It seems that black is back. So many black or charcoal grey wall caught my eye in UK home decor magazines over the last two months that it can not be a coincidence. Frankly, I felt in love with this amalgame of rustic, dramatic and character pieces.
If you examine them carefully, you could spot that these rooms share common design elements. For one thing, they all play on several shades of black. Browns, tans and beiges have a supporting role. Finally, they all mix lustre finishes with matte finishes. This is for the theory. Let’s have a look at successful black rooms.
Family Living Room in a Dutch Country House
Black panelling, whether it is applied vertically or horizontally, is popular. It looks right in this inviting country house. Have you noticed the double-sided sofa?
photo credits: Renée Frinking for Living etc, December 2012
Rugged Chalet
This impressive one in the kind four-storey ski chalet in Val d’Isère is built from 100-year-old wood and reclaimed stone. But when you look at it, you don’t imagine that it is a new construction. The ski chalet is decorated in a simple, monochromatic scheme. The result is far from boring. It has a soothing effect that is comforting. And it must be gorgeous against the snow landscape.
photo credits: Wichmann + Bendtsen for Elle Decoration UK, December 2012
The white sofa brightens and brings contrast to the living room but it doesn’t break the color palette.
You can see that a lot of efforts have been put to decorate this house in a cohesive way. This is a case where uniformity was a good call.
Dining Room with Japanese Panelling
This dining room represents a mix of Scandinavian style with modern Japanese design. When we visited Japan in 2010, the Scandinavian influence was clear on furniture. I adored it then, and I still do.
photo credits: House and Home, January 2013
Glamour Meets Industrial in a Dark Apartment
The next rooms are from the apartment of a guy. The floor plan has been reinvented to fit the owner’s lifestyle. The living room is impressive and make honour to the arched windows.
photo credits: Helenio Barbetta/Photofoyer for Elle Decoration UK, December 2012
As you can see there are many ways to invite the blacks, greys and browns into your decor. After seeing that it can be applied to any style, what do you think about these rooms? More importantly, would you dare to live in black?
