Not-So-Basic Black And White: 10 Top Designers Create Magical Spaces With The Classic Combo
There’s no denying that black and white interiors pack a visual punch. Strong contrasting elements, crisp definition of forms, and the dramatic push-pull of light and shadow all create the basis for a dynamic experience. The look is timeless, harking back to classic black-and-white Roman mosaic floors, while also evoking modern minimalism. Black and white interiors require a deft hand with pacing, to avoid monotony, and bold, brilliant choices for accessories, art, and textiles, with special attention to texture, which naturally becomes a marquee player in pared-down color palettes. Attention to balance is of paramount importance, because positive and negative space are defined with intense clarity. Striking or serene, layered or pristine, these rooms by 10 top interior designers are united by their chic appeal.
Suzanne Lovell Inc.’s Acanthus Award-winning restoration and modernization of a 1923 apartment by leading Chicago architect Howard von Doren Shaw includes this stunning and dramatic library. The original English oak millwork was ebonized to match the circa-1912 Dagobert Peche large scale, cubic-form ebonized walnut bergéres, inlaid with Bakelite and produced for the Austrian Villa of Toscana Gmunden; acquired from Bernd Goeckler. The sofa was designed after an example by Josef Hoffmann at Palais Stoclet in Brussels. A circa-1920 gray and white striated marble coffee table on scrolling bronze support is by Edgar Brandt, above which hangs a circa-1940s Venini & Co“diamante” textured glass pendant; both were acquired from Bernd Goeckler. Suzanne Lovell Inc., with Orley Shabahang, designed the black and taupe silk custom carpet after eminent French Art Deco designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. The narwhal tusks that flank the fireplace were acquired by the clients during one of their trips abroad.
By Marianne Litty
Photo by Eric Piasecki