House Tour: A Black Color Palette Will Lure You To The Dark Side
Black is rarely a paint color that comes into consideration for walls, with many homeowners presuming it will make a space feel dark, cramped and dungeon-like.
A newly designed house in Texas proves these assumptions wrong in every way.
It started off as a production home, with blank walls, typical fixtures and a floor plan like many other homes in Sugar Land, a city that neighbors Houston. The owner, a dentist, knew she wanted a unique design, but she didn't quite know what exactly that would look like (we've all been there). So, she recruited the help of Nina Magon, the creative director and principal of Contour Interior Design, based in Houston and Miami.
The owner's request: "Fill the home with things I've never seen before."
Naturally, this was a tall order for a traditional house in a master planned community. Even more, the owner needed to work within a limited budget.
"She really wanted the house to look different, with everything feeling customized," says Magon. "I said, 'Let's do black.' We wanted it to look more high-end, and sometimes, especially in production homes, dark colors help the space look more custom."
Magon started by painting the kitchen cabinets black and accenting them with gold rather than stainless steel. To keep the space from feeling too dark, it helped, naturally, that the kitchen was part of an open floor plan. (Enclosed kitchens without as much natural light, Magon warns, don't always fare well with a black color palette.)
"There's a lot of natural light coming into the house, which made it easier to use a dark color," says Magon. "Also, the floor tile in the kitchen is a light grey, the countertops are a custom white color with a few black waves and the backsplash is made of glass subway tile, so it has a translucent, light feeling."
Translation: If you opt for black paint on walls or cabinets, weave in lighter colors to keep the space balanced.
For the breakfast niche, Magon and her team opted for a custom-stained wood design that a carpenter built piece by piece. The inside of the niche was covered in grey tufting.
Mason carried the wood detailing into the master bedroom, pairing it with sheer black drapes. Not only does black help customize a space - it helps modernize it, says Magon.
"When someone wants to update a traditional look, but they don't want stark modern, it's always nice to add black as a staple color," she says. "It modernizes the design with a new age take."
To soften the space, Magon added sheepskin throws in the master bedroom and office.
"If it had been all wood and metal, the house would have been too harsh," she says. "We had to make sure there was some softness and some femininity."
Scroll down to see the rest of this chic, modern house, along with the details you need to know to get the look in your own home.
Get the look: In the living room, the textured console table is from Noir, the light fixture is by Arteriors and the sculpture is from Moe's Home Collection. The beige couch and two chairs are from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, while the sofa is by Precedent.
Get the look: The office desk is from CFC.
Get the look: In the master bedroom, the bench is by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The chairs are custom made, the lamps are by Arteriors and the bed is by Modloft. The nightstands are by Caracole.
Get the look: In the guest room, the bed is by CB2, the bedding is from Macy's and the pillows are from Target. The gold decor is from Etsy.
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