Balancing Modern Minimalism In Black And White

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The black and white decor palette works wonders in a modern minimalist pad. The weight of dark accents effectively anchors lighter parts, to achieve a sense of permanence and balance. This is an important aspect when fashioning a layout that goes lightly on furniture and accessories, as each significance becomes key. We’ve put together this trio of tours that explore the black and white minimalist vibe in different home settings, since one size does not fit all. Join us for a visit to an angular family home with a corridor-like living room, a stylish pad for a bachelor with a love of Marvel, and a luxury abode polished with expanses of white marble.

Visualizer: Oksana Mukhina

This corridor-like black and white living room has a succinct sense of style, with each simple element taking up just a small beat of the overall layout. A slimline rectangle coffee table puts a sharp dash of white across a plain black sofa. A black pendant shade snappily punctuates a white dining area.

The kitchen itself is a short four base unit installation, which runs right up beside the TV wall of the lounge.

Wall cabinets break out of the kitchen and complete the entire width of the room. Similarly, the white tile kitchen backsplash becomes decor for the TV wall too. The light units and tiling fade behind the balance of a bold black oven and black TV screen.

The striking dining pendant light is a Moooi Random pendant light. Its oversized shade adds a black pitstop to the upper half of the scheme. Around the base of the room, a border of slatted panels looks pinstriped by light and shade. The doorway to the master bedroom has been painted solid black, to visually deepen the length of the short hallway.

Despite the pendant light’s great size, its mesh shade allows daylight to move through it to the back of the long room.

Lighting strips are loaded into black tracks along the ceiling of the hallway, creating a slick border. White interior doors and white storage fall away along the sides.

The black and white bedroom is a dreamy scene. A black feature wall drops a blanket of midnight behind a full ‘moon’ of light. Whilst the bedroom pendant light shines down on an artistic display, the bedside table lamp on the opposite side of the platform bed illuminates a handy nightstand.

A night scene is depicted more literally above the kids’ bed, where the chalk outline of aircraft and hot air balloons fly across a city of stars.

A kid’s study area is fashioned in the corner of the irregular shaped bedroom. Black and white volumes create such depth of contrast that the obscure angle of the window almost does not register.

The floor plan illustrates the irregular angles tackled in both bedrooms.

Visualizer: Vladimir Korobov

This apartment was designed for a young guy with a love of monochrome and Marvel. In order to introduce this passion into the interior without disrupting the monochrome magic, the posters were reprinted in a gradient of grey. The interior itself is masculine without extra frills. The lounge arrangement is simply a chaise sofa and a black floor lamp, though a black accent wall gives the small space big impact.

A cat bed scoots out from under a wall mounted media cabinet. A note of loft style comes through in the form of an original brickwork wall, which has been painted jet black. This is a dividing wall between the living room-kitchen combo and a bedroom.

A dining peninsula makes more of the small L-shaped kitchen installation. A black backsplash dramatises the cabinets white colourway.

Wood laminate flooring warms up the black and white decor scheme.

The wood laminate planks end at the home entryway, where they are replaced by hard wearing black tile. The darker floor treatment defines the entryway as its own area. A full length mirror with a handy shelf further establishes the change of zone.

Solid black blanks out the bedroom door opposite the entry.

A black pouf stands by a set of grey storage cabinets and a coat nook.

An enclosed balcony becomes a reading nook with a few slick additions. A platform with storage drawers elevates a small side table and beanbag to window viewing height. A bar with stools accesses the remainder of the panorama.

In the bedroom, a large wall light beams from a ribbed black headboard wall. The texture and colour density distracts the eye from a wall of white storage.