A high-contrast color combination provides the perfect base for bold interior design
By now everyone knows that it’s pretty easy and inexpensive to switch up the look of a room by changing out throw pillow covers, a lamp or two, artwork and a rug. However, to pull this off you need a versatile base. Using black and white as a base makes these switch-ups very easy and is visually striking. Get ideas for how to do this from these five houses that use black and white as a starting point.
This balance of the two colors even keeps an over-the-fireplace TV looking sleek.
Not all of the rooms are white with black accents; others, including this kitchen, let black dominate and bring big drama.
A bold Manhattan apartment. Interior designer Stephanie Sabbe created a wowing look by using black, white and shades in between (for example, the light gray sofa). This sophisticated home starts with a strong black and white chevron rug on the floor, and graphic touches abound from the floor up to the ceiling.
Another black and white rug creates continuity between the rooms; this time it is rendered in a zebra print. Electric orange dazzles as part of this palette, while boldly colored prints are anchored by black and white framing. Any of the bold hues of the artwork would work well on the dining chair slipcovers.
Out on the terrace, black woven furniture can take on a bevy of bold hues and geometric prints.
A country charmer in western New York. Susan Duane, blogger of Hometown Girl, has preserved the classic look of her antique home through major renovations. The use of black and white lends a crisp, traditional look.
Turquoise chairs stand out on the otherwise strictly black and white screened-in porch.
Black and white tiles on the floor and a traditional floral print on the walls and windows give this bathroom a vintage feel.
A Shelter Island cottage. For this charming cottage on Shelter Island, New York, Steve Schappacher and Rhea White took a common beachy farmhouse aesthetic and switched it up by rendering it in black and white.
Keeping a strict color palette ties together an eclectic mix of seating and decorating styles.
Chalkboard paint provides an ever-changing backdrop to the cottage kitchen.
A contemporary box in Venice Beach. In this contemporary home, interior designer Vanessa De Vargas carries substantial black and white pieces throughout the home, often in chevron patterns. This gave her the freedom to mix in shots of bold color in every room while keeping a cohesive look throughout the entire first floor.
The black and white pieces in the room work well with glass and chrome. An ornate gold mirror and a natural fiber rug keep things from being too matchy-matchy and warm up the otherwise stark palette.
Pops of yellow add cheer to the black and white breakfast nook.
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