"I moved in a year ago and immediately got the decorators in. They stripped everything down, ripped out the carpets and painted everything white. Now the only thing that isn't white is the wood flooring on the ground floor, but a specialist bleaching company is going to make that white, too."I don't want each floor to have a separate identity, I want it to just flow. It's not over-designed or overly fashionable and so it won't get outdated It's very minimalist, very restful. Fortunately, I have another house in the country and if I gather any clutter, it can go there."White is very clean and sharp The key to being successful with white is lighting It doesn't have to be cold I love uplighting which throws up pools of light. This is crucial, because if you get the lighting wrong you'll feel like you're walking through a hospital. What looks fabulous with all this white is to have a flash of colour, or luxurious furniture that is wonderfully set off.

I have a 10ft-high rosewood-framed mirror and big squashy sofas, and I put hundreds of tulips, all the same colour, in a vase."Naturally, Charles Worthington has not achieved this look without a large amount of money. But it's not essential, he claims: "Style doesn't have to cost money It's about having a good eye for putting things together. White itself does not have to be expensive and to find things to set off against it is a matter of scouring markets or even just going to IKEA or Habitat."White is one of the most powerful of all colours, says Andrew Purves, director of furniture store Purves & Purves in London "It's the only colour that doesn't exist. It's invisible and only by shining light through white do you get colour Consequently, it goes with every colour. It suggests the purity of spirit found in churches and monasteries People are afraid of using it because of the impracticality.

But the trend for loose, washable covers is allowing people to be much bolder with their furniture."In Britain, of course, we do have a problem with white - namely, the climate California sunshine it ain't St. Petersburg is so cold and grey for so long that the buildings are routinely painted in warm pastel shades to liven things up. While it hasn't got that bad over here yet, it does mean that there is a lot of artificial light inside the home, which can make white look shabby. During the day, it can look very cold.Then there is the practicality. "White is a tremendous indulgence," says Mary Spillane, director of Colour Me Beautiful. "You need to have a partner who is as aesthetically pure as you are You can't have pets, children or visitors. It's not a realistic choice if your life is full of Sainsbury's and the school run."Spillane suggests that the nervous restrict themselves to one all-white room, which they can use as a haven.

Likewise, using white in selected unconventional ways can be shockingly effective. Interdesign presented pure white sofas in woven leather and chenille at this year's Biendale Paris design show.But you don't have to buy new furniture. Interdesign's white double-width throws, from pounds 190, can transform beds and sofas. And it doesn't just look like you've got the dust sheets out, says Khachfe, "because they're made of ton-sur-ton and patterned or quilted". When you use white, texture becomes more important.Start your conversion to white slowly, as a little goes a long way Estate agent Sarah Cunnicliffe, 33, found out the hard way She suffered from the blank sheet of paper syndrome. Instead of her mind feeling free from clutter, she felt claustrophobic and unable to think of anything at all."I had always dreamed of an entirely white flat All that room for your mind to relax It reminded me of California. So, when I bought my new flat I painted the walls brilliant white I have a white muslin sofa, white chairs and a white table The carpet is currently grey.