Well, if you have a handful of young children and /or pets then maybe swap stark white for a subtle grey, but all in all, white isn't that impractical – it just depends on the materials you choose.

High-gloss furniture has been a favourite of interior designers for quite some time, not only does it look good but it's easy to keep clean, too – ideal for a coffee table or bookshelf.

People often say that they don't know what flooring to put with an all-white room. If you're the sort of person who has a penchant for red wine and aren't convinced you won't spill it, then I'd go for glossy black wood.

But there is no doubt that the most stunning colour for flooring would be white. This can be in the form of floorboards or tiles but I would recommend some under-floor heating – and a good sheepskin rug!.

In my opinion white should be kept for rooms that aren't used every single day. Maybe a dining room, conservatory or a second sitting room if you're lucky enough to have one. The practical option when it comes to seating is leather. There are two brands which spring to mind for gorgeous leather sofas – De Sede and Devant. Both are available from www.barkerand stonehouse.co.uk. If you don't want leather then the Talis sofa is another option. This fits snugly with the glossy white Cariton coffee table.

Finish the look off with plenty of white accessories. The great thing about decorating with white is that if you grow tired, you can simply change a few of the accessories for brightly-coloured ones and you have a completely different room. If you need some more inspiration, there's a huge choice of books on decorating with white on Amazon.co.uk – you might even find a great book for your coffee table.

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