I love black and white…….old movies, black and white photography, the black and white in nature. There is something about it that is at once clean and crisp and always interesting. It is yin and yang, conflicting, opposites, at odds. No matter if it is a portrait or a scenery, the black and white simplicity delivers the very essence of the captured moment. When I design, it is rare that black or white cannot be used somewhere to add elegance and sophistication. I thought it would be fun to look at black and white together, both in photographs and interior design. Notice the shadows and the nuances in the photos and how that might translates into our interiors.
“When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!”
― Ted Grant
Now let’s look at photos of black and white decor, and the degree with which each color permeates the room. See how you react to each varying dose of each……..
I hope this post has provided some food for thought. Perhaps you discovered that you might like strictly black and white decor, or maybe it is not for you. I tried to use examples that were without any large pops of color, but in many instances you can certainly add a favorite color. The biggest difference between a decor that is black and white, and one that is more colorful or is that when you walk into a black and white room, you can almost take in the entire room at once. When you walk into a multi colored decor, the eye will roam, then settle, roam then settle. You will do this in a black and white room, but not the first thing.
For purposes of this post I did use the term “color” when talking about black and white. Always a debatable description, depending on if you are talking to an artist, a chemist or a physicist, among others. The history of black is fascinating, but too long to go into for this post.
As always, thanks for stopping by. I hope you all are enjoying the amazing weather we are here in the mid -Atlantic states. Laters, charisse
Where did the photos come from?
I’m interested the bridge photo. I found it on Pinterest linked to blogs like this that don’t provide a primary source, and in this case, any source all.
source Magali Kermaïdic I try very hard to credit sources, but in this post I could not find original sources when writing post. When I can’t, I publish, but do edit, as I did with this photo, to add a source as it comes available. It bothers me a lot when bloggers do not properly credit, and in this post I was guilty. This is a problem with pinterest as you sometimes have to go back to a huge number of links to get to proper source. charisse
I am in love with black and white photography! It is hard to choose my favorite photo, I like so many of them. The Lion is just breathtaking! I would put that in my home, because of his expression looking Heavenward. I also love the horse, the owl and the ballerina. Lauren Bacall, Wow! She belongs in black and white!! (What an actress. She lived a very long, exciting life) Cigarette lady is beautiful and of course the bridge and staircase. I suppose I loved all of them!
The decor is fabulous. I noticed that I am drawn to the rooms with crystal chandeliers. I love the room with coffered ceiling. The bathroom with the big art and the “lacy” white mirror is great! I noticed a room with a foot/ankle sculpture sitting on the glass table which was a bit different. The wallpaper room, with Louis Vuitton book, had a surprise yummy yellow shoe in the foreground which I thought was a nice touch for the photo. Of the three bedrooms that you asked our opinion, I preferred the first one with more white. Love the bed linens. The Adirondack chair was awesome. I like the kitchen with the black cabinetry and the large white island. My fav of all of the rooms is, again, the bathroom with large tub, large art and lacy mirror and the large white bust, of someone famous I am sure. I also like the warm wood tones added to some of the rooms.
Thank you for this educational tour. Awesome read!!
You are welcome. This has been one of my favorite posts to put together as well.
Living in a black and white and gray home, we are huge fans of the serenity and style you portray in the blog. (and we always get new ideas from you) We’ve been contemplating the painting our house–which is whiteh with black shutters –the reverse.
Your blog inspired me to search online to see exteriors in black with white trim–wondering about the maintenance in hot southern sunlight? Thanks again, Charisse
Thanks Laurie. reversing the color scheme on your home has to take in consideration the placement of window exposure, trees surrounding the home and the architectural style. I love black painted homes, but they have to be chosen judiciously. Also, often what appears to be black is more a deep charcoal or black- brown. I will see if I can come up with some examples that may help you.