Black

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Decorating Guides → Color

Color

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Decorating Guides

See also

Color Palettes Colors of the Year Bold Color Neutral Colors Black Blue Brown Gray Green Orange Pink Purple Red Turquoise White Yellow

Color Palettes

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Decorating Guides → Color

See also

Bathroom Color

5 Smashing Black and White Homes

A high-contrast color combination provides the perfect base for bold interior design

Becky Harris March 5, 2012

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More

Comment12

Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.

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.

LDa Architecture & Interiors

1. An oceanfront house in Massachusetts. Upon entering this striking oceanside home north of Boston, one immediately knows that LDA Architecture and Interiors has not designed a typical beach house.

LDa Architecture & Interiors

This balance of the two colors even keeps an over-the-fireplace TV looking sleek.

LDa Architecture & Interiors

Not all of the rooms are white with black accents; others, including this kitchen, let black dominate and bring big drama.

See the rest of this home

Stephanie Sabbe

2. 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.

Stephanie Sabbe

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.

See the rest of this home

Stephanie Sabbe

Out on the terrace, black woven furniture can take on a bevy of bold hues and geometric prints.

See the rest of this home

Susan Duane

3. 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.

Susan Duane

Black and white tiles on the floor and a traditional floral print on the walls and windows give this bathroom a vintage feel.

See the rest of this home | Add vintage touches to your bathroom

SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

4. 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.

SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

Keeping a strict color palette ties together an eclectic mix of seating and decorating styles.

SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

Chalkboard paint provides an ever-changing backdrop to the cottage kitchen.

See the rest of this home

Vanessa De Vargas

5. 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.

Vanessa De Vargas

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.