Ways To Create The Perfect Monochrome Home

Black and white rooms have stuck to the forefront of interior design fashion for years now, drifting in and out of our consciousness since the 1960s where people really began to think outside the box an become a lot bolder when it came to decorating their homes. It provides two opposites, which in a yin and yang style, which work really well together and bring out the best of each other. White highlights the depth of black, whilst black emphasises the light and purity of the white.

Bold patterns and contrasts are the most important element of monochrome homes (bedroompedia.com)
Bold patterns and contrasts are the most important element of monochrome homes (bedroompedia.com)

Stripes are a popular feature of monochrome, and it’s easy to see why. Running the two extremes alongside each other doesn’t just elongate a room or certain furniture feature, but it emphasises the contrast between the two colours and is an illustration of the perfect balance.

Stripes add depth and fun to a black and white room (condenast.co.uk)
Stripes add depth and fun to a black and white room (condenast.co.uk)

Monochrome colour palettes work well if you’re trying to create a light and minimal atmosphere. By starting with an all-white room and gradually adding accents of black, you still achieve that bright and airy feeling, but with a sharper and more striking edge. To add a feeling of luxury, add monochromatic textures to your room such a marble and granite.

With more white than black, this room feels open, bright, and airy (ontrus.com)
With more white than black, this room feels open, bright, and airy (ontrus.com)

Harsh contrasts can cause a room to feel drastic and uncomfortable if it’s not carried out properly. To combat this, you can add subtle warming hints of colour and textures. Keep your monochrome contrasts as the room’s main feature, but add these warmer points as understated background articles.

Adding flowers and soft textures will soften a hard monochrome room (smartspaceinteriors.com)
Adding flowers and soft textures will soften a hard monochrome room (smartspaceinteriors.com)

If a strict black and white colour palette feels to harsh or strong for you or your home, you can rebalance the room by adding splashes of softer and muted tones, more textures, or even soften the contrasts by adding a spectrum of grey and silver shades too.

Grey and silver is a modern and softer twist on harsh black and white (interiorputry.com)
Grey and silver is a modern and softer twist on harsh black and white (interiorputry.com)
The addition of curbed wooden chairs softens the lines and contrast of the room (pinterest.com)
The addition of curbed wooden chairs softens the lines and contrast of the room (pinterest.com)

If you want to create something slightly more dramatic and a twist on the traditional monochrome trend, go for bold colour accents.

Bold red accents soften the monochrome and add another level to this bedroom (telecomwiz.com)
Bold red accents soften the monochrome and add another level to this bedroom (telecomwiz.com)
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