Black Walls: A Lasting Trend?

Kelley Interior Design

More than a decade ago, my cousin painted her small living room black. At the time, I was skeptical, but now it's perfectly clear that she was truly ahead of her time; indeed, in retrospect, those black walls with her black and white toile sofa was super chic).

In any case, black walls have been a growing trend in the design world for several years now and they don't appear to be going anywhere in 2011. I've been a bit slow in embracing this trend (despite my love of darker wall colors like plum, navy and peacock blue), but I can say now that I've fully come around. While I'm not sure how and if I'll work it into my home, I do enjoy coveting some of the amazing rooms that designers have created featuring black walls.

The large bedroom above is an absolute favorite of mine. What I find particularly striking is how light the room feels, despite the dark walls. A good tip for those looking to test out black walls but scared of making a room too dark: keep your ceiling, trim and your floors light. The accents of red in the room, inspired by the black grounded shell motif fabric used throughout the space keep the room from being too monochromatic. Much as I love black and white, I find a total lack of an accent color to be too hard to live with.

Windsor Smith

Black walls really highlight the detailed molding in this small office. The graphic effect is mimicked in the iron windows and wrought iron lantern. I particularly love how Windsor painted the ceiling in a glossy pale blue. It adds a touch of lightness to the space. Oh yeah, and how awesome is that flame stitch office chair?

Atlanta Decorator's Show House

Black is an obvious choice for a study, library or den, where a cozier, darker environment is a welcome respite from a day's worth of work and chores.

Sally Steponkus

If you want the graphic punch but are a bit afraid of feeling closed in, try just painting one wall. I'm not generally a fan of an accent wall, but I do think it works well in a bedroom (of course, you have to put your bed against said accent wall to pull this office!). Of course, the white bed frame and side tables against the dark wall makes the most of both. Remember: it's all about contrast!

Ruthie Sommers (via domino)

Tight spaces can sometimes really benefit from the black wall treatment. It may seem counter intuitive but dark walls can really create a feeling of more space as they recede in the background -- and can highlight other great features like a fun turquoise door or high ceilings.

Sherrill Canet

This dining room is an all-time favorite of mine. The black background of this gorgeous wallpaper modernizes classic Chinoiserie and the silver ceiling generate some serious drama. The more casual dining table and chairs keeps the room from feeling too stuffy. To paraphrase Mary Poppins: it's practically perfect in every way.

Image from Marie Claire Maison

A black bathroom, like a black kitchen, is a fun deviation from the standard white -- and I'd argue it's just as classic. Of course a black clawfoot tub is just the icing on the cake. One thing I don't like about this room though: those floors. That shade of green reminds me of the green marble that was oh so popular in the '80s. Yuck.

Jenna Lyons - Domino

Somehow, I feel like the Jenna Lyons spread in domino a few years ago was a major catalyst for the black wall craze that's been raging ever since. I'll admit that the black cast iron tub paired with the brass fixtures and herringbone wood floor still leaves me breathless.

Image via Metropolitan Home

I can describe this room in 3 words: Drama, drama, drama. This image appeared on Metropolitan Home's last book Glamour: Making it Modern and I can tell you that it was just about the sole reason I picked up a copy (yes, I did judge a book by its cover!).

Anne Coyle

Black walls are a great backdrop for artwork. Like white walls, they let the art do most of the talking, but unlike white walls, you won't feel like you're sleeping in a sterile art gallery.

Stephen Shubel

While I love a white kitchen, black cabinetry is definitely growing on me. Shubel did a nice job here of keeping the look monochromatic and graphic. The flatweave rug is very chic. I also like how he selected two different countertops. The black marble on the island creates a ton of drama, but the white marble on the cabinets behind tone things down and blend in seamlessly with the creamy walls.

Image via Canadian House and Home

Another black kitchen, this time from the 2010 Canadian House and Home designer show house. The mix of materials is great and I love the crisp white beadboard ceiling. The stone floor and kitchen table and chairs add a French bistro touch that nicely balances all that black and stainless steel.

Rob Southern (via House Beautiful)

Entryways and hallways are great opportunities to experiment with black walls without really having to live with it. These walls are actually covered in vinyl wallpaper, which I'd imagine would be more cost-effective and long-lasting than lacquered walls.

Image via House Beautiful

I like how this den feels less buttoned up than most black rooms. Instead of dramatic, it feels cozy -- but it's still sophisticated (as evidenced by that fabulous KWID fabric).

Steven Gambrel

This den feels at once incredibly masculine and incredibly dramatic. The liquid leather armchairs combined with the glossy black walls (and glossy marigold yellow ceiling!) are admittedly pretty over the top. And yet Gambrel manages to balance them with smart striped curtains and a softer, more beat up leather sofa and armchair.

So what do you think, are black walls a new classic or still just a passing trend?

To Mr. Drucker, a love letter

Dear Stephen:

When I heard last spring that you were leaving House Beautiful to take over (and make over) Town & Country, I'll admit I was a bit surprised -- and even more skeptical. Wasn't that just a step down? House Beautiful has long been my favorite interiors magazine. I anxiously await its arrival each month and, when it does finally arrive on my doorstep, I read it slowly, savoring every image, every word. Town & Country, on the other hand,...well, it started showing up at my house unannounced a few years ago and every now and then I'll flip through it, but I never would have paid for it.

T&C seemed to target a wealthy, high society, New York-centric audience that struck me as ridiculously dated. The magazine seemed more like an extended advertisement for this narrow lifestyle and rarely included any articles of substance. To be crass, I thought T&C sucked.

But then you came along and breathed new life it. You gave it a clearer voice and more substance. Who would have thought my favorite home of the year would be featured in T&C? I nearly gasped when I saw the feature on Miles Redd's Atlanta chateau. Not only was the home beautiful (and beautifully photographed), but the copy was entertaining and well written as well (yes, I always read the stories!).

So thanks for giving me another magazine to look forward to every month. And keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Averill at Odi et Amo

* * *

Okay, enough of the mushy, sycophantic stuff. Let's get on with the house ogling, shall we? The reason I love this house so much is because it's so quintessentially Miles (colorful, traditional with lots of chinoiserie touches, plenty of animal print, lots of lacquer), but with a good dose of Southern style and architecture thrown in for good measure.

Check out the gorgeousness that is this atrium. I love the classical architecture paired with the chinoiserie wallpaper and cheeky cheetah slipper chairs. There's something grand and yet playful and even cozy about this room that seems perfectly suited to the young family that lives here.

The living room's slate blue and orange rug really blows me away. What a wonderful color combination! It's bold and current, but also very livable, and I love it paired with the camel-colored furniture in particular. I also love the modern art paired with the more traditional furnishings and architecture.

Another shot of the living room. Isn't that dental molding incredible? I also like that they went for a softer, yellower white for the trim. It creates less of a contrast against the blue than a strong white would and it works beautifully with all the natural light flooding in from the large windows.

The Butler's pantry. Like a powder room, these small, infrequently used spaces are a great opportunity to really experiment and go all out. The ceiling of this space was inspired by the zodiac ceiling of Grand Central Station (my favorite spot in all of NYC, after the NYPL). The bold turquoise continues onto the cabinetry and even the marble. The hits of brass in the fixtures brings a warmth and contrast to all the blue that nickel fixtures never could.

For me the oxblood study very, very Miles. It actually reminds me of a room in my grandmother's house, which was painted out in a similar shade of red and with plenty of gilt (my grandmother loved gilt). The brass trim on the built-ins adds such a sense of luxury -- and lightness to the room.

When you're working with a strong color like this, I think it's best to follow Miles' lead and keep everything as monochromatic as possible. It keeps the room feeling more calm, despite the brilliant red walls. The real interest here comes in the plays of texture and subtle patterns. I'm particularly fond of the pairing of the paisley print sofa, with the ikat pillows. Because the scale of the sofa's print is so much smaller (and more subtle) than the bolder, larger ikat print, it really works beautifully.

What Southern bedroom is complete without monogrammed linens? And what Miles Redd bedroom is complete without wall-to-wall cheetah carpet? [Hint: the answer to both questions is "none".] Of course I love all the soft blues here, the coolness of which are cut by the tans and browns of the walls and carpet. But what I love most is how sumptuously this bed is dressed. The thick duvet, the velvet coronet and bedskirt (all trimmed out in satin). Yummy.

What I wouldn't give some days for my own closet -- let alone my own dressing room! And how soft underfoot must that patchwork pony-skin be. Sure, it's probably not especially practicable, but on a cool morning, fresh out of the shower, how luxurious it must feel on your bare feet. Another great detail here is the tray ceiling, which is wallpapered in a beautiful de Gournay print of trees and birds. I'd take this idea and put it in a bedroom: it'd be like looking up int a forest canopy every night before bed. Very peaceful.

The lady of house enjoys not only her own dressing room, but her own bath, luxuriously appointed in Carrera marble (naturally). Note how Redd painted the bathroom door to mimic the veining of the marble. Isn't that fun? The wallpaper and the fashion drawings are both so wonderfully feminine but the color palette of soft blue and tan ties it all in with the adjoining master bedroom.

If this is the kind of aspirational living that the "new" Town & Country is intent on giving its readers, then I say "yes, please, and more!". After all, who couldn't use a little more fantasy material?

All images courtesy of Town & Country and via The Love List.

I want more Shade

I thought I'd leave you this weekend with some images of the very, very cool Harlem home of designer Roderick N. Shade. Shade's home is the kind of place that makes me want to know the owner/designer -- after all, any man who can embrace fuchsia like Shade did (or who even has a name like Shade!) must be fabulous.

Shade's tiny 550 square-foot apartment was featured in this month's Architectural Digest and I think it might be the first spread in AD that I've actually been inspired by. [Every month when my AD arrives, I'm typically just reminded how inadequate it is as a replacement for domino and do little more than half-heartedly flip through it before putting it in the recycling bin.] By sticking to a (hopelessly hip) color palette of khaki, white and fuchsia throughout the tiny apartment, Shade creates a sense of cohesion and increases the visual space as each room flows seamlessly into the next. I also love how he was able to take a tiny, cramped, poorly lit hallway and make a real showstopper out of it. In many ways, it's my favorite part of the apartment.

Many of the furnishings were repurposed flea market (and even dumpster!) finds. It just goes to show you what a little paint and fabric can do. Suddenly a seen-better-days chair is the highlight of the entire room. I also think one of the keys to the success of this space is that all the furniture is appropriately sized for a small room -- there's no big, monstrous sectional taking up all the visual (and literal) space. I also like that by keeping all the furniture low to the ground, the room appears taller, and thus larger.

With the metallic sheen on the fabrics, plush pink carpeting and matching floor-to-ceiling drapes, this room evokes a hip downtown lounge vibe that makes me want to kick of my heels, grab a cocktail (or two) and kick back

Like Beth over at Chinoiserie Chic, I love the idea of using a screen as a headboard and this pink one is a real show stopper. With a little paint and ingenuity, Shade created a wonderful fuchsia trompe l'oeil ceiling medallion around a simple and inexpensive Japanese paper lantern and I think it really makes the room. I also love the white bedding with the pink and chocolate brown stripes -- I wonder if Shade made these himself or bought them as-is?

All told, Shade spent just under $23,000 to completely gut, renovate and furnish his home. Shade's website (currently under construction) promises potential clients that they will "experience world-class design that's astonishingly affordable and joyously collaborative". If his own home is any indication, I have little doubt that Shade will deliver on this promise.

A Loft Fit for a King

While unarguably little more than a brilliant marketing tool, Metropolitan Home's Showtime House is nevertheless a whole lot of fun -- and not just for those who are fans of Showtime's many original TV series. The two Tribeca penthouses totaling approximately 14,000 are a wonderful opportunity to see top designer's like Kara Mann, Michael Berman and Susannah Drake at their most irreverent. Sure, interior design can be serious business, but the Showtime House shows that even the best in the biz can let lose and have a little fun. As a lifelong Anglophile, I'd love to have a gorgeous linen chair hand painted with Henry's portrait and studded with crystals. Talk about a conversation piece.

The two penthouses focus on six of Showtime's most popular shows: Dexter, United States of Tara, Californication, Weeds, Nurse Jackie and The Tudors. With the exception of Nurse Jackie (which I simply haven't gotten around to watching), all of these shows are perennial favorites at the Conn house. The rooms inspired by The Tudors though, are my favorites of this year's bunch. Decorated by Richard Mishaan, Piero Lissoni and Nicoletta Canesi, these rooms are a lighthearted blend of 16th century motifs and twenty first century style and technology. One of my favorite examples is the dining room, which features six traditional side chairs, each one silk screened with one of the six wives of Henry VIII. Note that the chair with Anne Boleyn's image (center) is dripping with what looks like blood.

The dining room is awash in King Henry himself -- but then again, wouldn't an egomaniac like Henry want to be surrounded by his own image?

I love the gilt border on the walls of the sitting room, whose lettering and style are dead ringers for 16th and 17th century decoration still visible in many churches and palaces around England. The spare line drawings above the fireplace recall the Tudor Rose, the heraldic emblem of the Tudor family and a symbol of dynastic unity following the defeat of Richard III by Henry Tudor (Henry VIII's father) in the War of the Roses.

The sitting room is a wonderful blend of Elizabethan and modern. Here, artwork resembling Rose windows hang on one wall. On the floor, the circular motif is continued in the graphic and thoroughly modern rug. A gray sofa with modern lines is juxtaposed with traditional damask pillows.

I love the masculine color combination of gray, gold, black and red that the designers used in the sitting room. While all of these colors might have been seen in the King's quarters at the Palace of Whitehall, they have a fresh and modern feel as well that suites the downtown loft. The nude torsos on the console table are a not-so-subtle nod to Henry's lascivious nature.

Like the dining room, the rooftop terrace features more silk screened images of Henry's ill fated wives. Groupings of white pillar candles recall the candlelight that the Tudor family would have had to rely on for light.

Doesn't this look like a great place to have a party? The view alone (especially at dusk as photographed here) is worth the price of admission. That said though, I love the idea of one giant outdoor sofa for lounging, intimate chats and even a little courtly intrigue.

Be sure to check out the other rooms inspired by Showtime's other shows here and let me know which is your favorite.

Photographs courtesy of Metropolitan Home.

Looking North for Inspiration

I have a digital subscription to Canadian House and Home and while "flipping" through it yesterday evening while Dave watched Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals [I lost most of my interest in pro-basketball in the late '90s after the retirements of Olajuwon and Drexler], I spotted the outside of this bungalow in the June issue's "before and after feature" (this picture, of course, being the "after"). I don't know about you, but the gray walls, sunny yellow door (which was painted in Lemon from Benjamin Moore) and artfully manicured topiaries had me at "hello" -- and left me wanting more. Fortunately, H&H's website included a gallery featuring a tour of the interior of the home (see HERE) and it definitely matches up to the expectations of the exterior.

The 900sf. bungalow belongs to H&H designer Emily Walker and her partner Mark Holden. Despite its diminutive size, the home looks much larger than it is thanks to a tight color palette and furniture and accessories sized to work with the small rooms. The color palette is captured in the framed Donghia fabrics above the sofa in the living room, which are so striking against the Cloud White (again from Benjamin Moore) walls.

Emily stuck to a rigid color palette of gray, purple, yellow and white throughout the house, but kept things interesting by featuring a different color in each room as the primary color. Thus, while the living room draws its color from yellow and purple accessories and art, the dining room features a dusty purple accent wall (in BM's Nightfall) with smaller hits of lemon yellow on the chairs. A glossy white table and over sized white paper lantern keeps the room from being too overwhelmed by the color and provides some necessary contrast.

Although petite, this galley-style kitchen is big on style with the Madeline Weinrib zig zag rug in steel (love!), black Eames bird, graphic art, and modern light fixture. I also love how the exposed shelving allows functional items like glasses and dishware to become artistic displays. By sticking with simple and modern black and white pieces, the grouping looks well curated and decorative rather than messy and purely functional.

The mix of high and low, old and new in this house is also really inspiring. In the bedroom, Emily paired a gorgeous Madeline Weinrib black & white endless rug with IKEA side tables and drapes and over sized vintage lamps. I also love dark walls in a bedroom and the gray here is gorgeous, especially when paired with white bedding and drapes, as shown here.

The small bathroom is given a jolt of sunshine with graphic wallpaper and colorful art. Simple and classic white fixtures keep you from going on color overload.

You've read me wax on about my fondness for Canadian House & Home in previous posts, but with the magazine's newly relaunched website, my fondness may have escalated to full-on obsession. If you're looking for a replacement for all those wonderful domino inspiration galleries that have disappeared into cyberspace (where do they go, anyway?), I'd highly suggest giving Canadian House & Home's website a closer look.

Since I love Emily's grey, white, yellow and plum color palette so much, I thought I'd pull together a few of my favorite finds that could help you get the look yourself:

Clockwise, from top left:

1. Trollsta Side table in yellow from IKEA, $79

2. Velvet cushion with yellow pom pom from Castle, $39 AUD
3. Ventura pillow in plum from Crate&Barrel, $39.95

4. Gray Trellis pillow cover from Nenavon at Etsy, $35

5. Ava's Chair in black, $799, upholstered in Cranston Purple, $37.99/yard, both from Calico Corners

6. Peri Comforter set from BlissLiving, $325 - $375

7. Small longneck vases from CB2, $2.95-$3.95

8. Thomas Paul feather wool rug from 2Modern, $270-$1466

9. Bird vases from Target, $19.99 each

10. Parsons dining table from West Elm, $399

11. Whittier lamp from Jonathan Adler, $395

Magazine Review: Country Living

As is probably abundantly evident by my blog, I do not have what could be termed a "country" or even Shabby Chic aesthetic. Generally speaking, I dislike doilies, lace and calico and I think gingham is far better suited to fourth of July picnic tables than in my own home. And yet, after reading numerous bloggers like Erin at Elements of Style and Erika at Urban Grace raving over the "new" Country Living, I decided I had to give it a spin myself.

Fortunately for me, the newly revamped CL is not what I would generally describe as "country" -- there's a refreshing lack of barnyard decor (like the dreaded rooster-in-kitchen) and the aesthetic is far more chic than grandma. Instead, I would describe it as "modern cottage". For those of you sorely missing Cottage Living, it's really a great replacement. If, however, you dislike a more cluttered, vintage aesthetic in favor of a more streamlined, modern one, then you can probably guess that this magazine is not for you.

Overall, I really like how the magazine is laid out -- and I think the magazine industry could learn a lot from CL, with its focus on affordable style, a DIY-attitude and the use of accessible sources. Sound a lot like the old domino? Style aesthetic aside, it is. Of all the U.S. home decor publications today, this magazine comes the closest to replicating the spirit (though perhaps not the eye) of domino.

One of my favorite elements is that CL ends each house tour with a one-page spread on translating the look to your own home (which typically means highlighting key pieces and accessories and where you can purchase similar items). Each issue of CL also includes spreads on various trends and key pieces, both of which often appeared in our dearly departed domino on a regular basis. I wish more American magazines would pick up on both of these story-types. I find it odd that two major foreign publications -- Canadian House and Home and LivingEtc -- run these types of articles regularly, but no (current) U.S. publication featuring modern/contemporary decor does. Hopefully House Beautiful and Metropolitan Home will get with the program and start creating similar features. CL also includes regular recipe features as well as crafting and DIY projects and while the crafting/DIY skews a little too cutesy for my taste, their recipes definitely suit my Southern palette.

My major complaint -- and I recognize the absurdity in what I'm about to say here -- is that Country Living is just too country sometimes. For example, the May issue featured an entire spread devoted to gingham and included a story on the history of canning. These are not stories that a Houstonian can relate to. Having said that though, many of the homes featured are lovely. Page after page of old and beautifully restored cottages allow the escapist in me to long for the "simple life" complete with white picket fence and a crumbling barn out back. The magazine also features items that could easily translate to different types of decor, from contemporary to French provincial, and turned me on to some sources like Mothology, which sells these amazing storage totes, made from recycled Bordeaux sacks:

At $16 for a small and $24 for a large, these are priced at or below many other wicker or fabric storage baskets and have a lot more character to boot. I'd use the larger one to store towels (as pictured here) and the smaller one to store lots of gorgeous French olive oil soap.

Has anyone else picked up Country Living lately? If so, what did you think?

All photographs from Country Living.