Many people think that black is the most inappropriate color in a room for receiving guests. But any experienced designer will demonstrate a portfolio with samples of a photo of a black living room in different styles.
And advanced city dwellers will want to abandon their trivial interiors. This color is perceived ambiguously, but black leather furniture is a classic, and glossy finishes always look extravagant.
Features of the living room interior in black tones
Everyone has their own associations with black, but many will agree that this color is associated with elegance. It is believed to awaken sexual energy in women, especially when combined with red.
In painting and many religions, it is credited with mystical properties - darkness, the habitat of otherworldly forces. But optimists say that this is endless space and the bottomless depths of the oceans.
Famous couturiers consider black to be universal - it visually narrows the silhouette and hides figure defects. In combination with gold, any collection in this color looks luxurious, emphasizing the natural beauty and youth of the skin.
The black interior of the living room is chosen by intellectuals prone to mysticism and extravagance. These are not only young women with good taste, but also accomplished men who do not like diversity, only the correct black and white combination.
The choice of such an interior is also typical for leaders or individualists who draw their strength from the bottomless depths of black space.
The black interior of the living room is not at all a dark room in one color. Designers conventionally call their projects “black” if in them this color predominates in furniture or surface finishing, but it is set off by white or other colors.
This unique color has no shades; it contains all the transitional tones of the spectrum. It also tends to absorb space, like a black hole in space. Therefore, it is not advisable to place a large one with velvet upholstery in a small or narrow room.
Although black has no shades, there are many natural materials that have a shimmer. For example, expensive wenge wood has several transitional chocolate and chestnut tones - from black to dark red. Wooden furniture is often coated with black peck varnish with a golden-brown tint.
A color that does not have shades has one more property - it looks different in different textures and on surfaces with different degrees of light reflection:
- mirror black;
- varnish;
- glossy;
- semi-gloss;
- semi-matte;
- matte;
- velvet black (with maximum light absorption coefficient).
Is black wallpaper appropriate in the living room?
All of the above properties are widely used for decorating living rooms and office spaces with a predominance of black color. It will be very useful in large living rooms with windows facing south in a multi-storey building, where the sun is literally blinding in the summer. In such a living room, dark curtains and wallpaper are quite appropriate.
You can choose any roll material for wall cladding. For example, textile, vinyl, paper or glass wallpaper for painting. It doesn’t have to be a solid strip of black; choose wallpaper:
- with any rare pattern on a black background;
- with an intricate black ornament on a light background;
- with a classic graphic pattern - stripes, diamonds, polka dots or abstraction.
Designers use any of these options not only on the entire wall, but also in fragments - to solve a specific creative concept. Vertical stripes visually raise the ceiling, horizontal stripes expand the space.
Solid black ones with a jacquard effect are especially chic. This is when a matte pattern or voluminous velvet ornament is applied on a glossy background.
The more gloss there is in a black living room, the greater the light reflectance - the “lighter” the wall appears. Black stripes on the wall perfectly set off the white fireplace, columns and figurines.
Such walls are an excellent backdrop for luxurious white furniture. A white bench seat with eco-leather armchairs and a large wall-length mirror in a gold frame remain a favorite of the 2017 season.
Designers also suggest combining matte liquid wallpaper and black mirror tiles on the walls and lower surface. This background goes well with modern equipment, aquariums and LED-illuminated works of art.
Photo wallpapers have returned to fashion, but today preference is given to designs with a 3D effect. They look especially luxurious on a black wall in the living room. And if you have experience or education as an artist, you can paint a black and white portrait or something else on the wall.
Floor and ceiling in the interior of a black living room
A great way to solve the problem of heating a large house is to make a “warm floor” system and veneer it with black marble. It can be porcelain stoneware, natural or artificial stone. A high-quality carpet with an exquisite pattern is also suitable.
Laminate and parquet boards with wenge or stained oak decor look no less interesting. The multilayer structure of the laminate contains a regular print imitating wood of any texture under a layer of transparent coating. There are also wide square slats with a pattern similar to natural stone or parquet.
Black linoleum in the living room is a budget option for those who cannot afford expensive floors. You can choose a finish with imitation wood texture or luxury Italian tiles in golden, black and milky tones.
A black ceiling is too gloomy, many people think so. But designers have found many interesting solutions with multi-level structures. A glossy stretch ceiling is similar to dark mirror tiles. And black mirrors on the ceiling, which reflect a chic black and white interior - why not be an option?!
A special passion of romantics and dreamers is “outer space” in a modern interior. You can make luminous diode dots like a starry sky or a stretch ceiling with a print of approaching planets. Also very impressive.
In order not to go overboard with the darkest color in the design of a black living room, it is still better to take white or other light textiles. But this is a matter of taste. Our photo gallery has various proposals where everyone can get interesting ideas.
Photo of black living room design
Classic black color looks impressive in the living room interior.
It may seem that black would be out of place in a small living room, it will visually make the room smaller, but it is not necessary to make most of the decor and furnishings black, you can simply use a black palette as a base - in the interior of any style, and even a small living room will look stylish and fashionable.
Modern designers have developed many options for decor and furniture in black tones, so a room of any size can be beautifully decorated in black, making it the background or placing accents on it.
Advantages and disadvantages of a living room interior in black
The undoubted advantages are:
- the possibility of different options for creating the style of the room;
- simplicity of the interior, laconic color scheme;
- great opportunities to vary shapes and experiment with lighting;
- the interior will look elite - regardless of the cost of decor and furnishings;
- black is an excellent background for placing photographs, paintings, interior decorations, each item will look bright and attract attention;
- the ability to visually distort space, maximizing the desired effect.
But there are also disadvantages to choosing a black interior:
- black color will visually lower the ceiling, this is not suitable for an apartment in a multi-storey building;
- By oversaturating the living room with black - in decorative elements, black furniture - the living room can become like an office.
Three ways of black in the living room
The first is a classic option: a black slide in the living room, complemented by monochrome accessories.
It is traditional to decorate the interior with white and gray shades around a black slide. A large soft sofa with velvet or corduroy pillows scattered on it will go well with the black slide - these fabrics will create an atmosphere of privacy and home comfort.
An alternative option is to focus on metal. This could be a coffee table with chrome elements, which goes well with framed paintings, photo frames with family photos, and vases of various shapes.
A carpet with lush soft pile in a light shade will successfully soften the interior of a black living room with a chrome coffee table. Black furniture will look juicy in combination with brightly colored objects grouped around it.
For example, books with multi-colored spines and, as a reflection of the color palette at the other end of the room, colored curtains or sofa cushions in bright pillowcases.
The only color that you should not combine black furniture with is red.
These two colors together can add an element of aggressiveness to the interior and irritate the eye.
The second is a more daring option. This is black wallpaper, but it must be used wisely.
In a room covered with black wallpaper, it is necessary to properly arrange the lighting. Such a living room should have many elegant lamps, sconces, and floor lamps.
It is best to cover not all walls with black wallpaper, but, for example, only two side walls. You should not make walls with windows dark.
In a living room with black walls, the ceiling should be light. In shades of black, it can only be in a room with a very high ceiling - at least three meters, the walls should be light, and, to create a harmonious, complete picture of the interior, such a room should have floor lamps on high legs.
The third is the easiest way: install a sofa with black upholstery in the living room. This will allow the room to focus on the resting place.
It is best if the sofa is in a minimalist style with strict geometric shapes.
Upholstered furniture in black with strict lines in the interior will attract all the attention; this allows you to make the room more diverse with the help of bright color accents on the walls, or place a bright floor vase next to the sofa or armchair.
As an alternative, play with fabric textures: if the sofa is leather, place pillows or a throw made of coarse linen on it, and if the sofa is upholstered in velor, put pillows with satin pillowcases.
The game of soft and rough using a combination of different textures will make the black color more comfortable.
A classic example is a brick wall next to which stands a black sofa upholstered in soft, fuzzy fabric.
It will be nice to throw a blanket on the sofa made of a fabric of a different texture than the upholstery, this will create the contrast that is so needed to soften the black and make it cozy.
In combination with black upholstered furniture, you should not make the floor bright, as it will visually distract attention to itself.
The emphasis should be on the texture of the flooring - black furniture looks harmonious on a marble floor, a wooden floor that has an untreated appearance, on glossy tiles, with a fluffy pile carpet.
What design style should the living room be in?
Black is most appropriate in a room in the style of minimalism, neoclassicism and modernism.
Often black living rooms are made in a minimalist style.
A characteristic feature of this style is the complete absence of bright elements; attention is focused on the shape of the furniture and the texture of fabrics and materials. Minimalism is about recreating an atmosphere of simplicity.
In such a living room, the emphasis is on the spaciousness and airiness of the space, so that the spirit of freedom hovers in the interior.
Shades of black also look great in neoclassicism, a style built on simplicity and luxury.
One or two black walls will fit well into such an elegant interior. The style echoes the classic, but without the clutter of shades and textures of materials characteristic of the classics.
The main load in the design is carried by strict forms and the complete combination of decorative elements and furnishings with each other.
In the Art Nouveau style, upholstered furniture with black upholstery is appropriate; the interior will be unique, provided that the furniture is of the desired design.
The main thing is simplicity, lightness and smoothness of lines, as well as the almost complete absence of external details. Ideally, the furniture should not be bulky, and the decor should contain contrasting colors.
A black interior is a bright interior, which can quickly get boring.
Therefore, when decorating a living room in black colors, you must follow the rules for using black so that the living room turns out elegant and will please the eye for a long time.
Photo of a black living room
“Bored of beige walls? Aren't you afraid of bright experiments? Then we are coming to you!
Or, more precisely, let's talk about a spectacular design feature: the black and white interior of the living room.
Design styles in which the use of black and white contrasts is appropriate
Typical design styles in which this contrasting color combination would be appropriate are:
- modernism (postmodernism);
- art deco;
- eco-style;
- constructivism;
- pop art;
- hi-tech;
- loft;
- fusions of the above styles.
Black and white constructivism in the living room
We create a practical and non-staining contrasting interior
We propose to dwell on some nuances in which the interior of a living room in black and white colors will not only be beautiful and impressive, but also practical and non-staining.
1. If your family has small children, then first think hard about the feasibility of implementing our idea in the living room, otherwise white sofas, walls or curtains will very quickly become not very white.
You wouldn't punish a child for being a child, would you? Therefore, perhaps you should wait until the kids are a little older and only then create a spectacular interior.
Non-staining black and white interior
2. But if you still decide to create a living room interior in black and white, then try to follow our recommendations - this way you will save both repairs and nerve cells:
- all construction and finishing materials must be waterproof, washable, and resistant to color;
- when purchasing white upholstered furniture, choose models with removable covers - they can be removed and washed, rather than changing the upholstery;
- when purchasing white flooring, opt for carpet with anti-vandal thread;
- to paint walls, use white paint for exterior work - it is more resistant to physical influences and easier to clean.
Features of living room interior design in black and white colors
1. An unshakable principle: “White increases, dark decreases.” In small living rooms, white should be the predominant color; in large ones, a larger percentage of black is acceptable.
Black and white minimalism in a small living room
Excellent proportions in a small room - see photo.
The minimalistic and rather strict design in vibrant white tones is perfectly set off by black furniture and picture frames, and the strict clarity of the lines is softened by large curls of black and white wallpaper in the living room interior and sofa cushions echoing them.
2. Let's return to the proportional ratio, since interior design is not at all the case when the balance of black and white should be 50:50.
Please remember an important rule: one of the colors must predominate, otherwise the interior will be too colorful and... oddly enough, too boring.
Living room in constructivist style with a predominance of black
Look at the photo - in the living room in the constructivist style, the predominant black color does not make the atmosphere gloomy, since it is sufficiently “diluted” by the white walls and ceiling. The harmonious combination of floral stickers and the boring geometry of the accent panel and upholstered furniture make the interior softer, identifying the owners of this apartment: a confident man and a romantic woman.
3. The presence of a transitional color is very significant for the interior of a living room in black and white. For calm and balanced people, it can be gray and its shades; for creative, eclectic individuals, brighter “spots” of warm colors are appropriate: red, yellow, orange.
Black-white-red interior of the hall
A dynamic and stylish black, white and red living room interior with elements of Japanese style is shown in the photo. Small red-burgundy spots of modular paintings and dresser fronts enliven the dark wall and, by the way, pay attention to another interesting technique: a contrasting white chair is installed near the dark wall and vice versa.
4. Let's talk about flooring... In a contrasting interior, it is advisable to choose monochrome carpets or carpets so as not to introduce additional diversity, and a dark color, of course, is more practical. Pay attention to steel shades of gray, muted red, red or terracotta, and under no circumstances buy brown coatings - it will immediately destroy all the contrast, making the initially stylish design boring and dreary.
Unsuccessful interior of a small living room
For the first time, we present to your attention a sharp anti-example of what flooring should NOT be. Not only is the fireplace wall decorated with mirrored geometric elements; that there are too many red and burgundy elements; While the sofa cushions add additional diversity, the choice of carpet is also quite strange: a contrasting floral pattern on a brown laminate looks completely out of place in a room heavily overloaded with furniture.
5. The choice of modern finishing materials, including wallpaper, is impressive, but we suggest considering an interesting option for using black and white photo wallpaper in the interior of the living room. They can add additional volume to a limited space, and add perspective to a large room.
Using black and white photo wallpaper in the living room interior
Unusual interior, isn't it? Everything is there: black, white and red tones, a two-level ceiling, loft elements in the form of brick tiles on the accent wall, but...
Red pillows and installation refresh the basic white color, spotlights resemble the outlines of flames and ancient peaks, and all these elements are advantageously set off by photo wallpaper with a graphic image of an ancient castle, creating perspective and significantly increasing the visual perception of a small living room area.
Decor in the living room interior in black and white colors
Decor can do anything: add brightness or brevity; make the room femininely romantic or, conversely, enhance the impression of brutality of the owner...
How to place the right accents in a black and white interior?
As we have already said above, the right choice would be bright and appropriate elements in style: for example, an Art Deco hall can be decorated with original red sconces, a black and white living room in the Greek style with a terracotta amphora, and a loft-style relaxation area with yellow abstraction.
An elegant white floor lamp against a black wall or a module in black mat against a white background - there are a lot of ideas worthy of attention, evidence in the photo.
Modular paintings in the interior of a black and white living room
Class! Nine modular paintings create the feeling of a beautiful sunset, emphasized by the gold pillows and textiles of the sofa. And, given the zebra carpet on the floor, it seems as if you are in the savannah.
Textiles in a black and white living room
Of no small importance in the interior of a black and white living room is the final chord: “clothing” for the windows. For example, white tulle and contrasting curtains are a traditional and correct solution, but black organza or muslin will make the window more impressive, although not very familiar.
Curtains... They can be varied: bright with floral patterns - to soften the hard hi-tech; striped with steel vertical - to visually increase the height of the ceilings; newfangled Roman ones - for the discreet design of a small hall; bamboo blinds - for rooms in Japanese or Chinese style.
Double curtains with tiebacks in a black and white room
The contrasting upholstery of the upholstered furniture is pleasantly complemented by soft tulle and draped double black and white curtains in the living room interior with labryquin and tiebacks, which is why the interior of this room looks airy and romantic.
Beware of bad taste, not experiments - with them life is much more fun and richer.
If you are planning to make the floor white and the ceiling black, try it, because theory without practice is dead. And we will definitely help you with this.
Examples of interiors in black and white colors
Elegant veranda-living room in minimalist style
with elements of classicism
Living room in maxi-constructivism style
Black and white minimalism
Constructivism in a stylish white and black hall
Fusion of art deco and minimalism
Combination of loft and art deco in the living room
Black and white eco-style in the fireplace room
Contrasting postmodernism in a small living room
Luxurious loft in a studio apartment
Minimalism with modern elements in the living room
Minimalist constructivism in the dining room
The design of a black and white living room allows you to create an amazing pattern of space based on a subtle play of contrasts. The danger of using such a color scheme lies in two important points: not to slide into darkness and not to turn the front room into a hospital ward.
Apportionment
Add gray or silver to the black and white palette - you get hi-tech. Red and blue look organically in modern, and the introduced soft pastel brown close Provence. Wicker tree will give a hint about country, and the array is hull furniture will bring the interior design closer to classicism.
If we talk about objects that should contain color accents of the interior, then for this you can use decorative pillows, and all kinds vases, and wall panels, and drawing curtains, and individual pieces of furniture.
Furniture for a black and white living room
For classic surroundings, the optimal solution would be furniture in white or black tones, finished with natural wood. White sofa leather and armchairs, with masterly stitching of details, will give the large living room dazzling luxury, framed in black and white walls.
Minimalism of shapes and outlines of furniture headset– an ideal find for a small room. Large color blocks of furniture included in the interior, having a laconic design, will not drown out spatial freedom, which is very important for small rooms.
Advice! ZWhen filling a black and white living room with furniture, make sure that the percentage of black does not exceed 50% of the overall plan, otherwise, as psychologists have noted, this can provoke depression and a bad mood in you and your household.
If you follow the basic rules, a black and white combination can sparkle in the interior in a new way:
- A living room in black and white requires a thoughtful compositional plan and the choice of a leading color. An interior decorated in equal shade proportions may look too colorful.
- Even with the main color being black, it is better if the ceiling plane is decorated in white tones, since a dark ceiling creates a feeling of pressure.
- A room with locally distributed color accents looks much more harmonious.
- The black and white design is diluted with small splashes of a different color. This range combines perfectly with both cold and warm palettes.
Finish options
The traditional solution in a black and white living room is a dark floor, which can be decorated with a bright rug or other floor accessories. Light materials are also used for finishing. Whitewashed laminate, parquet or tiles will create an unusual contrast with pieces of furniture.
The ceiling is most often decorated in white. A modern matte, glossy stretch ceiling or plasterboard construction is used as cladding.
The photo shows a living room in black and white with walls covered in striped wallpaper.
For walls, choose either a monochromatic or a more interesting design. For example, it could be wallpaper with a print in the form of vertical, horizontal stripes or waves, depending on the perspective created in the room. Canvases with openwork patterns will help in highlighting various areas in the room. They can be used to create a relaxing place for the whole family or an area with a TV.
Photo wallpapers with extraordinary black and white images look original, or vice versa with bright colorful designs that become the central element of the living room.
The photo shows a dark parquet board on the floor in the interior of a spacious black and white living room.
Furniture and textiles
The right solution for a black and white living room would be pieces of furniture in the same color scheme. The room is predominantly black and furnished with a white sofa, armchairs and other elements. A room with a basic white color, on the contrary, is complemented with dark furniture.
When choosing furniture, take into account the style direction of the interior. For example, a black and white set made of natural wood will fit favorably into a classic living room, while a modern living room can be complemented with a single-color sofa with colorful pillows.
For a black and white design, leather-covered items and wood elements are perfect.
The furnishings are decorated with simple cabinets, which sometimes have mirrored facades, modern shelving, walls, laconic chests of drawers and tables.
The photo shows a modern black and white living room, decorated with a light sofa with leather upholstery.
In a living room in black and white, it is appropriate to use black curtains. The windows are also decorated with light curtains with patterns. To prevent the interior from looking chaotic, it is recommended to choose larger prints.
A dark room is interestingly emphasized by canvases made of thick fabric in turquoise, emerald green or wine tones. For a contrasting black and white interior, products in gray or beige shades are especially suitable.
A very stylish design option is to use black and white carpets, stylized as a zebra or having geometric patterns.
The photo shows a TV wall with glossy black and gray facades in the interior of the hall.
Lighting and decor
A black and white living room can be complemented with an elegant chandelier or spotlights. Floor lamps, wall sconces or table lamps are great for highlighting a specific area.
For lighting, metal lamps or lamps with pendant shades in black look original.
The photo shows a living room in black and white with ceiling spotlights and decorative lighting.
Thanks to additional accessories, a black and white room can take on a truly stunning look. Here it is recommended to use paintings with flowers, still lifes or landscapes, arrange vases, figurines and other decorative elements.
The best solution is to install a small aquarium and landscape the living room with live plants.
Color combinations
Thanks to the harmonious combination of a black and white pair with other colors, you can further emphasize the surrounding design, adjust the size of the room and simply create a fashionable interior.
Bright inclusions in blue, green and lilac shades allow you to add expressiveness to a black and white contrasting palette. These can also be accents of an active and dynamic red color, which gives the atmosphere a modern look, or a warm and sunny yellow color, which not only warms the space, but also smoothes out the strict interior lines.
The photo shows the design of a black and white living room with bright turquoise accents.
To soften the design, use a combination of black and white with gray, beige or natural brown. In this way, it is possible to achieve smooth transitions that will blur boundaries and create a harmonious balance in the room.
The photo shows a combination of black and white shades with natural beige tones in the interior of the hall.
Hall design
In the interior of a small black and white hall in a Khrushchev-era building, light colors should prevail, giving the atmosphere airiness and spaciousness. Dark elements should be used very carefully.
To increase the height of the ceiling, you can use a print with vertical stripes, hang long curtains or install tall and narrow pencil cases in black. You can achieve a visual expansion of a small black and white room with an elongated sofa, horizontally oriented paintings or panels.
The photo shows a black and white living room interior with a fireplace lined with light stonework.
A truly stunning view is the black and white living room with fireplace. To decorate the hearth, choose metal, natural stone or luxurious marble.
The photo shows the design of a small-sized hall in a Khrushchev-era building, designed in black and white.
Photo b/w living room in different styles
Black and white is the ideal solution for a minimalist style. Such shades are in perfect harmony with the rigor and laconicism of the design. A living room with a light-colored ceiling, dark furniture, black and white wallpaper or photo wallpaper will look very stylish.
An interior in the Art Deco style is often built on a combination of contrasting combinations, giving the room a stylish and respectable appearance. When decorating the floor, it is appropriate to use black, white marble or glossy tiles laid out in a checkerboard pattern. The black and white hall is decorated with status furniture with gold or silver details and complemented with rare and valuable accessories.
The photo shows a living room with a black and white interior made in high-tech style.
Monochrome black and white tones are always appropriate for the loft direction. They combine harmoniously with wood, terracotta brickwork or concrete.
For the high-tech style, it is typical for white to dominate, and black to act as separate elements in the form of lighting fixtures, a sofa, a coffee table or curtains.
Photo gallery
The black and white color scheme allows you to highlight the unique, creative interior of the living room and endow it with elegance and subtle taste.
