Spots, stripes, chevrons – a pattern mash-up is the best way to work with black and white
Channel black and white with a playful background of polka dots in different scales for a fun, laid-back feel.
WALL Papered in Lots of Pop Dots mural, from £65sq m, Hemingway Design at Surface View. FURNITURE Isaac three-seater sofa in Chalk washed linen, £2,040, Sofa.com; trimmed with Cambridge stripe border, £29m, Samuel & Sons. Irving coffee table in White, £35, George Home. Nestor coffee table in Black, £595, Habitat. FLOOR Kelim rug in Black Lines, £99, Ferm Living at Someday Designs. DETAILS Cushions made in Brera Lino linen in Oyster, £59m, Designers Guild; with Palladio wool-lined mix embroidered border, £176m, Samuel & Sons. Parrot Green throw, on the sofa, £115, Wool Me. On the table: Geometric mugs, £18.50 each, Aram Store; and plate, £37, Stephen Wright.
Stick to a single colour palette and combine a group of vases with similar DNA to stand out against a stark white backdrop.
WALL Painted in All White estate emulsion, £43.50 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. FURNITURE Aula bone console table, £545, Lombok. DETAILS Plants throughout from a selection at Covent Garden Flower Market. Coco poster, £30.95, Desenio; striped with Emerald perfect matt emulsion, £44 for 2.5L, Designers Guild. Vases from left: Palm Springs vase, £625, Jonathan Adler; Les Oiseaux vase, £87, Pascal Mourgue at Ligne Roset; Striped Toppu pot, £58, OYOY at Someday Designs; Audrey vase, £35, Habitat; and Spots jar, £48, Myer Halliday at Heal’s.
Don’t be afraid to work a clash of monochrome patterns – use varying scales of shapes and designs teamed with a bold stripe of colour to ground the look.
WALL Papered in Ellington Lalique wallpaper in Blanc Petale, £72.20 a roll, Casamance. Stripe painted in Emerald perfect matt emulsion, as before. FLOOR Painted in All White modern eggshell, £66 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. FURNITURE Rattan hanging chair, £235, Rockett St George; hanging with La Terre single tassel tieback in Snow, £185, Samuel & Sons. Leifarne chairs in White, £35 each, Ikea; customised with Off Black estate eggshell, £60 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. Branch dining table in Black Stain, £1,599, Blu Dot at Heal’s. FLOOR Alan Fletcher rug, £860, Aram Store. DETAILS Cushions, in hanging chair, made in Huari Carbon cotton/linen-mix, £35m, Villa Nova. Avante and Tevana vases, £146 each, Julian Chichester. Palm Springs vase, as before. Sinnerlig pendant lamp, £40, Ikea; customised with Emerald perfect matt emulsion, as before.
Monochrome pattern makes the ideal backdrop for shapely accessories. Contrast decorative pieces against a wall to let them stand out for a super-cool combo.
WALL Papered in Geometric II Tile wallpaper, £76 a roll, Cole & Son. Painted in All White estate emulsion, as before. Semi circles painted in Pitch Black estate emulsion, as before. DETAILS On the shelf, from left: Ouazarzate basket, £100, Raj Tent Club; Charade vase, £88, Jonathan Adler; Posy vase, £25, Habitat; metal bucket, £6.79, Amazon; painted in Emerald perfect matt emulsion, as before; mugs, £10 each, Stephen Wright; Estuarine plate, £60, Myer Halliday at Heal’s; pear objet d’art, £154, Julian Chichester; Pinya dinner plates, £10 each; and Kaylub footed bowls, £15 each, all Habitat. On the cabinet, from left: metal bucket, as before; Moselle face cloth in Emerald, £5, Designers Guild; Blair vase, £30, Habitat; jug, £44, Stephen Wright; Adoni vase, £20, Habitat; Le Creuset Petite casserole in Almond, £15.20, John Lewis; Magimix Nespresso in Citiz White with milk frother, £209.99, Lakeland; mug, as before; and Moselle hand towel in Emerald, £16, Designers Guild.
Create a sense of height in a space with punked-up classic stripes.
WALL Papered in Monochrome Stripe wallpaper, £15 a roll, Graham & Brown. Stripes painted in FTT-012 marble matt emulsion, £44 for 2.5L, Mylands. Above wallpaper painted in All White estate emulsion, as before. FLOOR Amtico Form floor tiles in Coal grained oak, £49.99sq m, Amitco; customised with All White modern eggshell, as before. DETAILS Appuntamento clock, £127, Aram Store. Formakami pendant lamp JH3, £184, on the left; and Formakami pendant lamp JH4, £173, And Traditional at Aram Store. De’Longhi Avvolta kettle in White, £109.99, Lakeland. Reaction Poetique 05 platter, £684, Cassina at Aram Store. Gluten-Free and Gluten canisters, £128 each, Jonathan Adler. Island papered in Monochrome Stripe wallpaper, as before. Harmony bar stools, £984 each, Poliform.
Don’t overlook the staircase – a blocky mono design makes a seriously eye-catching feature.
WALLS Painted in All White estate emulsion, as before. FLOOR Painted in All White modern eggshell, as before. Amtico Form floor tiles, on the stairs, as before. DETAILS For hanging plant: Harbour beaded and knotted holdback 972-56510-10 in Cloud, £145; and La Terre single tassel tieback TT-57442-40 in Snow, £185, both Samuel & Sons. Green jumpsuit, £245, Outline at House of Fraser.
Yes, monochrome does have a softer side! Add a subtle pattern in a simple scheme for a calming vibe in black and white.
WALLS Painted in All White estate emulsion, as before. Circle painted in Pitch Black estate emulsion, as before. FURNITURE Pebble coffee table in Anthracite Grey/White, £447, Bonaldo. Koarp armchair, £190, Ikea. Martin Hirth Cinetique floor lamp, £825, Ligne Roset. Shadow LED floor lamp, £175, Habitat. FLOOR Painted in All White modern eggshell, as before. DETAILS Seat cushion upholstered in Fandango cotton/viscose-mix in Black and White, £222m, Lizzo. 1970 cushion, £160, Bella Freud. Curtain, top, made in Dunluce polyester-linen mix, £51m, Osborne & Little; trimmed with RTC triplet fringe 985-46529-23 in Zebra, £139m, Roger Thomas at Samuel & Sons. Blind, bottom, made in Lorca Coralie cotton, £50m, Osborne & Little.
A plain white bathroom scheme zings into life with a bold-patterned backdrop wallpapered into an alcove.
WALLS Painted in All White estate emulsion, as before. Papered in Lattice wall covering in Charcoal, £47.50 a roll, Clarke & Clarke. DETAILS Reflection sculpture, on the wall, £69, Bo Concept. Smoke Poster, in the sculpture, £22.95, Desenio. George Jenson candles, £9 for two, Amara are similar. Art Hexagon and Circle candleholders, around £27.50 each, OYOY. Moselle face cloth and hand towel, as before. Bottle, stylist’s own. Moment candleholder, £29; and Kutter candleholder, £17, Hay at Cos.
The mono palette can be restful and elegant if executed with a light touch. A zany mobile contrasts softly against a white backdrop.
WALL Painted in All White estate emulsion, as before. FURNITURE Carmelite beds with canopy, £2,400 for frame only each, Designers Guild; silk drapes made from Luna ZI62/17 linen/silk-mix in Lime, £100m, Zinc Textiles. Milton table, £195, Habitat. DETAILS Brera Lino linen in Oyster, on the beds, as before. Biella linen Oxford pillowcases in Cool Grey and Mist, £30 each, Designers Guild. Le Dormeur and L’Endormie cushions, £190 each, Jean Cocteau at Roche Bobois. Hopi plaid throw in Dark Grey and White, left, around £75, OYOY. Plaid Zellige throw in Black and White, right, £130, Ligne Roset. Vitamin K lamp in Earthenware, £220, Someday Designs. Canaan Bud vase, £58, Jonathan Adler. Earrings, stylist’s own. La Redoutable mobile, £599, The Conran Shop.
