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?

The Zhush goes to the Hamptons

I thought while I was away on vacation that it would be appropriate to ask a few of my favorite bloggers to come over to Odi et Amo and guest blog about their favorite vacation homes (real or imagined). Today Sue from The Zhush will be kicking things off with a fantasy guest home in The Hamptons courtesy of one of my all-time favorite designers Steven Gambrel. It's got to be just about the most sophisticated beach house I could ever imagine. Sue, you've got to promise me that if you ever do get to live out this fantasy that you will invite me over for a long weekend -- deal?

* * *

Hi! I'm Sue from The Zhush. I'm such a fan of Averill's blog! When Averill asked if I would do a guest post, while she was away, I was more than happy to oblige

(that is, once I got over my seething jealous rage over her fabulous vacation).

Fittingly, Averill chose vacation homes as the topic du jour,

and I knew exactly what my ideal vacation home would be!

Since I have a mild fear of flying, and since we already have a little ski condo,

I began to daydream about The Hamptons!

I can drive there from my home, I love the beach, and since its my daydream, I would have Steven Gambrel design the whole place.

Join me as I create the fantasy beach house of my dreams!

It would have a beautiful and comfortable family room...

(preferably with gorgeous Missoni-esque furniture and a giant t.v.).

I would need a lovely space to email and catch up on all my favorite blogs.

A beautiful cozy breakfast nook would be the perfect place to host

some lovely, relaxed beach brunches.

Even the beach can get chilly sometimes, it would be so nice

to cozy up by the fire and read here.

For more formal "Hampton" type events, this gracious living room

would suit me just fine.

This bar and butler's pantry would be the perfect place to mix

up some cocktails for friends dropping by.

Of course we would have a fabulous basement too...

complete with wine cellar, private cinema and even a disco ball!

And, since this is a daydream...why not include the closet of my dreams...

I hope you enjoyed this "fantasy" vacation house.

all images via: Steven Gambrel

Wanderlust

Elle Decor

Today Dave and I will be getting on a plane for London. After fretting about the volcano and the British Airways strike messing with my best laid plans, I'm relieved, happy and a little bit shocked to have everything still a "go" just a few short hours from our departure -- even if the BA strike did result in our flight getting cancelled (we managed to get on a Continental flight). We'll be spending 6 days in London (with a few day trips to the surrounding area planned) followed by 5 days in Scotland (split fairly evenly between Inverness and Edinburgh). I'm thrilled to be heading back to London, my absolute favorite city, and Scotland, where I look forward to getting to spend some real time in the Highlands (my only other trip to Scotland was in 2002 where we spent the bulk of our time in Edinburgh and Perth).

Knowing that this trip was scheduled has given me a serious case of wanderlust all spring. I've always believed that half the fun of a vacation is the anticipation and the planning -- I love daydreaming and talking about all the places on my "bucket list", all the many, many historical sites I want to see in person. And a great way to express my love of travel (and planning my travels) is to decorate with maps of all the places that I've been, the places that I want to see, the places that have a great deal of meaning to me. Besides, you never know when you'll need a visual aid during a particularly spirited discussion about your latest/upcoming trip.

Sean Scherer

Maps can also be a great way to get large, personal art relatively inexpensively. I particularly love antique maps with their intricate drawings, beautiful typography and, of course, their dated geography. (Maybe I'm a bit of a dork, but I love checking out old maps and globes and seeing how drastically the world has changed in often just a few short years.) The foyer in Sean Scherer's home is a perfectly curated display of beautiful vintage finds. The turquoise walls bring just enough modernity to the space to make it feel fresh and inviting.

Kim Coleman

As a die hard fan of blue and white, I absolutely love this nautical map of Long Island that Kim Coleman used in a Hamptons' home. It just goes to show you that maps don't have to look like those blue and green ones in your elementary school. The white wainscoting keeps the room from feeling too dark and adds a bit of formal architecture to a pretty casual space.

Robin Bell

Robin Bell made a new map look vintage by applying a clear, semi-matte acrylic glaze tinted with raw sienna and burnt umber. Also, can we talk about how seriously fabulous that ottoman is? The sculpted legs mimic the legs on the sectional and the smaller hassock, which is a great way to tie disparate pieces together in a room. The fantastic nailhead detailing also works well with the sofa's more subtle nailhead trim.

Janell from Isabella & Max

The expense of having a map customized and blown up to fit your wall may be cost-prohibitive for many of us, but there are still a lot of great ways to get the same look for less. If you're exceptionally artistic, you can always free hand a map onto your walls with paint as Janell so brilliantly did in her son Max's room. Since my hand isn't quite so steady, I'd probably borrow a projector and trace the image onto the wall first and then fill it in.

Steven Gambrel

Another cost-effective solution is to purchase a bunch of inexpensive road maps and collage them onto the wall as Steven Gambrel did in this pretty bedroom. I'd probably put a coat or two of polyurethane on the walls just to make this treatment a bit more family-friendly (think of it like decoupage for your walls). Lulu dk's catwalk fabric in ocean on the chair and roman shades is a great touch and really brings home the nautical theme without feeling too literal.

T. Keller Donovan

I'm always drawn to wall-t0-wall art installations, especially when they're done symmetrically in matching frames (yes, I'm pretty type-A). Note too how Donovan went all the way to the floor instead of stopping just above the back of the couch. This creates a more casual, layered effect in the room. The neutral tones in the maps keep the wall from reading as too busy and really set off the pops of red and blue in the fabrics. The 12 smaller maps in lieu of one large one is probably also more cost-effective as maps, like any art, tend to increase in price as you increase the size.

Harriet Maxwell MacDonald

I'm not generally a fan of the stripped-down, limed wood look that's been so popular recently, but in a casual beach bungalow, the look feels more authentic and more appropriate than it does in, say, a brand new loft. This vignette is also a great picture to study if you're trying to decorate a foyer. Note how the map is almost the same size as the cabinet. It's important not to go larger than the table that's anchoring a piece or too much smaller (I hate undersized art). The casual display of flowers, votives, pictures and spare, modern lamp has a great, unstudied look without feeling too cluttered.

Thomas O'Brien

I think about 75% of these images I've pulled are from beach houses and coastal cottages -- but don't think you have to limit maps to second homes or to the beach. I think maps work equally well in a city setting, as Thomas O'Brien shows in his own Manhattan living room, where he displays a large celestial map over his desk. Of course the striking black and white of a celestial map lends itself to more sophisticated settings and is the perfect way to bring some of O'Brien's vintage modern style to your home.

Steven Shailer

Here's another great example of maps working beautifully in a more modern, loft interior. Old city maps (I believe this one is of Paris) are a great, urbane take on this trend. I also love those cozy-looking brown leather chairs and vintage floor lamp; this looks like the perfect place to curl up with a good book and a glass of wine.

Kerry Joyce

Yet another great kid's room decked out in maps. The soft colors here are very soothing, but the black accents bring some sophistication and crispness to the room that's very appealing to me. I also love the vintage letters adorning the drawers under the bed.

While I'm out of town, I thought I'd keep this travel theme going a bit by asking several of my favorite bloggers to guest blog about their favorite vacation homes (real or imagined) around the country. And, of course, when I get back I plan on sharing plenty of pictures and hopefully a few good stories of our time in the United Kingdom. Until then, I promise I'm leaving you in the very best of hands. I can't wait to catch up with everyone when I get back!

Lacquered Walls: A Maximalist's Dream

Christina Murphy

Now that I've blogged for a while, I've started to see trends emerge in my tastes and interests that I don't think I would've noticed without the virtual paper trail. One of the biggest things that I've come to realize about myself is that I tend towards maximalism -- not just in design, but in life. I'm a big believer that bigger is often better, just as more is often more. I've long been a fan of lacquered furniture and accessories. The glossy, almost liquid-like sheen is such a wonderful counterpoint to wood, fabric and other earthier elements. It's also supremely glamorous, and I can't help but love a little bit of sparkle and sheen in just about any room.

So why not take this love of lacquer, that I can only assume many of my fellow design enthusiasts share as the trend seems to show no sign of slowing down, and take it one step further? Let's maximize it and lacquer the walls. Sure, a true lacquer finish on your walls is time and labor-intensive -- and expensive. But the look can be approximated with high gloss paint (though to get a truly smooth finish you'd be best advised to skim coat your walls first unless they're already in pristine condition). High gloss or lacquered walls are particularly appealing in darker, more intense colors, like this gorgeous cobalt blue, which is incredibly striking against the black and white fireplace.

Miles Redd

If there is a true king of lacquer (do you think he'd mind if I dubbed him the "King of Shellac"?), then it has to be Miles Redd, the designer whose maximalist take on traditional decor has been incredibly influential in the resurgence of high style, color and Chinoiserie in interior design. And I think this hallway is a tremendous example of that. All the individual elements of this entry are incredibly traditional, from the black and white marble floors, to the blue and white porcelain to the intricate moldings and yet it feels so modern because the volume on everything is turned way up. The bold blue lacquered walls pop against the graphic floor and the hits of red in the lampshades and door (oh that door!) are such a strong, primary contrast to the blue.

Miles Redd

This room is a quieter, softer version of Miles' style, but it illustrates how you don't need a really bold color to make lacquered walls feel like a statement. This medium blue-gray, taken all the way up to the ceiling, creates an underwater, lagoon-like effect in this salon, while the larger white double sofa floats softly in the center of the room, like a cloud. Miles' signature zebra rugs, however, keep this room from putting you to sleep.

Miles Redd

Another great living room from Miles. The sophisticated, rich color of Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue is really at its best in a high gloss. Where the light hits it, the color reads as a peacock blue, while in shadow the gray undertones give it a quieter elegance.

Nick Olsen

Decorator Nick Olsen has a very similar decorating style to his mentor Miles Redd, but with a bit of English granny thrown in for good measure. In the most recent issue of Lonny, Nick talks about wanting his small one-bedroom Nolita apartment to feel like an Opium den. Well, mission accomplished. The red glossy walls, black chintz sofa and bold painted floors are a wonderfully modern spin on a 19th century London opium den.

Melissa Rufty of MMR Interiors via Matters of Style

In my opinion, eclecticism (of the type heralded and popularized by domino) is just another type of maximalism, and this room does it beautifully. I adore all the colors, patterns and layers; it feels curated more than decorated.

Canadian House & Home, January 2010

When this house was featured in Canadian House & Home back in January, I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it was colorful, original and had some very fun elements (like that wallpapered ceiling) on the other hand, it would date quickly and had a few tacky moments. But ultimately, I appreciate the risk taking of shellacking your walls in orange and papering your ceiling in metallic paper. It's bold and not to everyone's taste, but it's fun and I always respect a sense of humor in design.

Steven Gambrel

"But Averill," you say, "maximalism just isn't my speed. Can lacquered walls work in a more minimalist interior?" The answer is an resounding "yes!". In fact, just follow Steven Gambrel's lead (never a bad idea) and incorporate lacquered walls into quieter, more masculine interiors for an unexpected bit of shine and glamour.

Steven Gambrel

This kelly green feels like an unexpected choice for a hallway, but it's such a great contrast to the otherwise neutral palette and traditional architecture. It also creates a certain moodiness that Gambrel so often displays in his work that I find very appealing.

Steven Gambrel

I love a dark, cozy den and you can't get cozier than this one. The goldenrod colored ceiling is a great touch here. It's both dark and warm enough to keep the black walls from feeling too stark and it ties in beautifully with the carpet and leather sofa. While I like the chalkiness of a matte black wall (especially if you're using an off-black or deep charcoal instead of a true black), I really do love a glossy, true black wall. The sheen reflects so light while the dark walls recede into the background. It's a wonderful way to make a room feel larger and cozier at the same time.

Katie Ridder

Studies seem to be the frequent beneficiaries of lacquered walls. Perhaps it's because they're often smaller, less frequently used rooms that can handle the high sheen and bold color. This coral color is such an unusual choice for a study, but in high gloss it reads as more sophisticated than beachy. I particularly love how Katie picks up on the color in the suzani print throw pillows, which ties the white couch in with the chairs and walls.

Elle Decor

I love the raisin-colored walls in this study. It's the perfect backdrop for the salon-style art hanging and looks wonderfully fresh with the black and gold writing desk and the animal print fabrics.

Amanda Nisbet

I love the contrast of the shiny walls with the velvet upholstery. Textural juxtapositions are a great way to create interest without making bold color or pattern statements. The acrylic coffee table brings in the smooth, polished finish on the walls into the furniture grouping and helps tie everything together.

Rob Southern

While this Houston entryway (featured last year in House Beautiful) looks like it has black lacquered walls, it's actually a glossy vinyl wallpaper (Phillip Jeffries' "lacquered walls" wallcovering in eyeliner), which is a quicker (and cheaper) solution to a true lacquer finish. According to the designer, it's also more kid-friendly.

And finally, another photograph that I wish I could credit to the talented designer but can't (anyone? Bueller?..Bueller?). You don't frequently see white lacquered walls (furniture and accessories, yes, but not walls) but I think they really work well here in this more modern interior. And I absolutely love the finish allows the light from the wall sconces to positively glow. The touches of turquoise in the cushions on the dining chairs (which are a beautiful shape in their own right) and in the equine statue on the coffee table add a hit of fun and color to the otherwise neutral and more grown-up space.