to easily distinguish the two whites. And there should still be some color harmony between the hues the whites come from. Whites that are opposites on the color wheel look better together than ones that are so close to each other that they look off.
Neutrals are the same as whites. They just have a little more chroma.
Finding the beauty of a neutral palette using various shades of whites, off whites and neutrals with enough contrast to see all the variations can be gorgeous. Throw in a variety of shapes and textures to add even more interest and variety.
This will be another incredible series! I especially love your characterization of whites – it is so important to understand that white is not a “throw your hands up” solution to not choosing a color, and that there are many many hues of white – that’s probably a whole series in its own right!
What great exampled you have of contrast and what that means with colour.
Very interesting! Love to see the connection between music and design. That idea about contrast is so wonderful!
Thank you! It surprises me how many connections there are and now that I am looking for them, they are easy to find!