BLACK AND WHITE: DAY AND NIGHT

BLACK AND WHITE: A Study of Contrasts


While modern sensibility gravitates towards the neutrals of beige and beige, we seem to have forgotten the neutrals of “the lost generation”: black and white. Gertrude Stein may have had other colors in mind in coining the phrase, but it recalls her zeitgeist and the Cole Porter era. With the burgeoning of photography, images were cast in black and white, suggesting the complexity and uncertainty of the Great War, while alluding to the security of a black and white world. These were the neutrals of that time: black and white. And, of course, we know, that when thrown together, they are anything but. The product of their marriage is color, the grays of reality. Yet, their purity transcends that ambiguity.

There is something very refreshing about black and white. You know where you stand. Black tie or white, the event is formal. The little black dress iconically worn with white pearls is as symbolic as Coco Chanel’s love of combining the contrastingly stark opposites. It is Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers; it is the world of Man Ray and Moholy-Nagy. It is Modernist with roots back to Josef Hoffmann’s passion for opposites. It is starchy and sharp, transparent and clean. It is Ford’s Black car with white-walled tires. It is “Night and Day, Day and Night.”

It is comforting to know that we can return to these neutrals in design - that they present themselves as sharp an image as before, making black and white classic. Always a strong statement, they let the homeowner know exactly where they stand. And, stand they do. As walls, furniture, glass, lights, and in almost every aspect of the home, they carve their niches, making a gesture to the past, yet very modern.

Black and white is effective in making bold statements. These neutrals define functions easily, while creating sharp edges of distinction. For instance, a black sink against a white wall, or visa versa, clarifies for the user a definiteness of purpose. Or a black couch set upon a white floor creates the same strong backdrop. It is dramatic, theatre in the home.

Using black and white tiles on the floor, whether marble or ceramic, create this sense of drama especially in an entry foyer. White tiles placed on a diagonal with black inserts is the quintessential classic, classy floor. Placed as such, it leads the visitor gracefully through the entry, suggesting a sense of purpose and style. In the bathroom, in particular, the powder room, black and white parleys a air of formality, suitable to the half-bath. The more recent water closet by Kohler, the Hatbox, adds to this sense of bathroom drama, both in its shape and color. It sculptural form, that of a ladies hatbox, disguises its true purpose, suggesting perhaps that it transcends its ordinary function. It is elite and elegant, functional and fancy.

Furnishings also create home drama. Black floors are classy, so much so, that when a white couch or rug is set upon it, a special tension is created. It says, in effect, that it knows what it is and what it wants to be. It presents an aesthetic level of comfort. White these neutrals feel perfectly at home in the more public areas, in the more private ones, they are less so. At bit startling in the bedroom, they are sharp to the eye. If one wishes to use black and white in the private areas, the neutrals need to be somewhat tamed. For instance, a mostly white bedroom with splashes of black will fit the bill. It will create a light, bright, airy space that is very chic and modern. Alternatively, a mostly black room will absorb all the light, making for a smaller, cozier space, more appropriate for a man’s study.

In the kitchen, black and white is especially effective as it creates a crisp backdrop to the meals prepared there. White cabinets with black counters and backsplash draw a sharp distinction of purpose which highlight the appliances and cooking utensils. In particular, stark white walls in a kitchen parlay an image of cleanliness.

Whether in the entry foyer or bathroom, black and white create a sense of drama in the home. The contrasts of its opposites make for a formal, yet elegant and classy backdrop, suitable for those who want a classic look of appeal.

What do you think about the classic neutrals, Black and White?

Do you need advice as to how to make your home more "Classic" modern?

Send me any questions you may have regarding this blog post.

MAKING A GRAND ENTRANCE

MAKING GRAND ENTRANCES: THE FOYER

More important than any other space in the home is the Foyer. This oftentimes-overlooked area sets the tone and feeling of the entire home. It is both the first and last impression the homeowner has of his habitation. And, it is here where one is made to feel either welcomed or disoriented, depending on the feeling the foyer evokes. It is the prelude for what is to come.

Whether small or large, foyers are grand. They express largesse of space from which all the other rooms in the home radiate. The importance of the foyer can be suggested in several ways. Architecturally, the designer can carve out a separate space from the nondescript assigned closet, entry area. Ceilings can be dropped or raised or both. Lighting can be installed, cove or decorative, giving a special aura. Walls can be moved, shaped, carved to create circular, square, or any shaped spaces. Niches can be added to enhance the foyer’s suggestive aspects: a hidden vase, a highlighted picture, a surprise curio. Floor patterns move and define the area, whatever the material may be.

In addition, the use of differing materials also helps define the foyer. Glass block, while suggestive of the space beyond, defines and lets the light through. It opens up the space as a whole. Sandblasted glass, metals, and other hard materials can also accomplish similar purposes architecturally.

Decoratively, the foyer can be distinguished in many other ways. For instance, an area rug shaped to the contours of the entry can subtly emphasize the expressed area. The placement of mirror or mirrors in the entry open up the space and also allow the visitor, whether coming or going, a graceful peek at one’s appearance. They also provide, if correctly placed, a sneak preview of what is beyond. In addition, mirrors tend to add light in its reflection of the existing light. Another important decorative element defining the foyer is paint. Here, one can become more creative, as the space tends to be more unusual and sculptural in nature. A bold color accented by more subtler tones of the same can enhance the foyer greatly and give hints of what is to come color-wise throughout the rest of the home. In addition, decorative paint techniques can be successfully employed here without having to be experimented or used elsewhere. Stucco, trompe l’oeil, cross-hatching are typical painting devices. Wallpaper and upholstered walls accomplish the same but tend to evoke different kinds of feelings. Walls covered in fabric create a warmer, dressier environment: papered walls, a more traditional one.

The foyer can also become well defined through the use of furniture. Here, the unusual antique can be magnificently highlighted. Or, a great vase with towering flowers can welcome the visitor that in another part of the house might look awkward. A small café table with side chairs, nesting tables, small lamps, are all different kinds of pieces successfully used here. It is in the foyer where the bench is best used, whether one is putting on one’s shoes, waiting, resting, or just pondering. Lastly, the eponymous “entry table” makes it’s splash by its defining and aesthetic grandeur.

Paintings, sculpture, and other artwork attain especial significance in the foyer. If placed on ledges, in niches, within frames of walls, the singular piece is highlighted. In addition, one element of the foyer that is usually overlooked is the entry door. But it is here that one can be really creative. On the interior of the door, the face material can be changed to wood, metal, or even glass. The door hardware can be altered to be consistent with the hardware within. Mirrors can be affixed to enlarge the space. Unusual windows within the door structure can be created. If it is a house, the entry door can be made wider or narrower, and can encapsulate other materials such as cast glass side panels, over panels, and transoms of all shapes and sizes. And, finally, one finds here the foyer’s most traditional element, the staircase. Whether metal, wood, wall, or glass, its import is significant, in making the biggest statement.

The Foyer orchestrates the tone and feeling of the home, while setting its functional and aesthetic aspects. It is the creator and maker of all Grand Entrances.