During my most recent house tour photo shoot at Sandra's home, I fell in love with her guest house. Designed completely from floor to ceiling by interior designer Craig Olsen, together they have manifested the perfect mix of patterns and textures sticking to one bold combo of classic black and white.
Sandra chose a mix of stripes, florals, tufted leather and studs but stuck to black and white to tie the whole room together. The guest house is a single bedroom with a small kitchenette, that all faces west into the canyon. It's quite a tranquil view and a very upbeat room that is sure to be comfortable to any guest who lays their head there.
If you were to combine two colors to dominate the design of a room, what would they be?
How would you mix styles and patterns?
Image: Bethany Nauert
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For some reason, this space seems really '80's to me.
I saw the first pic, and I thought it was a b/w photograph.
I like b&w, but this is too busy in such a small space - makes my eyeballs hurt.
:S
I don't mind it, I'm just bothered by the placement of the two cabinets and mounting the lamps on them to illuminate the bed.
Whoa there. Shhh...
It's lovely, very Hollywood Regency. The reason people are so uncomfortable with it is usually because we tend to decorate in colors we are comfortable wearing. Black and white are usually paired only in very formal settings and make us feel cautious and stiff. But it is also a pairing that we reserve for formal events and we feel like we have to be on our best behaviour.
I did something similar in my kitchen with Luau Green from SW and white cabinets and the result was gorgeous - looked very clean and orderly. But in general I would recommend it for an office or kitchen - somewhere we need to feel organized, rather than a bedroom where we want to feel relaxed.
I don't have monochrome rooms in my home. I don't like being in a room where I feel like I should paint myself in order to match it.
IMO:
GORGEOUS!!
Monochromatic means one color.
This room is two colors -- if you can call black and white 'colors.'
And why are we seeing this during the so-called Color Cure? This seems to be the opposite.
I couldn't live with that!
Phooey on all of you. I went HOG WILD IN LOVE with this as soon as I saw it. I'm not adverse to color - but I think this is radical, beautiful, and really STICKS IT to conventional thinking that we are "supposed" to have colors in our living space. This person chucked all that out the door, and the fact that it's repellent to some people makes me like it even more. YES!!!!!
You are absolutely right pippigirl. Monochromatic is one color. And since Black and White are not considered "colors," the color scheme is actually called achromatic. Meaning without color. Sadly, using accurate terminology is so 1980s....
LOVE IT! As a designer for the past 18 years I really feel this is an amazing study of black and white. And slow down haters- it's just a guest house. I imagine that the sconces are not places to "illuminate the bed" but simply so the guest has lighting to read from. KUDOS to the designer and homeowner- you both really know great design! I wanna see MORE!!!
This is fun and gorgeous! Perfect for a guesthouse.
Thank you apartment therapy for featuring this house- it is simply fab! How fun! I do have to say that there is NOTHING 80's about this place so I don't get that 1st comment at all?? I mean check out that regency feel- nothing 80's about regency! It has a really cool, really timeless Grand Suite feel to me. Can I be your house guest??? Please? Please?
As a black/white obsessee, LOVE it. Though I think the striped sofa at the foot of the bed is a bit "loud" (I would have done it in a solid), but otherwise, I think this is very lovely. Any guest would be lucky to hang there!
Although Hollywood Regency and monochrome can be striking, elegant, and impressive to visit, I prefer relaxed, cozy, and comfortable looks for my own home. That's fine, variety is what keeps things interesting.
Love the floor to ceiling drapery!!
For me, this room would be vastly improved by the addition of (colorful) artwork on the walls.