The world’s first Ice Hotel near the village of Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna, Sweden celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Made entirely from snow (30,000 tons) and sculpted blocks of ice--10,000 tons of the bubble-free stuff from the nearby fast-flowing Torne River-- the hotel is as ephemeral as winter itself, poised to melt into memory with the spring sun. But each winter in its brief moment, the Ice Hotel showcases the wonders of white in all the colors permutations and gradations. Looking at these images it’s easy to see why myth says Eskimos have 17 different names for white—and why Benjamin Moore offers more than 180 shades.
Imagine pausing at the Ice Hotel’s main entrance—a pair of reindeer-skin clad doors.
The animals’ brown fur turns a mix of creamy white with gray markings when they migrate in fall, providing camouflage in the wintry landscape. From the warm tones of the fur to the cool notes found in the shaded ice surround and the arched door of snow struck by the sun is a palette made mutable by light.
This curved bench—every single fixture and furnishing inside the Ice Hotel is made of snow and ice—proves white is never cold when it’s done well. From the warm shadows created by the bench’s undulating form
to the pure white of the seating area,
and the cool clear note of blue found in the ice,
brings to mind a room, like this one seen in Traditional Home, where warm and cool tones in different textures and sheens combine.
Whites fall into two camps: warm whites (with yellow or red undertones) and cool whites (those with blue or black undertones). I love the pink-tinged light that seems to beam off the fur covering this berth of ice, and the cool contrast of the glowing moonstone-like light tinged with blue.
*all paint colors by Benjamin Moore
