Monochrome in the home

A breathtaking room can take a while to create. It needs to be in harmony with the architecture, be appropriate to your life, be well lit and enduring.

So where do you start?

One shortcut to a striking look is to keep the colour scheme simple -shades of black , white, grey and neutral tones. Hey if it was good enough for Coco Chanel…

We here at First Impressions believe that there is very little room for error when going with this classic look. It can leave an elegant and timeless impression when used well in interior property styling. Black and white is often considered to be the most popular combination since it’s resurgence with minimalist interior design.

We’ve seen black and white done in many different forms for decades – from wallpaper to flooring, light fittings, furnishing and decor, and more recently, matte black hardware and door furniture.

Here are 5 ways to get down with neutrals in your home:

1 – Create a Flawless Foundation. Get a great foundation piece to ground your work around, like a beautiful fabric sofa in a charcoal hue. Do not be stingy on this. This is not the time or place to cut corners. Like applying make-up, no amount of interior home decorating will have the desired impact if the foundation pieces are disconnected from your desired aesthetic.

2 – Use texture to soften, often. When working with monochrome, there’s a risk of ending up with a clinical, boring result. The use of texture in cushions, throws and rugs is a sure fire way of mitigating this risk.

3 – The devil is in the detail. Make sure your artwork is framed, and consider the use of either all black or all white frames to create a polished, elegant look and feel. Depending on the artwork, oak frames can also work as they offer a scandi feel that can compliment a paired back monochrome palette due to the minimal, no-fuss approach to both styles.

4 – Shine shine shine. Incorporate high gloss finishes into your coffee table, or mirrored finishes in some of your decor to maximise the impact of light and introduce a sense of glamour and luxury to your space.

5 – Breathe. Introducing some lush, deep green through the introduction of a plant will accentuate the monochrome palette that you’ve selected by creating a contrasting piece for your eyes to fall on. My personal favourites that I have in my own home include the beautiful swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), the heart leaf philodendron (Philodendron cordatum), and the ultimate diva of a plant…the Fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)