BLACK
Drench your wardrobe. Black shelves lend an orderly feel to a walk-in wardrobe, and colored clothes stand out clearly against them, making it easier to find what you want to wear. Good lighting is key to the success of a dark dressing space, so think through where to include lights when you’re designing it.
Emphasize height. Black has a tendency to draw eyes to it, so using darker colors in high-ceilinged spaces can have a dramatic affect. Amoroso cautions that this method doesn’t work to give the appearance of high ceilings, so it’s not recommended for rooms with low ceiling height. “That can look a little cartoonish, like a little kid’s drawing of a house,” she says.
Highlight a view. Framing a view in black can draw the eye in, showcasing an outside view or just pulling attention away from an unsightlier area of the home. The downside is that you’ll lose the textural and sculptural aspect of the window mullions at night, because the darkness blends in with the blackness of the window pane. Also, be cautious with this approach. It’s probably best for north-facing rooms and homes, because “dark trim fights against a sun-filled room,” Martin says.
Hide those scuff marks. There can be a practical reason for painting or staining your trim dark. If you’ve got kids and pets in the house, there’s probably no end to baseboard nicks and scuffs. Darker colors tend to be a little more forgiving. But keep in mind, while black can certainly hide scuff marks better than white, darker colors tend to show dust more than lighter colors.
“To this day black remains as a timeless neutral, but should be used in moderation,” says Ryan Martin, principal designer at Croma Design. It’s not for every room or every style of home, but this trick has the potential to energize your space, highlight a view or hide a few visual imperfections. Check out these examples to determine if painting your baseboards, casings and moldings black is right for you.
Because you’re a rebellious teenager. I know — I said that black ceilings are not just something a rebellious teenager would do. But that doesn’t mean a rebellious teenager couldn’t do it. Whether your adolescent craves Dr. Dre or Richard Avedon, black ceilings are a great complement to posters and photographs, elevating them to gallery-worthy status.
HORCHOW
11. They make a ceiling look taller. Contrast draws the eye, so a narrow black door draws the eye up, making a low ceiling look higher. This makes black doors especially useful in basements or other low-ceilinged spaces.
10. They add shine to a room. Every room could use a touch of reflection, especially if the other elements are textured or neutral. A mirror is one solution. A shiny black door is another. Use a satin finish for minimal sheen. Or go for broke and apply a clear polyurethane topcoat for maximum shine and protection.
Brooke Wagner DesignSave to IdeabookEmail Photo 8. They mark a destination. This black door is like a punctuation mark at the end of a sentence — it marks the end of the long hallway and provides a clear destination.
7. They don’t show fingerprints. How many times have you had to clean dark smudges around a doorknob? Black doors won’t repel dirt — but they won’t show it as readily, either.
6. They make a stock door look special. Slap on some black paint, and a typical paneled door takes on an air of swanky elegance.
This room looks fine now, but when the TV is turned off, there’s a big black hole in a fairly small space. The black door balances the void so the blank screen isn’t the only dark expanse in the room.
5. They’re good to a void. Notice I didn’t say “avoid,” I said “a void.” As in, if you’ve got a big fireplace that’s unlit 99.9 percent of the time, and a dark painting or flat-panel TV above it, a black door will help mitigate the impact of those big, black voids, so they don’t look as noticeable in the room.
4. They frame views. Just as a piece of art looks better if it’s framed, a view is enhanced if there is something in the foreground to set it off. These black French doors make the greenery outside stand out.
Thom Filicia Inc.Save to IdeabookEmail Photo I love the way the black door echoes the color of the bed frame in this room, giving the space a rich, masculine feeling. Notice how in all these examples, the door casing was left white.
Wow Great PlaceSave to IdeabookEmail Photo 3. They’re good at making things disappear. Got a door you want to downplay? Black is great at disguising shortcomings (like a large slab door, if that’s not your style) so you don’t notice them. Black doors work well in an open space like this, but avoid using them in a confined area with a confluence of doorways, as they can look chaotic.
Turner PocockSave to IdeabookEmail Photo Shake up shelves. Shelving on either side of a chimney breast is a can’t-fail storage option, but if traditional white woodwork in your alcoves feels a bit tired, paint it black. Dark shelves will help a black TV blend into the background and when, as here, they are built flanking the chimney breast, they become a strong and handsome feature.
Black. Black doesn't have to be used sparingly. Although it's dark, it can often be used in the same way as a neutral but with a more dramatic flair.
Green. Bring the outdoors inside with nature's favorite color. Lively, refreshing and eye catching, the right tone of green can work in any home.
playhouse at home
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