Black and white rooms go in and out of fashion, and they’re coming back in now (thank you, Kelly Wearstler). But they’re hard to pull off in real life – in rooms you actually want to spend time in – because the effect can be so sterile.
Pair black with rich creams and taupes and a room becomes sophisticated; put a bunch of brightly colored, patterned pillows on a white sofa against white walls and the room is lively and fresh. But black and white alone – or even with a single jolt of color – is dramatic but cold.
A very hip friend of mine (she designed the bossy color graphics, actually) is getting married next summer, and she’s decided that her wedding colors will be black, white, and eye-searing yellow. Now THAT’s cool.
Picture taken from interiordec.about.com.