5 ideas for a chic black and white living room
03.2022
When it comes to chic, modern living rooms, black and white is always a winning formula
5 stylish looks for modern black and white living rooms
Black and white is one of those combinations that just never seems to go out of fashion. These two opposing colours tones simply work perfectly together and always create a stylish impact, whether used in fashion or interior décor, where, if balanced in the right way, never fail to create chic, elegant environments.
The black-and-white combo is also highly versatile, able to adapt to a variety of styles. It is also easy to create by mixing up elements from a vast range of choices, offering you plenty of scope to create your particular effect.
We’re putting the spotlight on black and white living rooms today, with 5 minimalist and stylish designer looks.
Black and white combinations
You simply cannot find two colours more diametrically opposed than black and white, although in our definition of black, we like to include darkest brown. Creating two completely different effects on their own, the combination adds a dramatic third option. White makes a space seem larger and lighter while black or dark brown creates a strong, decisive atmosphere. When they are mixed together, they bring personality and sheer elegance to a living room.
While the ways they can be used together are almost endless, the most popular approaches tend to be as follows:
- White walls and dark floors
- Striped or geometrically-patterned floors
- White floors and walls with dark furnishings and furniture
- A mix of white and black/brown furniture and furnishings
Let’s take a look at 5 examples of black and white living rooms and see how these two contrasting tones come together in stylish harmony.
Contrasting walls and flooring
“The floor anchors, the walls define” is an often-quoted interior design mantra and, if you want to design a black and white living room, following this advice means that the floor should be darker than the walls.
As such, the latter will generally be white, which has the effect of making the room seem airier and wonderfully light. Combined with a dark floor, you have an environment that is truly elegant, such as in this Salvatori-style example. Here the white walls increase the perception of space, while the deep rich tones of Pietra d’Avola in Stone Parquet create the perfect contrast.
The white-dark theme continues in the pair of Dritto coffee tables, with Bianco Carrara sitting alongside a version in Gris du Marais®.
Yin and yang flooring
A black and white floor is striking but at the same time undeniably refined and can take many forms, from a chessboard pattern to diagonal stripes or original geometric motifs.
The trick is to choose the right combinations, particularly when it comes to furniture and furnishings, so that the floor makes a statement but without becoming a distraction. Even though black and white are neutral tones, when they are combined, you need to choose pieces to complement them with care so that you don’t end up with a series of strong elements all competing for visual attention.
This living room features Bianco Carrara and Pietra d’Avola stripes in a decisive pattern that injects bold personality into the room, but without overtaking the décor. The vast windows help offset any such risk, allowing the natural light to flood in and create an airy, luminous environment.
If you are after a modern, minimalist design, this is a perfect example, with just a handful of well-chosen items of furniture that echo the black and white colour theme, including a Proiezioni coffee table in Bianco Carrara and Nero Marquinia.
A splash of white
Black and dark brown have seen a surge in popularity in the interior design world in recent years. Once seen as drab and gloomy, they are now considered synonymous with luxury, contemporary chic and bold style, perfect for decorating elegant living rooms.
However, if an all-dark look is not quite to your taste and you want to add another colour, you cannot go wrong with white. This predominantly dark brown living room in Pietra d’Avola limestone shows how splashes of white make for a stylish game of contrasts and a noticeably lighter environment.
The magic ingredient comes in the form of classic Bianco Carrara, always a sure-fire winner if you are looking to create an elegant modern living room. Here it is used for the Pliss cabinet and the Urano floor lamp, a perfect sphere of marble that casts a gentle glow not only on the room itself, but also the Omaggio a Morandi and Gravity accessories.
Completing the black and white décor is a composition of Intarsi wall art, with a series of bold geometric patterns made entirely from Pietra d’Avola and Bianco Carrara.
Dark tones in a classic setting
White is always elegant which is why it is a popular choice for a classic-style living room or, in fact, any room in a home. After all, it is versatile, safe and makes a space appear lighter, airier and more spacious, so what’s not to love?!
This gorgeous white living room avoids appearing too pristine through the inclusion of more decisive colours which also have the effect of emphasising the beauty of the Bianco Carrara Stone Parquet flooring. The ‘Love me, Love me not’ coffee tables in midnight black Noir St Laurent and forest-green Verde Alpi work with the Proiezioni table in Bianco Carrara and Nero Marquinia to provide stylish high-design contrast.
It is not only the dark colours themselves that make such an impact, but the unique patterning of the white swathes of veining that characterise each piece, together with a matt finish that adds understated glamour to this modern yet classic white room.
Play with texture
One of the great advantages of using natural stone for walls and floors is that it opens up a wealth of choices in terms of textures, so that even if you only use one colour, for example, you can create interest and depth by varying the finishes you use.
This living room may not be a classic example of black and white, but the contrast between dark brown and Pietra d’Avola and the greige tones of Silk Georgette illustrates how dark and pale combinations can create an impact, particularly when you mix up the textures.
In this case, we have Stone Parquet on the floor and Tratti on the facing wall, while the bar in front of that wall is also in Pietra d’Avola but in Raw, for a trio of textures.
Adding the finishing touches are coffee tables and decorative elements in black and white.
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