Inspired living begins here.

welcome to HomeFurnishings.com

Your trusted decorating and home furnishings shopping advisor. Free expert design advice, tools and inspiration galleries; plus how and where to buy furniture.

  1. Thousand of home furnishings retailers are here to serve you.
  • Find a Retailer near you.

 
living room
  • living room

    Interesting accents add extra personality to a black and white room. Photo courtesy of Barclay Butera Inc.

  • chaise

    Many interior designers like to incorporate pops of other colors when decorating with black. Photo courtesy of Barclay Butera Inc.

  • bedroom

    Nothing is more classic than black and white. Photo courtesy of Barclay Butera Inc.

  • kitchen

    Black and white can be overdone easily, but how you choose to interpret the scheme and inject variety is what makes it exciting. Photo courtesy of Barclay Butera Inc. 


kitchen
Hide Thumbs First Previous Pause Next Last
Slideshow speed: 5 seconds
 

Black and white can be overdone easily, but how you choose to interpret the scheme and inject variety is what makes it exciting. Photo courtesy of Barclay Butera Inc. 

 

Balancing Grays

When mixing gray in a color scheme, McGowan notes that light grays are more carefree, while darker grays are more stabilizing.

  • Bookmark and Share
  • Add To My Ideas
  • Print
  • Black and White and Stylish All Over

    Use this contrasting color scheme to make a statement in your interior.

    by Margie Monin Dombrowski

    Nothing’s more classic than black and white. Forever in style, they remain favored among designers to bring a certain je ne sais quoi to a room. One thing’s for certain: a black and white room always demands attention.

     

    Pops of Color

    Black and white can be striking, but also severe. That’s why interior designers like Barclay Butera, president and CEO of Barclay Butera, Inc. in Los Angeles like to incorporate pops of other colors. For example, Butera designed a city loft with black and white as a base, but added a deep navy to the color scheme and paintings with a variety of blues. “You need some color to help soften the severity,” says Butera.

    Martha McGowan, Principal Designer of LinMar Designs, LLC in Coto de Caza, Calif. limits herself to two accent colors at most with a scheme of black and white—and abides by certain rules. First, she suggests keeping within the same intensity of colors for accents. “Keep bright with bright, pastel with pastel,” McGowan says. For example, don’t accent with pink and burgundy in the same room. Also, McGowan warns with too many accent colors, “your eye bounces around and is unsettled.”

     

    Details, Details, Details

    Infusing black and white accents in your interior is easy, and draws your eye to the details. Butera includes black and white in the tiniest of details, from kitchen appliances and tile designs to Greek key motifs on draperies. McGowan likes mixing in neutral colors like grey or beige to tie in better with stark black or bright white. She also recommends natural and shiny elements— whether it’s accessories or flooring—to make the space come to life: “Beautiful pieces of driftwood, iron sculptures, gold, brass, silver or chrome are essential,” suggests McGowan. .

    Black and white can be overdone easily, but how you choose to interpret the scheme and inject variety is what makes it exciting.