Calgary Designers on Black and White

Though it may seem too simple to design a room using a black-and-white colour scheme, doing it well is actually quite tricky.

• Do it wrong, and your space looks stark, cold or impersonal

• Pay attention to accent colours, textures and proper lighting and your room will be stunning.

Chris McGuire, manager, Montauk sofa Calgary
“The nice thing about black or white is you have the ability to put them anywhere and they always look good. Many people may shy away from white as they are afraid of stains."

• Use a white cotton slipcover that is machine-washable and put black upholstery under your white slipcover, which will give you a great winter and summer look.

• A white sofa really brightens up a room and looks great.

• Avoid too much black, as it can become overpowering and objects can get lost.
  

• Avoid black walls with a black sofa. But white walls with a white sofa can work quite nicely.

•  If you are going to go for a clean look with white walls and white furniture, leave it at that — too much white can make the room stale.

Nora Bouz, designer, Poggenpohl
“I advise my clients to not follow trends when it comes to kitchens. However, black and white is a classic colour combination whether you go for a modern or traditional style. Black has always been a statement for formality and sophistication."

• When you use black and white, interest and movement are created.

• Be careful too much movement makes the space uncomfortable and tiring.
  

• When you create movement with the colour, there is no need to recreate it with the line.
  

• Use natural wood elements in the space to keep it from becoming too stark. 

• This is automatically taken care of if you have wooden floors.
  

• If you have stone, tile or concrete floors, introduce natural, medium-toned woods in the form of a bar top, chairs, stools or a china cabinet.

Bruce Johnson, interior designer, Johnson & Associates Interior Design

• For a fresh, crisp interior, use predominately whites with touches of black.

• Combine contrasting textures — think smooth against rough, shiny against matte.
  

• Don’t be afraid to add a touch of the unexpected.
  

• Don’t overuse black, but do use it to create a focal point.
  

• Don’t underestimate the importance of good lighting to play up the contrasts and to add warmth to a black-and-white interior.

Victor Gauthier, creative director and owner, Interior Living
“Black and white, if done correctly, is very sophisticated. Done wrong, it ends up looking cheap."

• Remember scale and think about where to put the black and where to put the white.
  

• Use different hues and textures of black and white. There are lots of shades of black like charcoal, blue-black, green-black.
  

• If you’re going to add colour, keep it in the art or have a small splash of it, for example, in a blown-glass sculpture, vase or flowers.
  

• Try to put colour in things that can be replaced.
  

• You can do black and white in a French country look or something more avant garde, just make sure the elements are strong.

Laurie Barr, owner, Swish Interiors Ltd.
“Black and white are the ultimate representations of contrast; black is the absence of light, while white light is sunlight. In the same way that nature demonstrates various degrees of contrasts, so can interiors. They can be sharply dramatic or subtly composed."

• Use a subtler version of a black and white interior.

• Use various textures and shades to create richness. The tones of the chair legs can vary from the tones used for the coffee table and end tables. Keep things subtly different.

• The shades of the fabrics, paints and carpets can support the black-and-white theme and still vary slightly so the overall effect is rich.

• The contrast between the black and white softens with the variety of tones and shades.

Bruce MacMillan, creative alignment, Ellipses Design
“Black is actually the absence of colour — the anti-canvas."

• Smash colour into the palette with texture, artwork or warm wood tones.

• The Asian idea of yin and yang fits perfectly with a black-and-white interior.

• The simple yet timeless look of the Ming Dynasty works well, many of the wood pieces look black, but have a warm cognac undertone.

• Pair an elegant ivory leather chaise with a black horse bench.

• Throw in a colourful pillow, or cast an amber-coloured light into it with a lamp or bulb.