Color Inspiration: The Softer Side of Black & White

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Classic but always fresh, I think it's safe to say that while color trends come and go, black and white will stay happily planted in the design limelight. We often think of it as edgy or dramatic or over the top or cold, but today we're focusing on the softer applications of the classic combo...

So what makes these spaces clean and serene without being the least bit sterile?

First of all, the incorporation of natural woods. Wood tones always soften the tone of a room by infusing it with a touch of rustic.

Next, restraint. It's easy to go over board with black and white and end up with a dizzingly dramatic space. However, if you want to achieve a subtler look while still preserving an air of crispness, try reserving the black for limited for trims, doors, frames, or key pieces of furniture. My favorite example is the black paint below the chair rail in the first picture. A totally black hallway, or even black paint above the chair rail, may produce a tunnel vision effect. However, leaving the top section an airy white and tying the black bottom half in with the black chandelier, creates a calm but elegant entryway.

Finally, a variety of textures and finishes. For either black or white, using high gloss paints for some pieces of furniture while painting others in a matte finish creates a pleasing visual contrast with just the right amount of un-uniformity.

(Images: 1: Skona Hem, 2: via delight by design, 3: Elle Decor of Darryl Carter's Virginia Farmhouse, 4: Country Living, 5: Elle Decoration, 6: Belle Magazine via Emmas Blogg, 7: William Waldron of Nate Berkus's NY office)

Comments (9)

all of the above information is very true, and i love a cozy black! it definitely has the be a warm black though. if you get a black called something like "pit of death" or "vortex" in high gloss the chances of acheiving this look are slim.

we have a black, grey and white home, and love it. white carpeting, silver grey walls, white glass and aluminum dining set, and black sofas, throw rugs, and cabinetry. the only punches of color are accessories in fire engine red and our art, which is quite colorful. I think our home is warm and very comfy.

yay for black and white :-D

I love these! Using a lot of white and light muddy colours can make a room look somewhat bland. I like to add a bit of black with black iron tables, black picture frames, black patterned fabrics or other black accessories like vases, lamp stands etc. In my opinion this gives a room some structure and depth.

What I would never do again is putting black shelving or other larger black surfaces into a bedroom. After having fluffed up the pillows you can go on dusting immediately.

I love those two chairs on the fourth picture. Below the portrait and just behind the sofa. Anyone got shopping info on that ones ?

I love the contrast of a black and white room.
Can't wait to get started on my dining room. It has a beautiful black wrought iron staircase and would really benefit from crisp white walls and wood floorboards.

The differing extremes of the black and white emphasise the natural wood floor. Lovely herring-bone blocking.