Balancing Act: Black & White Home Designs
Photo Courtesy of Alisha Gwen Interior Design
Black and white: a timeless pair as classic as gin and tonic. While one color reflects light back into the atmosphere, the other absorbs almost every wavelength that comes its way. It’s a color combination that taps into the natural contradiction of the world’s eternally coexisting opposites. They appear naturally in zebras and dalmatians. In Taoism, the colors represent the duality within the symbol of the Yin and Yang. Harmonious, and yet so individually striking, they are perfect for bringing some depth to your home when carefully incorporated into your design concepts.
Let a sleek, black vanity meet a white marble edge and see how the dueling colors compete satisfyingly for the eye. Experiment with complementary patterns to beautifully balance the pair and create an eye-catching look. Use black and white as a base to introduce bolder elements, or invite new possibilities to a formal space by tying in playful textures.
Whatever your vision, black and white create a compelling drama in any room. Below, you’ll find inspiration for your own exploration into the classic color combo with the work of five interior design masters, including Melissa Rees, Alisha Gwen, Chris Loves Julia, Emily Henderson, Laken Design, and Evelyn James.
1. Checkered Charm
Photo by Andrea Ahedo, courtesy of Chris Loves Julia
Part of their Big, Juicy Dining Room Update, this black and white masterpiece was a massive renovation by Chris and Julia Marcum, the husband-wife design duo behind Chris Loves Julia. The space was once a walled-in porch, but they quickly turned it into a spacious indoor/outdoor dining area, complete with a show-stopping checkered floor made from large black and white panels of porcelain, as well as multiple black doorways that lead to an outdoor patio. They added large 30″ drum pendants and round globe scones for more casual lighting design to cleverly dress down what could have easily been a formal dining room. Now, they like to consider it a comfortable space to have dinner with friends and just chat for hours.
They ended up finishing the project during the COVID pandemic, so unfortunately Chris and Julia won’t be having dinner parties there anytime soon. Though, we can’t help but imagine a roaring dinner party with the table overflowing with plateware, flowers, and food; family dancing across that charming checkered floor; those magical black doors wide open as guests spill out into a cool autumn night.
We’ll be dreaming about this one for a while.
2. The Midas Touch
Photo Courtesy of Alisha Gwen Interior Design
Alisha Gwen knows how to brighten up a room, but her take on this black and white bathroom is so elegantly simple that anyone can incorporate its elements into their own powder room or bathroom space. In this Walnut Street renovation, she brings her signature boldness and pairs it with a classic elegance.
The black and white basket-weave tile (take a look at that black marble!) bring intrigue to the eye, while the gold accents tell a more sophisticated story. When it comes to taking a black and white concept to compelling new heights, altering the color of the bathroom or kitchen hardware will yield beautiful results. Alisha doesn't go overboard with her gold accents, either. The details around the mirror match with the gold colored faucet and the geometric door handles on the black cabinetry, adding the right amount of depth to the color scheme.
See more of Alisha Gwen’s beautiful designs here.
3. Cabinet Contrast
Photography by Tyler Norman
Sophisticated, yet functional. It’s the mantra of the design team at Laken Design, and they couldn’t have been more on point than with this contrasting cabinet for a house they styled in Wexford, PA. Laken likes to use earthy, muted colors when decorating, which is why in this otherwise neutral living room, the bold, black cabinet stands out as a solid center piece.
Using solid color furniture is an exciting way to brighten up a room, and the cabinet works wonders with it’s dark wood up against the grey wall and sophisticated mix of materials in its design. Display anything from books, to ceramics, to art sculptures within the glass cases, too, for an even greater statement.
To see other work by Laken Design, check out an article by Eddy Homes’ design team member Lauren Pezze on designing your dream kitchen.
4. An Accent Wall for All
Photo Courtesy of Style by Emily Henderson
Who doesn’t love an accent wall? Stylist, blogger, and best-selling author Emily Henderson definitely does (because they’re cool again), and this renovation project is a perfect example of how you can combine the black and white concept with the brilliance of an accent wall. It’s an easy way to fake space in cramped quarters, especially when the wall is painted or wallpapered in a deep color, like dark blue or, in this instance, black. The textured paneling of the wall also adds greater depth in the small bathroom, and plays well with the marble flooring.
5. Dual Decor
Photo Courtesy of M Hill Rees
Incorporating black and white design into your home doesn’t have to be a major design project. Starting small and adding a few pieces of black and white decor can be a great way to create subtle color contrasts in transitional spaces in your home, just like Melissa Rees of M Hill Rees Interiors does in her “Traditional Modern Bliss” redesign of a foyer/living room.
“To decorate is to enhance, to embellish; but the art of design considers balance, rhythm, harmony, emphasis, proportion and scale,” Melissa says. That balance is illustrated in the varied materials and textures used to decorate the foyer in the home. A modern cube of marble rests beneath a polished black table positioned below a white staircase with black railings. Visually, the black stands out most, and tones down the brighter white portions of the home. The floor also is successful in creating a dual design expression: sophisticated and welcoming, striking and deep.
Photo courtesy of Evelyn James Interiors
6. Deco dream
When Evelyn James Interiors was asked to design an Art Déco-inspired apartment for a client, their hearts sang. They knew just what to do, bringing touches of vintage design together with the latest in furnishings and accessories. The entry, shown here, was full on Art Déco geometry with custom colored historic wallpaper from Bradbuy and Bradbury. Black and white granite floor tiles used on a diagonal on the floor were brought in to tie in the black granite tile floor in the hall bath. It’s a black and white fantasy
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