The Good and Bad of Decorating with Black and White

Interior design is an ever-changing obstacle course. No one project is the same, trends and products change like the weather, and one person's masterpiece will certainly be met with shrugs or rolling eyes from another.

Working with any specific color palette is like basing the success of your obstacle course on one element of your outfit--like your shorts. Certainly your choice of shorts has an impact on your final time, but without attention to hundreds of other details, your shorts won't get you to the finish line, and could end up costing you the race.

Decorating with Black and white is certainly one of the most extreme courses you could choose to run. If you plan ahead, have a light hand, and work with your whole toolchest of design elements, you can create a welcoming, fresh, clean and unquestionably sophisticated space.

Remember your design theory classes when working with black and white:

Harmony
Bringing harmony into a black and white room is your primary challenge. How do you use the most opposite colors in harmony? Squint. Use pattern, material, repetition and proximity to simulate tone. The more your overall effect is of gradients of grey, the more harmonious your room will feel. Use large areas of black or white for drama; use texture and pattern for interest.

Balance
In the case of black and white, where you balance your room on the greyscale spectrum will make all the difference to the feel of the room. Heavy on the black? Think swanky, sexy or depressing. Too much white? OCD high-maintenance perfectionism. Neither is all that welcoming. How will you balance your black and white space?

Focal Point and Contrast
I'm grouping these elements together because black and white is often paired with a single contrasting element of a different color. Again, use your lightest and most humble design sensibility when choosing this element or color.

Above is a beautiful foyer designed by Brown Design Incorporated in L.A. Ryan Brown is the host of Spouse vs. House, a TLC makeover and relationship show -- one spouse redesigns the actual house, the other does a full-scale mock-up in a warehouse. 

Do you have tips or stories of decorating with black and white? Share them here!