Sunday, May 3, 2009

Stylish Home Decorating in Black and White

By Marion Jones

When people think about stylish home decor and decorating their residence, whether it be one or two rooms or the entire house, the first question that usually springs to mind is colour. Generally people choose colours they are fond of or those which correspond with pieces of their existing furniture. When looking for ideas for stylish home decor, one idea which is perhaps too often overlooked is decorating with the two basic colours (or shades, to be more accurate) " black and white.

Black and white, used in home decor shows style and creates drama and pizzazz. Top decorators say that every room in the house can benefit by using a touch of black. Black is a colour which anchors and grounds a room. Bringing sophistication, black is definitely a colour that demands attention. Stylish home decor ideas for a home using black may include accessories such as light fixtures, trim or furniture. Black serves to add definition to focal points in a room. Black is just one colour that stands out or makes a statement, but it is definitely one of the most outspoken!

Using black and white shades in your stylish home decor, lends a clean, fresh, elegant touch to the mood of the room. This combination can be added to any room in a home making it a sophisticated space. Black and white are often used in contemporary home decorating and often used to accent other colors in French Country design. It may be hard to conceptualize but there are many ideas for decorating a home using combinations of only these two basic shades.

The flooring is a great area to start when you're having living room decorating ideas. Black and white vinyl tiles laid alternately make a beautiful chessboard pattern and gives a clean and elegant appearance. Black marble used on the floor, accented by wide white skirting boards is another fantastic idea for decorating a home. Laying white ceramic tiles with a black border or simply painting the floor black or white and using pattern stencils of the opposite colour for decoration is also really stunning. These all are fantastic ideas for re-vamping a room.

Can you think of anything more perfect than white walls in the Mediterranean style? Painting the walls white or even an off-white, say smoke-white or apple-whitewould make an ideal background for decorations such as shelving framed in black. Great living room decorating ideas! Elegant black window surrounds or black shutters against a clean, crisp white wall would certainly create an aura of sophistication. Maybe a glass-topped table with a black iron rim and black chairs? These are terrific ideas for decorating a home using only black and white.

Imagine a bedroom decorated using only black and white - that would be lovely stylish home decor too. A black or white iron bed-stead, covered with a striped black and white duvet or eiderdown. The pillow cases could be either all black or all white and you could add throw cushions in the other colour.

A nice leather black or white armchair in the corner would definitely accent the living room decorating ideas. Then you could have the white walls with a sophisticated piece of artwork, framed in black, hanging on it. That would surely add to the modern feel of your living room decorating ideas. Black furniture against the stark white walls would look really neat and tidy and you could spruce it all up with accessories like pewter or silver candlesticks, jugs or vases.

If you think the living room decorating ideas need a bit more colour to complete the effect, maybe a throw or a cushion in a bold colour like red or gold on the chair in the corner of the room would be enough to highlight the room. There are many ways to decorate a home. However, finding the one that suits you and those who live with you is very important. It's nice to do something extreme and off-the-wall but remember you must be able to live with it for quite sometime.

About the Author:

No comments: