apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I always noticed that natural wood colours on furniture look great with B/W photography.

But really any colour can do, it's more a question of placing, framing and organisation than color if you ask me. Place it in a focal point, and especially don't leave too much empty space around it. If colour really matters, avoid colours that are too pale (pastels) as well, except soft greys, blueish-grays, yellow. Any bold and bright colour used reasonably will do.

A few years ago we had a B&W subway poster of Miles Davis hanging on a crimson red wall. T'was a showstopper. I hear red walls are passe now, but B&W looked great on it. How about a deep red-orange?

I believe that celedon goes great with black and white pictures... but if you want to make it more girly.... black and white photos on a lavendar background can be very classic and fun.

Are you thinking about wall colors or something else? With black and white photos I love a soft gray - either warm or cool, but very desaturated and a little darker than white. For accent colors, I also like yellow or gold in very small doses, or maybe a deep greenish gray (I guess I'm really into gray lately).

Personally, I'd avoid red, orange, beige, and/or brown - the bold/dark/warm colors can sometimes wash out or clash with black and white.

What I've found works well is a colour that seems like it would appear in the background of the photo - it just really makes it pop.

I honestly think any color, as long as its not too pale, works great with B/W art. I agree with PP in saying that its more about placement. Try to keep the picture in scale with the furniture below it, group similar b/w art, or use similar frames for a cohesive look....or just put it in the natural focal point of the room. You have a wealth of options, so pick a color and have fun!

i'd do a blood orange or taxi cab yellow

Khaki

I have that same photo (for my husband, a Chicago Transplant) hanging on an orange wall. It looks pretty good. I agree with everyone though, the best part of black and white photos/posters is they go with most anything.

Good luck!
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It depends on several factors, all of which have to do with your preferences:

1. What else will be in the room? If the major items (furniture, other art, lamps, large decorative pieces) trend toward neutral, go ahead and brighten up the wall your Wrigley Field image will be on. As above, red or red-orange would really make that print pop. If there are two or more large pieces that are colorful, consider making that wall a neutral. Too much color can be hard to look at and be comfortable in.

2. How do you view your home (or room)? Some take the "gallery" approach, in which paint, patterns, wallpaper, etc., are kept low-key in order to let the art and furniture do the talking. Art galleries have neutral walls for that reason. "Neutral" doesn't have to mean plain, boring, or beige. It can mean low-key blues, greens, browns, reds, golds.

Others take the approach that the space is more lively and party-oriented, so the majority of objects can be bright. Just have enough neutral, white, or low-key objects in there for the eye to have relief. And if done well, the neutral objects can be the things that stand out in a very colorful or pattern-filled space.

I'm a fan of silvery sage or a muted paper-bag brown. Frame those babies in a warm wood like cherry and you've got yourself one delicious room.

khaki

Farrow & Ball's Light Grey.

yellow

Red would be perfect.

What about the team's colors? (I'll display my sports ignorance here and admit that I don't know what the colors are or if they are nice or hideous.)

I love a bright shade of citrus-y green with black/white, but what if you did a different shade of green, like a baseball-field grass green?

I like a light blue. That is what I used in my bedroom.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theskyiscalling/3845116389/in/set-72157605581773476/

First, replace photo with a White Sox print...

I've always liked the look of black frame and white mat around a b&w photo on a light gray or khaki color wall.

Benjy--
Spoken like a true sout' sider.

we recently repainted our bathroom in a mango deep yellow and it looks brilliant with the black and white art!