Decorating with Black
Black has amazing power to solidify a color scheme, pull together disparate pieces of furniture, and give your home a touch of Hollywood glam. Why not try it in one of your rooms?
- view all thumbnails
Black storage ottomans and side tables add a sleek silhouette to this red kitchen and living room. Don't underestimate the power of graphic pillows to pump up a simple color scheme. Here, cherry blossom pillows keep a charcoal-gray sofa looking chic, not drab.
It's virtually impossible to go contemporary with your decor and not have at least one stalwart piece of furniture in black. Here, a boxy black leather sofa looks so glamorous paired with a sculptural wood coffee table.
Keep a cottage theme from dripping with treacle by adding a few weathered pieces of black furniture. They'll ground all the pretty whites and pinks -- and make the style more livable for hesitant men in the house!
If fear of overwhelming your decor has kept you from painting your room a bright color, consider this your permission to coat your walls with whatever color you want. Once the dust settles (and the paint dries), add strong black silhouettes and accessories for a mod-yet-sophisticated look.
Mixing styles in black is a definite can-do. Here, a new-again damask print in black and white sits atop an antique black table. The shared colors pull them together for an elegant look.
Pink and black is the ultimate glamorous color combo. Placed over a vintage white ironwork bed, this quilt serves as a focal point for the bedroom and picks up on the pale pink walls.
Let your fun, funky spirit come out with an outrageous wall color. Just tame it with touches of black: a sleek picture frame and mismatched black chairs do the trick.
Red, white, and black: considered the most romantic color palette, this one is an almost fail-safe scheme. Bright white trim contrasts the brilliant red, and a black table with accessories anchors the entryway.
Art plays a powerful role in a room's design scheme. Here, stark silhouettes dramatically set off a flat-screen TV. New shapes (like the pup) keep this look modern and fresh.
A room as cheery as this country dining room needs a place for the eye to rest -- simple black dining chairs fit the bill without calling too much attention to themselves.
If you're nervous about adding black to a room, start small by coating minor architectural details in black. The inside walls of a built-in and portions of the wall set apart by molding are ideal for these small touches.
Look to black to make a design statement in a room. A neutral entry captures deserved attention when furnished with a black chest set over an area rug bordered in black.
An interesting wall treatment in ocean colors becomes even more fascinating with the addition of a black mirror, chair, and curtain hardware.
Create a lovely porch using black wicker with leaf-print fabrics and accents. In the corner, a screen made of shutter panels and a black table create a sense of privacy and define the room's edge.
Black is the perfect foil for neutrals and brights in a contemporary kitchen. In this case, black provides a unifying element seen in every corner of the room.
The main colors in this living room are brown and cream, yet it is the black accents on the picture frames, coffee table, and upholstery fabrics that serve to crisp up the look of the room.
A bedroom in cream, white, and gray seems visually defined by the selection of black canopy beds. Other black elements (lampshade, rug, picture frames, and pillows) immerse these accents into the whole.
Can you spot the black in this eating area? Only the chairs and table legs are black, serving as a neutral dark that grounds the lighter tones in the space.
Red and black are the wow factor in a dining room with no shortage of style. Glossy black moldings add definition to a room full of bamboo browns and touches of white, and these black touches easily play off eye-catching red walls and pillows.
Black in an area rug is a great grounding element. The black is repeated on window treatments, pillow accents, and the iron chandelier, for a coordinated use of the darker tone.
A few small touches of wood and a scrolling black bed frame give this neutral beige room some kick. Without these darker touches, the room could seem lifeless.
Cabinets in brilliant red below and stark white above pop with an underscore of glossy black countertop in between. The black also give the eye a place to rest amid a room full of bright color.
Perfect for a remodeling application, black countertops seem to fit with both contemporary and vintage-style cabinets, offering a clean look that sets off every accessory.
Honey-toned cabinetry was perked up with distinctive silver handles. The wood gets its main punch, however, in the touches of black on the top and bottom of the cabinets. The window shade, countertop, and appliances echo this accent of black.
Though the furnishings in this room could be termed vintage or country-style, the use of a graphic black fabric on the chair seats signals the homeowner's love of contemporary color. A black armoire, floor tile, and chair ties give the scene an eclectic style.
Red, green, and white is a bold color scheme, yet the effect is toned down through the liberal use of black. One of the pillow fabrics includes a background of black, creating a blueprint for this color palette.
They say every room can use a touch of black. This stylish room adopts added sophistication with the placement of a striking black armoire opposite a fireplace.
Alternating squares of black and white are a classic look for a floor, yet this dining room has other enticing features. Graphic chair fabric, sculptural vases, and wall art add interest to neutral gray walls, punched up with art in orange.
