The design of the living room can be very diverse. However, there are solutions that are undeservedly underestimated. One of these options is the use of black and white colors as the main ones in the living room.
Advantages and disadvantages
Guest space usually has the largest area in the house. It judges the tastes and personal preferences of residents. Black and white living room is quite rare. Since, from a physical point of view, black and white colors actually represent the absence of any color, texture and geometry are of particular importance. With errors in both, serious consequences can be encountered.
The unusualness of the combined interior design is immediately evident. But to "read" this aesthetic design is fully possible only in a relatively large room. Because the design in tones of the achromatic series is appropriate mainly in public buildings. The final decision whether to make such a guest room or not should be made by the people themselves. The advantages of using black and white colors are:
ease of visual contour changes;
emphasizing individual details of the situation;
increase of comfort and coziness in the house.
But you need to understand that such a design solution will look good only in a room that is impeccable in terms of geometry. The slightest architectural and construction and design errors will immediately cause many problems.
Curvatures of corners and roughnesses of separate lines easily become visible. On black and white surfaces, dirt is very visible, so you will have to spend more time in general cleaning.In homes with young children and pets, this decision is hardly justified.
Style solutions
A lot of things when decorating the hall in black and white colors depend on the ability to correctly use this color. The correct distribution of shades plays a very important role. The fundamental principle of the unity of place, color and action is true in this case. It implies:
harmonious distribution of colors;
rational selection of sites for each of the tones;
getting the desired result.
When decorating a living room in black and white combination, you must immediately decide which color will be the main and which will play a supporting role. An attempt to solve this problem “head on”, using a 1 to 1 ratio, will certainly result in failure. To maximize the space you need to focus on light colors. They, unlike dark ones, allow you to create a feeling of well-lit and air-saturated space. It is quite possible to dilute the severity of the black-and-white room with bright splashes.
Great combinations can be created, for example, with cutting-edge red decor. Such a combination will improve the mood and make the living room more energetic. For people who are active and addicted to action, this is an almost perfect choice. Green accents make the room more harmonious. They will definitely be appreciated by connoisseurs of decorative and garden plants.
If you mix black and white with yellow caramel tones, you can achieve more heat and slightly dilute the conciseness of the lines. From a psychological point of view, this step is useful to families who have a warm relationship. When gray is added to black and white, the room becomes more restrained, the visual confrontation of colors is reduced. But here we must also return to the psychological content of the black-and-white room itself. It is determined to a large extent by cultural traditions and worldview.
Those who want to live quietly and calmly will be satisfied with the dark colors. In the living room of people who are inclined to communicate with others, there is more often an advantage in the "bright" side. To smooth contrasts apply shades of black. But it should not be used for decorating ceilings.
Wall, floor and ceiling decoration
When considering examples of images of black and white living rooms, we must first remember the fundamental rules of design. What may look beautiful in the picture does not necessarily turn out to be just as elegant in nature. Gradient combinations are popular. It is a light ceiling, slightly darkened walls, a completely dark floor, or a composition where the order of colors is inverted. Such solutions will fit perfectly into the monochrome space, where the active “play with shades” just happens. With skillful use, you get a stylish space with complete harmony.
The gradient transition is subjectively pleasing to the eye and helps to stabilize the state of the nervous system. For modern people who are subject to constant stress, it will definitely work better than options with bright accents.
But it is worth noting that many people prefer sharp, contrasting transitions. Their advantage is the ability to fit into a variety of styles. At the same time, the shortcomings of a particular room seem to close. They cease to pay special attention, distracted by contrasts.
If the living room has low ceilings, you need to make the ceiling lighter, and the floor - as dark as possible.
The embodiment of contrasts is also allowed on the walls. When they are pasted over with wallpaper, you need to select options with a pattern extended from top to bottom. If you follow these recommendations, you can achieve an increase in the visual height of the ceilings. But the cornice on the ceiling should not be too wide. Ideally do without it. The contrasting walls will look deep, and the light top will “soar” above them.
You also need to know how to beat a narrow black and white living room. In this case, the low walls are painted in contrast, and the oblong walls are made as neutral as possible in appearance. The result is as if the “compression” of space in the right direction and the improvement of proportions. It is recommended to use light furniture.
So that the space does not look too faded, juicy colored accessories are added to it.
To make the small living room lighter and airier, the walls and upper planes are finished in light colors, and they try to paint the floor darker. The ideal option for the ceiling and walls would be white. In the same way any eaves, plinth, platband should be painted. Only occasionally allowed the use of minor inclusions of the main color.
To beat high ceilings, it is recommended that floors and ceilings be darkened, and walls - lighter.
Choice of furniture and curtains
These two points are no less important than the coloring of floors, walls and ceilings. Based on black and white colors, you can use the colors of curtains and other textiles. It is necessary to clearly understand how and how to supplement the required atmosphere. In some cases, the motives of a hot summer are added, in others - the freshness of early spring, in the third - the blue of a winter morning. Black and white tones can be used to decorate the interior directly, then the curtains will look more voluminous.
But here it is necessary to make a small digression, choosing between gloss and matte shimmer. There is a popular myth that gloss is used in large quantities, and matte surfaces remain the destiny of a minority. In fact, because of the gloss, an excessively “laboratory”, too strict appearance appears. Only a few designers can get around this problem competently. In its turn, furniture with frosted facades will look softer and will be more appropriate in the classic interior.
Returning to the curtains, it should be noted that in small black and white rooms, light monophonic textiles will be most appropriate. It will immediately add elegance and visual spaciousness. If the curtains are glossy, shiny, their appearance will be more concise and tuned for privacy. Add airiness and volume using matte curtains. By applying rich inserts, you can improve the appearance of simple white curtains.
This solution will allow you to focus on the geometry of the window and adjust the shape of the room. Additional manipulations with the same curtains and decorative elements open the way to a change in style. So, for the atmosphere in the spirit of "safari" suitable curtains with animal print. In Art Deco style, abstract plots are most appropriate. Striped or chess curtains fit perfectly into minimalist living rooms.
Monotonous curtains, the edges of which are trimmed in contrast, are used equally well in classical and modern interiors. If you choose a classic style, curtains with floral and other floral ornaments will come in handy. This will immediately add grace to the room. Against the background of black and white wallpaper, you need to give preference to transparent curtains.
But you must understand that the color of the curtains should be dominated by either black or white. Their equal number will make the whole room very boring.
When the color of the room is dominated by white, white curtains with black ornaments are needed. On the prevailing black background, the black curtain with light patterns will be the best choice. A in case of dilution of one-color rooms with other colors, the most saturated color of the curtains is required.
Attempts to use halftones only lead to the formation of a faded interior. Dilution of black and white interiors should be done with a maximum of two colors. Violation of this rule leads to chaos. When the walls are painted in a cool white tone, it is advised to use curtains with a cold color. When the decor is formed using black and brown inclusions, it is advisable to use:
lilac;
blue;
pink;
purple or blue curtains.
The next important element is the selection of furniture. Black and white furniture suitable in any interior. When a person is constantly working and trying to retire, he needs to choose furniture with a predominance of dark colors. But to cheer up and celebrate, receive guests, you need to use lighter interior items.
The smaller the room, the stronger the shift towards white.
Selection of accessories
It is necessary to pay attention to the selection of accessories for the apartment. In the black and white living room, you can use curtains of any length. In classic compositions, curtains made of velvet, brocade or silk are useful. A tulle with beautiful embroidery will help to add a festive mood.
A good help in this sense will be the use of lambrequins. But when the living room is decorated in the spirit of country, the decor options from linen or chintz will be preferable. Light tulle, as well as organza, perfectly express the oriental orientation of the interior. As for compact living rooms, monotonous curtains will be their best choice. If the room is larger, then the curtains can have a larger pattern.
But to reduce the whole set of accessories to curtains is wrong. In a classic setting, mirrors and paintings are most appropriate. To smooth out the possible shortcomings of a black and white room, you need to choose paintings with rich, bright subjects. You can also look at the options using sconces, tapestries, panels with fabric upholstery, candlesticks.
Beautiful examples
This photo shows how you can combine sharp (with pronounced transitions) multi-colored inclusions in the living room. Already a white table on a dark base looks very attractive. A black panel stands out against a relatively light wall. The performance of the chandelier shows that we are talking about the classic direction of the interior. One of the corners is completely saturated with exquisite black objects (stand, lamp).
A less seasoned combination may be practiced. In this case, black and white colors are distributed more evenly. Here they are used in the form of wall ornaments and decorative objects. The ceiling is decorated with a single black spot on a white background. A glance at such a room creates a very favorable impression.
For details on the black and white interior, see the next video.
