Essential Colour: Black. 7 Fearless Design Ideas

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It is a common perception that black colour makes any room look small, gloomy and mournful. I completely disagree. Today I will be advocating black and will prove you that it can be used to create amazing interiors without an ounce of grief.

First, a bit of psychological background. Among all colours black is the most contradictory. While some people strongly associate it with evil and black magic, others perceive it as the most luxurious and elegant colour. These contrary feelings about black people had since ancient times as for them it resembled night, which on one side was bringing rest and quietness and on the other was concealing sightless dangers.

Today black is considered the colour of glamour, chic and elegance. Men put on black ties attending gala dinners and Coco Chanel saw little black dress as the epitome of elegance. Many luxury brands have chosen this colour to be their hallmark.

If you decide to use black in interior design, it will surely make the room look very sophisticated, rich and stylish. Despite black can be successfully used for painting walls and entire room decor, you need to have enough guts to do it. If you don’t, but still like black and want to involve it, I recommend you to start with introducing it via various features in the room.

1) For example you can use it to paint… ceiling. There is a big strong “but” though: it needs to be high. Black is a very strong advancing colour, so if you have a low ceiling it will look even lower and might create an oppressive feeling. Otherwise black is wonderful to hide any surface imperfections and architectural flaws. Have a look at this fantastic interior created by 47 Park Avenue. Black colour helps to bring down this otherwise disproportionately high ceiling and make this living room look cozy and intimate:

2) Use black to highlight interesting or unusual feature in the space for creating a bigger impact. For example here, in another stunning interior created by 47 Park Avenue, black was used to make this beautiful staircase a focal point:

3) Therefore black is a fabulous colour to use as a display background: it will make all the objects stand out:

One of the common misconception is that black makes a space visually smaller. In fact, one of the biggest advantages of black is the depth that it creates, which allows to blur the visual boundaries. You loose orientation as your eye has nothing to catch to understand the dimensions of the room.

Black can be used to decorate practically any room (apart, perhaps, nurseries). Wherever it is used, it will add extra dimension to the space and will make it look posh and luxurious.

Below are some ideas on how black can be applied in different spaces:

1) Bedroom. This amazing room below is filled with sensuality and masculine chic. Vintage pieces such as old trunk and typing machine provide a more informal note.

2) Dining room. Paired with deep purple black in this room provides very solid and sumptuous look:

3) Kitchen. If you want to create bold and contemporary style in the kitchen, black should be your primary choice. Black cabinetry and island create a dramatic effect in this kitchen, which is even more enhanced by contrasting white surfaces and sensational lighting:

4) Working space. Black is serious, calming and humble – so is a perfect match for a working space. Some naturally radiant colours such as orange, gold and sand distract from the dramatic effect of black in this room and make it look warm and cozy.