We at MDG love color. But we know that sometimes absence of color can feel just as rich and comfortable in a home. We are talking about white. Not stark white, not the white of a fresh piece of printer paper, not the white of a crisp dress shirt just back from the dry cleaners. We mean bone white, raw white, almost lived-in white.

While some may flinch at even the mention of white before Memorial Day, we are convinced this bone white doesn't count when it comes to the rules. And even if we are wrong, who doesn't enjoy breaking a rule every one in a while?

Try a room decked out from top to bottom in layers of white. Raw white offers an unexpected depth and adds plenty of texture to a space. If a whole room in white is too bold, add white accessories or linens to a neutral palette.

For more of Marlena's favorites in bone white, click here.

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Is it just us, or is it that time of year where we don’t really know what to do with ourselves? Football season is over, it’s sunny and 70 degrees one day and snowing the next. Some of us are starting to head back to the gym before poolside weekends start while others are watching our get-fit New Year’s resolutions slip through our fingers. No matter what, a healthy dose of refocusing is just what the doctor ordered for our wellbeing.

Sometimes all we need to get our head in the game is to get back to nature. Neutral tones, natural fabrics, and raw wood and stone restore calm to a room and pair perfectly with sleek and simple modern shapes. It’s rustic, yet comfortable, like Leo in The Revenant without having to sleep inside a horse carcass. And, OK, probably without the bear attack. These rooms are a breath fresh air, a knot released from between our shoulder blades, a connection to a simpler time.

Below are some of MDG’s favorite features of a modern rustic home.