Image credit: Neptune
How to successfully decorate your home with black
Black interiors are striking and dramatic, but many homeowners are scared to turn to the dark side. Overcome the fear by embracing these tips for styling black in your home.
Image: Neptune
In times past, the idea of painting a room black would likely be met with horror, but in recent years, bold black interiors are a star on the rise.
However, there’s a certain numbers of misconceptions that come with decorating your home in dark tones. You may be worried about your space feeling small and dark, however, many designers swear by the idea that you should lean into dark colours in small rooms or rooms without much light, rather than try to fight the nature of the room.
So, if you love the look but feel trepidatious about the idea of introducing it into your home, try these simples tips to decorating with black with confidence.
Double down on dark tones
Image: British Standard
The contemporary way to decorate with black is less about relying on contrast between the light and dark. Instead layer black elements on top of each other. This kitchen from British Standard showcases a brilliant way to give a twist to a traditional look, for example, with black cabinetry, worktops and range cooker.
Layer textures and finishes
Image: Paint & Paper Library
So, how’s the best way to layer black on black? Experiment with textures. Matte finishes can feel particularly flat in black, so always ensure that the next layer of black has more depth to it. Think black velvet or linen against a less-characterful black fabric, or this gloss painted panelling in this bathroom scheme created by Paint & Paper Library.
Soften with similar tones
Image: Oak Furnitureland
Relying too much on contrast, especially with black, can make a room scheme feel a little crude and unsophisticated. This room set, featuring Oak Furnitureland’s Brooklyn bed, teams black walls with charcoal grey and midnight blue – close tones, but that soften the harsh quality that black can have.
Contrast proportionately
Image: Christy
Black and white is a tried and trusted interior scheme, but where you do use this contrast, the trick is getting it in the right proportions. A classic guideline for a room’s colour palette is to create a 60:30:10 split between three colours. This Christy room set, showcasing its Enigma bedding, demonstrates how this could play out in a room perfectly, with dominant white, black as a supporting player, and extra elements and finishes making up the final 10%.
Add natural elements
Image: Paint & Paper Library
To keep a black scheme comforting and cosy, natural elements are easy additions. Textures such as wood, sisal and jute offer a relief against the artificial nature of pure black colours, helping to maintain a well-balanced scheme.
Go maximalist
Image: Carpetright
Much of the trend for black wall colours has developped from the popular maximalist trend, and for good reason. Black helps to contain busy patterns and colours, stopping them from becoming over dominant in the space. Black is a great colour choice if you love this style of room.
Would you paint your home black? Let us know on social! Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page, or post a picture of your black interiors on Instagram using the hashtag #ThisGoodHome for your chance to be featured on our feed.