White provides the background in so much interior design today that it was only a matter of time before the design world looked at black in a new light.
Black has always been used to add definition in professionally designed rooms. Even the airiest modern décor benefits from the grounding effect of a few black lines in a wrought-iron table, some black-and-white photography, an African sculpture, or, at the high end, a grand piano.
Painters know that black is not found in nature and must be created from a range of not-quite-black ingredients. If you hold a piece of black glass up to the light, you'll see that it's, in fact, very deep purple or brown.
Black is the accent colour that never goes out of style, but in the world of designer merchandise there are some new blacks to consider. These softer versions are warm and earthy in a way that the basic one is not. The blackness found in natural substances like soil, charcoal, ebony, and even espresso beans are the new blacks in merchandise that is both modern and organic in feeling. We've been finding beautiful examples everywhere.
Moe's Home Collection (2360 Granville Street and 1728 Glen Drive) has carved Indian mirrors in a burnt-timber hue, and a range of trunk tables, tall curio cabinets, and other useful pieces in satiny black lacquer with the edges sanded to reveal the warm wood beneath. They also have black bamboo library ladders that would add a strong, sculptural note to any room.
Home to organic modernism, Roost Homeware (1192 Hamilton Street) carries gorgeous pod-shaped ceramics in matte glazes from bittersweet chocolate to lead-pencil black, as well as translucent resin tableware in almost edible amber and cola colours. It has sleekly modern wenge and walnut trays and other useful wooden pieces by Vancouver's Formative Design. Add winter warmth to a sofa or chair with one of its shaggy fur pillows or a lightweight mohair throw in deep cocoa.
Espresso leather furniture makes a great alternative. It has the dark good looks and graphic appeal of black leather but appears softer and more natural. Classic leather pieces have never been more affordable, with many stores importing chic, apartment-scaled couches, chairs, and ottomans from China. Even IKEA (3200 Sweden Way, Richmond, and 1000 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam) has a fantastically tailored, baseball-stitched sectional sofa with a low profile and clean lines for $1,200. It's still an investment, but a few years back a deal like that was unheard of.
If you're in the market for a beautiful table lamp that won't date, check out the T-Base or Teardrop lamps from Koolhaus (2199 West 4th Avenue). The bulbous silhouettes of these lamps, available with black or white linen shades, are classically modern and are just the thing to take the hard edge off a modern desk or table.
You may have noticed a profusion of imported Vietnamese planters, tables, and other pieces in dark-grey zinc at the garden stores. The rugged, industrial colour of this lightweight metal is just as handsome indoors as out, and the largest ones make great-looking end or coffee tables. A simple sheet of glass placed on top will add stability and gleam.
A queen-size faux-mink bedspread by Torre & Tagus from the Urban Barn (various locations) would bring instant luxury to your bedroom this winter. The bittersweet-chocolate colour and soft, shimmering texture are convincing to the senses, and they are a lower price than many ordinary bedspreads.
The most mysterious blackened objects in town come from Industrial Artifacts (49 Powell Street), where owner Ross MacMillan resuscitates wooden pattern moulds--once used by a local ironworks to pour the huge gears for boats and bridges--into all manner of furniture, mirrors, and accessories. The resulting aesthetic is something between African tribal sculpture and Land of the Giants. Each piece is unique and all of MacMillan's work has a dramatic, sculptural presence.
In response to the spatial limitations of many urban homes, I prefer to keep the main rooms in most of our projects light and neutral, but smaller spaces like powder rooms, dens, and guest rooms present an ideal opportunity to create a dramatic space within your space, with just a gallon of paint.
Some of my favourite new blacks come from Benjamin Moore. Kendall Charcoal HC-166 is a dark, warm grey with a hint of slate green. Witching Hour 2120-30 is a soft black with a grey-blue tone. Stone Brown 2112-30 has a warm, bittersweet chocolate cast. Mohegan sage 2138-30 is the darkest slate-green imaginable. These depthless shades make woods look rich and lamps look brighter.
A pop-art atmosphere is guaranteed if you use pure-white gloss on the trims and some black-and-white photography or graphic posters on the walls.
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