The trickiest of shades is often the most impactful.
Black is a design classic, and whilst it may seem easy to pull off, it can be a really tricky accent to introduce into a room.
Sleek, high-gloss furniture can be overpowering in black, whilst black feature walls can often become flat and uninspiring. We enter tricky territory too with where and how to arrange black accessories – too closely grouped and the eye will be repetitively drawn to them to the detriment of the rest of your space.
'Every room needs at least a bit of black to ground the space,' says Suzanne Duin, interior designer and founder of Maison Maison. 'Whether it is a coffee table, box or large tray on the table, subtle hints in the form of black accessories help to ground the space allowing your eye to "settle" into the room. Pair black with chinoiserie to soften the colour, while classic, chinoiserie is always in style and fresh! If you are brave enough, why not anchor black accessories to an accent wall. Accessories that complement a dominant wall colour can help bring a room together.'
We've found some clever homes that have created inky feature walls, punctuated Scandi-style living spaces with black lighting and accessories, and framed their outside view with black painted windows. Here we look at 13 ways to introduce accents of black in every room in the home...
1
Decorating with black accents: Scandi living room
Scandi design really lends itself to a monochromatic palette. Here, the wall and ceiling lights punctuate the space with a shot of jet black – whilst the light wood acts as a softening element. A mustard yellow would be a great third colour here.
Read more: 4 easy ways to give your home a Scandi-inspired makeover
2
Decorating with black accents: Feature wall
Black is a wonderful and bold choice for a feature wall. The crisp white ceiling and window frames provide great contrast, whilst the wall panelling adds a bit of depth and some lovely highlights and shadows – a clever design device that prevents dark colours from looking flat.
Read more: 17 feature wall ideas to transform bland walls
3
Decorating with black accents: Art and accessories
Blocks of true black will always draw the eye, so exercise caution with how and where you place them. You may want to use them to draw attention to your best light source, or to direct the flow of your room to a focal point like a bed or sofa.
Pictured: Didsbury Armchair at Rose & Grey
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Decorating with black accents: Structural accents
These internal glass dividers usually have a matt black metal frame, and it's a nice idea to pick up the matt black elsewhere – here in the mirrors and taps. Note the natural materials (marble, wood and wicker) that prevent this bathroom from looking too clinical.
Read more: 15 black bathroom accessories for a contemporary finish
5
Decorating with black accents: Windows
Black is often used for its ability to create high contrast. Black window frames contrast fairly dramatically against light walls and do a good job of drawing the eye and framing the view beyond.
Pictured: House Beautiful Mauve Darcy Sofa at DFS
6
Decorating with black accents: kitchen island
Industrial kitchens can be quite stark owing to their strict lines and cold materials. This is often offset with a dose of colour or, in the case of black kitchens like this one, with lots of contrasting textures. Here, you can count steel, wood, a heavily veined marble, and glossy ceramic tiles that brighten and bounce light around the kitchen.
Read more: 27 kitchen island ideas for every space
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Decorating with black accents: XL dining table
Black might not be a natural choice in a convivial dining space, but it is particularly effective when used on wood, including statement dining tables. A wash of black paint can still show the natural grains and knots of the wood beneath, and we love the addition of a single black wooden dining chair here.
Read more: 19 fabulous dining room ideas to make the most of your space
8
Decorating with black accents: black in small spaces
'There is a misconception that painting a small room with dark colours will shrink the room – this is not true,' says paint expert, Michael Rolland at The Paint Shed. 'Dark colours don’t always lead to small, dark spaces. Dark colours can be a good idea for poorly lit rooms and smaller rooms because you are playing to the limitations of natural light rather than fighting it.
'Combined with the right textures and finishes, opting for dark paint in a small room can often create a cosy, calm space with a moody undertone.'
Read more: 6 paint colour mistakes to avoid when decorating your home
9
Decorating with black accents: kitchen cabinets
This kitchen uses a clever colour palette technique to brighten an otherwise dark design scheme. Here, the laminate flooring has pinkish undertones that are picked up and reflected in the black cabinets. This technique doesn't require high gloss surfaces to work, just make sure to pick flat panel cabinetry with a subtle sheen.
Pictured: House Beautiful Sensation Candy Cane Painted Laminate at Carpetright
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10
Decorating with black accents: thin lines
Further hallmarks of Scandinavian design are slim silhouettes and thin lines that create lightness and a sense of space. These spindly accents – the abstract face on the rug, the modern desk and narrow picture frame – are lightweight enough to be executed in a pure black without feeling heavy or overwhelming.
Pictured: House Beautiful Austin Seasalt Roller Blind at Hillarys
11
Decorating with black accents: black and pastels
An easy way to prevent your pastel design scheme from becoming overly saccharine is to introduce bold strokes of black. Perhaps a lesser used colour combination, but pastels will always work with a monochrome mix of black, white, and grey, or jewel tones such as a jade green.
Pictured: Original Kitchens at Harvey Jones
12
Decorating with black accents: doors
Much in the way that black window frames will draw the eye to your view outside, black doors will draw the eye to the room beyond. It's a really lovely choice for a bedroom if you have a feature bed in your direct line of sight.
Pictured: House Beautiful Maisy Bed at Dreams
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13
Decorating with black accents: black and white tiles
If you're fortunate enough to have plenty of natural light in your bathroom, there may be a temptation to keep your colours light and bright too, but this is the perfect opportunity to use black. Glossy tiles will of course bounce your light around, but if you're fond of matt tiles, placing mirrors adjacent will do the same job.
Pictured: House Beautiful Cube Mono Porcelain Tile at Homebase
Rachel Edwards
Style & Interiors Editor
Rachel Edwards is the Style & Interiors Editor for Country Living and House Beautiful, covering all things design and decoration, with a special interest in small space inspiration, vintage and antique shopping, and anything colour related. Her work has been extensively translated by Elle Japan and Elle Decor Spain. Rachel has spent over a decade in the furniture and homeware industry as a writer, FF&E designer, and for many years as Marketing Manager at cult design retailer, Skandium. She has a BA in French and Italian from Royal Holloway and an MA in Jounalism from Kingston University. Follow Rachel on Instagram @rachelaed
