Sometimes decorating with a reductive palette prompts you to discover subtle design differences and solutions. The black, white and red bedroom palette actually works well with a diverse range of decor styles. In the bedroom, the three colors can result in a contemporary minimalist decor but, used creatively, they can also make for a gothic, bohemian modern, Chinese, French country or Wabi-Sabi look.
Instructions
Paint it Black
1. Remove clutter from bedroom surfaces. The black, white and red palette needs to shine through in your bedroom. Sell or recycle unnecessary items and figure out creative methods for storing the remainder, such as closet shelving or cabinets. Establish systems for processing the influx of daily detritus such as laundry, junk mail and work-related items.
2. Explore your color options. In these days of designer paint shades and faux finishes, white can mean everything from glossy blue-based white to an antique whitewash distressed to show a darker paint color underneath. Likewise, black may have the shiny lacquer finish seen in Chinese decor, or the soft poppy seed hue typical in French country farmhouses. Reds can have an orange base for a warmer and brassier look or a blue base for a moodier, deeper look. You can paint all four walls one shade, or try an accent wall in red or black. Painting the ceiling a moody red or a soft black makes the bedroom feel cozier.
3. Consider accent finishes. Wallpaper in bold black and white graphics or in classic scrolled patterns can add a splash to the wall behind your bed. If you have a narrow wall or post, dolling it up with wallpaper adds bohemian glam. Black-and-white wall murals with abstract patterns create a focal point for a room, or you can go more subdued with wall decals or a trim of painted graphics along the baseboards.
4. Invest in a focal point piece of furniture. For many people, the of the bedroom decor is the bed. The bed frame and bedding can set the tone for the room's decor. An antique iron bed frame with distressed cream paint has the Wabi-Sabi love of the distressed look. A boxlike bed frame in black wood or metal has contemporary cool. Some contemporary canopy beds feature a cube shape with no canopy overhead. For people who like gothic or bohemian style, an ornately engraved headboard in red or black provides visual pop. Simple white or antique white bedding works well for most of these looks.
5. Accessorize creatively. Your accessories can deliver the red bursts of color to a black-and-white room. Stainless steel lighting fixtures and furniture hardware work well with this decor scheme. A large mirror can add a modern edge but, if you frame it with an engraved white or red frame, it veers the look toward funky. Stark white bedding gets high contrast with red throw pillows. Doll up a plain white dresser with a black lacquer vase holding red roses or Gerbera daisies.
Tags: black white, focal point, frame with, French country, gothic bohemian,