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Black modern living room


Inspiring ways to decorate with black |

Daring and decadent, black living room ideas can be difficult to get right, but once mastered, they can add an elegant confidence to your space like no other color.

A black decorating scheme is a brave choice, as it requires careful editing and a strong design eye. 

Darker living room paint ideas can also appear ‘flat’ if you don’t introduce texture and subtle tonal variety. But put together carefully, black schemes are a great way to add drama and style.

Black living room ideas

Whether you're keen to make a stylish statement or you simply want to add a touch of drama to enhance your space, we've gathered the best black living room ideas for you.

1. Wow with a black and white wallpaper

(Image credit: Lisa Cohen / Future)

Wallpaper is a wonderful way to add color, pattern and interest to your interiors. Whether you have a snug, or a tiny home with a smaller, darker living room, you can add serious impact with the right wallpaper ideas.

When selecting a wallpaper for a living room, it’s important to consider how often you will be in the space. You don’t want a pattern that will overwhelm, or a color that you will get quickly tired of. This is where black and white living room color schemes can really come into their own. Opt for a pretty pictorial print to make a real style statement.

2. Take it to the floor

(Image credit: Paul Raeside / Future)

Recreate the refined elegance of grand Parisian apartments by combining muted gray living room ideas with white accents and black flooring.

Walls painted a soft grey provide a sophisticated backdrop for this scheme, which artfully balances the black floorboards and white fireplace surround. Blocks of bold color, in the form of an armchair and artwork, add interest and personality to the modern look.

3. Get the balance right in a black living room

(Image credit: James Merrell / Future)

When deciding on your living room paint colors, go for a neutral base. Treat black as an accent color in a white living room, for example, to add definition, structure and a sophisticated edge to your space. Stick to black flooring, lighting and accessories only to stop it feeling too dominant. 

'If painting your walls feels a step too far, consider painting all your woodwork, including doors, architraves, and windows in black instead, says Patrick O’Donnell, Farrow & Ball's brand ambassador. 'Dark woodwork will frame walls beautifully and is an incredibly sophisticated compromise.'

4. Use black to create a cocooning scheme

(Image credit: Neptune)

Be brave and use black on all four walls – even the skirting. Including the woodwork will elongate your wall height and draw less attention than the sharp contrast of a traditional white trim. 

'Whilst dark colors tend to advance (close in), black has the magical quality of infinity, which means you are less aware of room proportions,' explains O’Donnell. 

If going for an all-over black color scheme is just too daunting, then a deep blue living room color scheme will have a similar effect.

5. Go for an all-over black – even on the ceiling

(Image credit: Frenchie Cristogatin / Future)

Decorating with an all-over black decorating scheme requires an element of bravery, but get it right and your space will reward you. Painting your living room (including the ceiling) black is a brilliant way to create a cocooning space that is sharp yet cozy.

By incorporating contrasting colors – such as vivid pink and acid green – a dark living room will look all the more striking.

6. Layer a black living room with texture

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

A black and white decorating scheme is a brave choice, as it requires a strong design eye. Take inspiration from Scandinavian design philosophy by introducing layers of textural elements. 

Tone and texture are vital components in getting this look right – remember that the most successful monochrome interiors combine movement and depth with tactile pieces to create an interesting narrative.  

7. Contrast classic with contemporary

(Image credit: Studio McGee)

Monochrome interiors can work especially well in period homes, where a one-tone canvas serves to highlight and complement original features. A contemporary combination of walls and black paintwork, mixed with traditional fixtures and furniture means this predominantly black living room by Studio McGee has a clean, up-to-date feel that will continue to look stylish for years to come. 

8. Keep the room simple and symmetrical 

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

A black or gray color palette works best when you keep the room simple – and the arrangements orderly. Symmetry is an interior design trick used to create smart-looking rooms, and it's especially useful when looking for small living room ideas. 

Get symmetry right in a black living room and you can create a sense of harmony – and make your space feel bigger and tidier.

9. Punctuate a black living room with yellow

(Image credit: Future / Lisa Cohen)

Yellow’s reputation as a fresh and lively sunny color means it is often overlooked in living rooms, but when paired with black it is a combination that really sings out in a contemporary setting.

Yellow living room ideas inspire optimism, creating a summery feel; team it with charcoal and black for modern look. This color is fantastic when mixed with crisp white or warm wood furniture: this spectrum of sunny shades look great with an additional contrast color such as gray, black or duck egg blue.

10. Create a serene Scandinavian feel

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

'Black can be an incredibly glamorous and sophisticated choice for a living room,' says Patrick O’Donnell, Farrow & Ball's brand ambassador. 'Something as dark as this can create a cozy and intimate space through to full-blown elegance. 

'It is ideal if your room is starved of natural light, as it will lend itself to the disadvantages of aspect.'

If an all-black scheme is too daunting, then incorporating neutral living room ideas such as blonde wood is a brilliant way to stop a black-and-white scheme from looking too clinical – and in fact, can create that serene Scandinavian finish that is so enduringly popular.

What colors go with a black living room?

The beautiful of a black living room color scheme is that it will go with just about any other color. Decorating with black gives you the blank canvas you need to add in either splashes of bright color, warmth with natural materials, such as wood, or texture in rugs, throws and other textiles. 

16 black living room ideas to tempt you over to the dark side

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In case you haven't noticed, black living rooms are having a moment. If the thought of a black room makes you think of dreary and gloomy basements or dark and dingy unused rooms, you're probably not alone. But you are, in our opinion, wrong. Decorate with black the right way, and you could have a space filled with drama, confidence, sophistication and elegance.  And it can be cozy, too, by the way.

Whether you're keen to make a statement or you simply need a touch of drama to enhance your space, we've gathered the best black living room design ideas for incorporating this daring shade into your living room. 

(Image credit: Rachael Smith)

See, straight away you can see black living rooms don't always have to be dark and dramatic spaces (although we do have lots of those coming up). This space is light and bright, but still has that statement black wall that works as the perfect  backdrop   for all the lime greens and pale yellows going on in this room. 

2. Go all out with one hue 

(Image credit: Neptune)

But if you are here for the proper gothic, all black living rooms, this space will be right up your street. We love the really cohesive look here with the uninterrupted walls of black and the perfectly matching furniture.  

And don't be scared to go with this look if you live in a smaller space. Going all black can actually make a room feel bigger, as we have said many a a time it can blurs to edges of the room, creating the allusion it's larger. 

3. Add warmth to a monochrome scheme

(Image credit: Crown)

We all know black works with white, but a monochrome colorscheme can sometimes feel a bit cold. We personally always want our living rooms to feel warm and inviting, so to soften up a black and white theme just be sure to add in some wooden accents with your furniture and decor. The cabinet and the log pile in this living room may seem like small elements but they give this very elegant space a slight rustic edge.

4. Paint your floorboards black

(Image credit: Malcolm Menzies)

If you have been blessed with wooden floorboards, why not get out the paintbrush this weekend and transform them with some black paint. Firstly, it looks really cool and secondly, how practical would it be to have a black floor? That's going to hide a whole load of sins. You can add in some cozy vibes with a rug and link the black to the rest of the room with cushions and prints.

5. Use black to make colors pop

(Image credit: Katie Lee © Future)

Nothing makes a color pop like a black backdrop. So if you love vibrant hues, consider painting your walls black to make those colors stand out even more. Adding a gallery wall, or a cool mirror wall like you see here will break up the black too and make it seem less dominating in the space. 

6. Break the rules and pair black with brown 

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

Traditionally, black and brown have been a no go, but actually they work really well together if done right. A deep charcoal can often make a room feel quote cold, and introducing some brown in the form of cute leather furniture can warm up the space and give it more of a cocooning vibe. 

7. Go for dark walls but keep your ceilings bright 

(Image credit: Kate Watson Smyth and Purplebricks)

If you want to dabble in the dark side but not ready to paint every surface in your living room black, painting up to a picture rail (or a fake picture rail) will add the drama but not the darkness. Keep the tops of your walls and ceiling a bright clean white. Also, note in this room how the look has been warmed with the pink-tinged cushions and rugs – love it. 

8. Pick a dark grey for a softer look 

(Image credit: Carpetright)

A true black can look a bit harsh, especially if the lighting the room isn't quite right so opt for softer greys in rooms that lack light. We love the vibe of this room, it's quite dramatic with all four walls and the ceiling painted, but it's also feel very cozy too, like a contemporary farmhouse feel. The mix of stark black decor and contrast of the soft linen finish of the chairs create the perfect balance. 

9. Pick striking contemporary furniture for a black living room

(Image credit: Annie Sloan )

But maybe you want those quite dramatic, contemporary vibes in your living room. In that case you can keep the furniture very sculptural and slimline and enhance the drama of a dark space. The Mid-century modern furniture works so well in this minimal space and creates a really quirky contrast with the traditional design of the room.

Another top tip that can be taken from this black living room – keep the floors light. If you have wooden floorboards either strip them back to a very light wood or try painting them in a lighter, softer grey. We have loads of tips on painting floorboards so check that out first. 

10. Create stark contrasts with black living room walls and pops of color

(Image credit: Dan Duchars/The Contented Nest)

Just as black mascara makes your eye color pop, black walls and floors make other colors in your space pop, too. Using black on all your surfaces creates a deep and solid background from which bright colors can take center stage and create real impact. A bright orange statement light in this living room creates a striking contrast and brings warmth to the scheme.

11. Choose deep and mysterious black floral wallpaper

(Image credit: Carpetright)

There's something quite mystical about black floral wallpaper, especially when combined with jewel colors and shiny metallics. A dark background elevates soft and pale flowers. The perfect choice for a cozy and inviting living room to snuggle into at the end of the day. 

12. Bring grandeur to a black living room with elegant chandeliers

(Image credit: Neptune)

Accenting black against white is a great way of highlighting architectural details. Here the recesses are transformed into monochrome masterpieces, where perfect symmetry keeps the room's feng shui en pointe. Add elegance and femininity with a statement chandelier for a room fit for entertaining. 

(Image credit: Kasia Fiszer)

Black has grounding qualities, being relaxing for the eye. If you want to ground your space and add a feeling of depth without overwhelming your room with a block of dark color, introduce black using pattern. Be it patterned curtains, a rug, or monochrome print tiles like this.

14. Paint sections of living room walls black

(Image credit: Katie Lee)

If you're just not ready to let go of your light, white and airy scheme but still want in with the black living room trend, create definition and contrast by painting the bottom half of your wall black. A small yet mighty twist to the standard white wall which instantly enhances your space. 

15. Embrace industrial style 

(Image credit: IKEA)

Industrial style is a trend that isn't going anywhere any time soon. Whether it's painted wood or black metal, bringing in black with warehouse-style furniture is a simple way to create the look. Choose glass designs to allow light to pass through and warm up the look with soft brown leather.  

(Image credit: Paul Craig)

Bring in a hint of black to your living room with accent furniture. That old wooden side board that's been in the corner of your room for decades?  Give it a new lease of gothic life by painting it black and then tie it in with some monochrome prints.

What colors go best with a black living room?

The best colors to add to your black living room really just depends on the vibe you want to create. Bold colors like pinks, greens and yellow will really pop against the black so if you want a more statement look choice throw cushions and prints in these more vivid hues.

Black also lends it's to neutrals too, so cream, white and grey. If you want a more toned-down look, this would be the color palette to go for. Layer up the textures too to get all those cozy vibes. 

Black living room: interior features and recommendations 0 Comments

The bold interior of the black living room is the choice of those who are ready to change their prejudices. It is believed that this shade carries a depressive mood. Black color is associated with gothic, horror, but in fact it is a very deep, luxurious color. Experienced designers claim that real miracles can be created with this shade, creating solemn, elegant interiors.

In Japan, black is a symbol of life experience, nobility. It brings kindness, shows morality, purity of a person. In African countries, color speaks of hard work. For many architects, designers, black is an opportunity to show the beauty of the interior of Jadot, Duisen, Diran.

Features black

Each person has their own association with black. Some represent boundless outer space, while others represent luxury, wealth, minimalism.

In terms of projects, black is always thought out more carefully when choosing stains. It helps to create the effect of the disappearance of space, expanding it and hiding the boundaries. Even black ceilings do not have the oppressive effect that is expected.


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Light in the dark

When decorating a living room in black tones, you should be careful with choosing the shade of the floor. On a dark background, dirt is clearly visible, especially if it is a wooden floor. It is best to use aged stone materials in a black living room. The heterogeneity of the texture will allow the floor to always look clean, have a completely decent look.

Thinking through the design, it is worth paying attention to warmth, good lighting. Otherwise, the room will be too cold and dark.

Neutral shades help to dilute black. They help to give accuracy to the design, balance it, getting rid of excess gloom, congestion.

Advantages black

Using black helps to highlight other elements. To show the beauty of the metal, its brilliance, it is recommended to use black wallpaper for wall decoration. This combination of Art Deco style is the perfect solution, emphasizing the integrity, richness. The warmer tone of the metal helps soften the aggression of the dark.


Ways to bring a room to life

No matter what they say, the black room will always remain lifeless. In order to somehow revive it, it is necessary to use different materials, textures. Glass, plastic elements, metal are suitable for this. Textiles help add warmth. Stone and glossy furniture will help to add charm, and a stretch ceiling will increase the space.

Mirrors are used to enhance the depth of space. Mirror tiles are placed on one of the walls, and the other, located opposite, is made completely black.

Suitable for revitalizing prints. They can be classical or geometric. Good for abstractions. You can try to combine different ornaments.

Special recommendations

When creating a black interior, you should not focus on one color. To create a stylistic unity, contrasting objects are selected. Prints are used to soften transitions. The main rule is to use no more than three tones.

If you wish, you can create a contrast between the color of the furniture and the walls. It is important to consider the style in which the room is decorated. If this is a loft, which involves focusing on a brick wall, then the furniture is selected from leather. Embossed textiles look good against the background of smooth walls.

When experimenting with decor, the main thing is not to overdo it. An excess of such elements is much worse than their deficiency. In a black living room, understatement is better. Any doubt regarding the chosen subject must be resolved with a refusal. Better look for something else.


What to wear with black

When decorating a room, it is important to consider the combination of colors. White and black is a classic. Some find this decision annoying, while others believe that it is an energetic decision. In a black and white interior, there may be a chess pattern, stripes, a cage.

Usually in such rooms they make a light floor. Although there are options that combine light walls and a black ceiling.

If you want to add red, you should be especially careful about choosing a shade. It should not be flashy, otherwise, instead of a passionate and romantic design, you will get an aggressive room that will constantly annoy. You can complement the red-black room with beige, white.

Shades of noble metals are beautifully revealed: silver, gold. They are able to create stylish combinations, giving the living room "luxury".

How not to fall into darkness

Usually a black shade is diluted with light tones. Most often used in combination with white. However, in recent years, such a decision has been perceived negatively. And then the designers came to the decision to use cream shades for dilution.

A black living room will be combined with other colors in different ways, depending on the proportions. The more dark the color, the more dramatic the room will be. Do not use black with brown, purple, dark shades of green. Such combinations make the room lifeless, empty. But replacing them with lighter shades will help fill it with new meaning. It can be light green, coffee or lavender. A bad decision is the use of yellow, orange, red. They will bring aggression.

Having decided to decorate the living room in black, it is worth considering the lighting. The room should have a maximum of natural light, large window openings. Be sure to consider artificial lighting. LED lighting is laid along the perimeter of the ceiling or floor. There should be enough light in the room: chandeliers, spotlights.


Black living room addition

To expand the space, create bottomlessness, use a black glossy ceiling. It symbolizes infinity, showing its dominance in the interior. Such a ceiling combines all the elements into a single structure. Even in a small room, such a ceiling will look perfect, but to enhance the effect, it is recommended to add built-in lighting.

Not everyone decides to make a completely black room, but use this color to decorate one wall. In this case, wallpaper with a relief pattern, silver is used. Matte paint can be used for finishing. Against the background of a black wall, interior items look especially advantageous.

The most daring decision is the black floor. He is able to make a fulcrum for everything that is planned to be placed in the room. A room with a black floor does not seem so empty, and the furniture looks spectacular. The black floor fits perfectly into any environment.

When choosing a black floor, as a rule, the walls are left light. To complement the interior, they are trimmed with a strip.

A good solution is to use black furniture. Once upon a time, only emperors could install it in their palaces, but today it is available to everyone. Leather sofa models are ideally combined with white walls, and textile options with beige. When planning to acquire furniture of this color, the walls are made neutral. Black furniture looks perfect on any background.

Well complements the interior, which uses a modular storage system. Ideally, it brings space, although it requires the support of light shades.

If you are not ready to radically change the room, then you should start small, adding black objects to the room, changing the furniture.

Black living room - 115 photos of the best ideas in the interior of a monochrome living room

Do you like non-standard interior solutions? Then the black living room will be an ideal option for you, giving the interior sophistication, elegance and nobility, as well as emphasizing the excellent taste of the owners.

The combination of black with almost the entire color palette helps to get away from the gloomy oppressive atmosphere of the main range and create original black living room interior designs.

Content of the article:

How to properly decorate the walls

Wallpapering or painting the walls black can radically change the living room.

It helps to create a sophisticated, charming atmosphere and connects the decorative details of various historical times, while giving the interior a touch of modernity.

The decision to make the walls black is acceptable if there are contrasting pieces of furniture or by competently balancing different color combinations.

This approach will visually stretch the perimeter of the room.

For wall painting, it is better to use glossy paint, which is a good reflector and can give an additional effect to a dark interior.

Designers recommend covering not all walls, but only the main one. It is recommended to combine it with dark-colored furniture and similar decorative elements with the presence of contrasting gold, white, silver shades.

The rest of the walls are recommended to be painted in light pastel colors with the obligatory use of black overlaid convex planks to unify the space.

When wallpapering your walls, choose dark colors with raised floral designs to add texture to your walls.

If you want to lengthen the space, choose wallpaper with vertical stripes, and vice versa - horizontal lines on the wallpaper will visually expand the room.

The original choice will be black liquid wallpaper, which leaves no seams and improves sound insulation.

Black living room ceiling decoration

A white ceiling will be the standard solution. But if you decide to experiment and add mystery to the interior, opt for a black glossy ceiling finish.

Shading better with white beams, and it will certainly be combined with dark decorative details and visually make the walls shorter without reducing the overall space.

Combine dark walls and ceiling to create a sense of height and make boundaries invisible.

Due to this, it becomes possible to increase the space and make the interior dramatic and mysterious.

A creative solution will be the principle of "double echo" - a combination of black floor and ceiling, it will be interesting to harmonize with black and white wallpaper decorated with monograms on the walls.

Furniture selection

A pre-designed scheme for arranging the situation will help to correctly arrange the pieces of furniture in the living room.

If it is black, then it is better to intersperse bright shades into the interior, choosing combinations of colors that give a certain lightness to the room.

If only one wall is painted in a similar range, then furniture for relaxation should be placed against it or to create balance - opposite.

Black laminate flooring is usually adorned with a contrasting color carpet. Suitable white-yellow, purple or lime shades.

A black living room should let in as much light as possible. This can be done with light curtains.

Gray and ash walls are a great backdrop for dark furniture and allow you to focus on it.

The main thing in the black interior of the living room is balance and predominance. The main part of the furniture and decor should be dark. Balancing color schemes is recommended to give cheerfulness and style to the design.

Color Combinations

Luxuriousness, grace and sophistication of such a living room will add dilution with a bold contrasting color.

The following color combinations are popular:

Classic black and white in the interior of the living room

A classic of the genre is the choice of black and white interior for the living room. The versatility of the combination of tones allows you to create soft, expressive and dynamic designs, the main design rule of which will be a reasonable distribution of colors.

Designers insist on the predominance of one of the colors. The choice of primary color is a purely personal decision.

The predominance of black color in the living room helps to create a cozy corner, conducive to privacy in the family circle.

In small rooms, it is better to choose white as the main color, visually increasing the area and compensating for the lack of light.

This living room will be the epitome of perfect cleanliness and freshness. Designers recommend diluting the black and white range with bright color accents.

When choosing furniture for a black and white living room, remember that it should be in contrast with the color of the walls and floor. White furniture will add grandeur to the black living room, make the interior spacious and rich.

Furniture in natural wood shades looks good in a black and white interior.

Modern designers manage to combine old and new design trends. The trendy stylized interior combines classic pieces with modern technical equipment.

Decoration and lighting of the room

Properly selected decorative elements can add richness to a dark interior. First of all, curtains and various accessories.

An atmosphere of softness and comfort will be given by bright curtains, pillows on the sofa; black shades will bring impressiveness. Fabrics should have a slight sheen. You can experiment with different materials for curtains and furniture.

Designers advise making the most of lighting fixtures in a black interior. The choice of lampshades of different colors will fill the room with multi-colored highlights.

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