By Contributing Author
One thing 2020 has illustrated to us quite clearly is which rooms in our home need a bit of a makeover. After spending so much time in our living rooms, family rooms, and home offices, we now see the outdated paint colors and furniture that has seen better days more clearly than ever before.
If you’ve recently decided enough is enough with your no-longer-stylish living room, tackle a DIY room makeover with a focus on adding a black and white décor theme.
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Consider the following tips to create a gorgeous new black and white living room that looks amazing instead of austere:
1. Add Pops of Color
When choosing new furniture, paint, accessories, artwork, and more for a black and white room, know that you don’t have to use only these two colors. Pops of bright color here and there will help make the room look less severe. When selecting which additional hue to add, look for inspiration from the black and white artwork you’ve already selected for the walls. For instance, these fine art pairs of “Ink Bridges” and “Watermelons” could inspire you to add a couple of bright pink throw cushions to the couch or a throw rug that mimics the color of a perfectly ripened watermelon. If you prefer pastel tones, that’s fine, too: light pink cushions or a muted yellow rug will also work.
2. Include a Touch of Gray
Black and white rooms look and function well on their own, but adding a mix of gray to the walls can make any room look extra luxurious. Ideas include a gray-patterned wallpaper for the living room. You can do the entire living room or perhaps an accent wall behind the entertainment center or couch. Or, you could also paint the walls stark white, treat yourself to some comfortable new furniture upholstered in steel gray, and pick out a stylish coffee table painted in matte black.
3. Counteract the Severe Tones with Softness
As another effective way to create a black and white room that’s warm and welcoming rather than cold and sterile, be sure to select plenty of soft-textured items. This can be in the form of billowing white curtains at the windows, a fluffy rug that you and Fido both will want to sit on and other comfortable pieces of furniture and accessories. Touches from Mother Nature will also help to figuratively soften the room; for instance, a piece of gray driftwood from a recent trip to the beach and/or cheerful daisies in a white vase will work wonders.
4. Know Prints are Your Pal
Bold, eye-catching prints are also a great way to make a black and white room look homey and inviting. For instance, a couple of black and white floral-printed easy chairs will nicely complement your snow-white sofa. You can also go with a rug with a black and white plaid pattern or zebra stripes. One word of caution: Don’t overdo the patterns and prints too much; otherwise, the room will look too busy and overwhelming.
Enjoy Your New Space
You definitely deserve a great-looking new living room, and, as you can see, a black and white theme can make quite a big statement. By avoiding an all-or-nothing approach to these two yin and yang colors and adding in softness, patterns, prints and pops of color, your updated living room will likely become one of your favorite spaces in the house.
