Some homes make a lasting impression while others quickly fade from the mind. Almost always, the design and color scheme is a factor. While burgundy adds a sense of warmth and glamour, navy feels versatile and timeless. Yet black and white—which our series on color in luxury design looks at next—may be the most classic pairing of all, evoking antiquity itself, says U.S. based designer-architect Nicholas Potts.
“Though there’s debate about whether ancient buildings and statues were actually painted,” he says, “the image of the black-and-white classical interior is so embedded in our cultural memory” that it’s a constant in historical revivals or movements they inspire. Think Andrée Putman’s famous black-and-white bathroom for the founders of Studio 54 in New York’s Morgans Hotel or Dorothy Draper’s punchy pairing of checkerboard floors and Rhododendron fabric in West Virginia’s Greenbrier resort.
The black-and-white look dominated the early 20th century art deco period and reigned supreme again in the 1990s. But demand for the pairing has never really gone away.
“As the pendulum swings back from maximalism toward calmer spaces,” says Potts, “perhaps as a response to digital overload, we’re seeing more requests for monochrome spaces than we did a few years ago.”
His go-to move: black-and-white tile in surprising configurations such as oversized tiles or on a diagonal, the better “to create some drama underfoot.”
A sprawling penthouse, tastefully designed by Chilean-born American interior designer Juan Pablo Molyneux and steps away from Central Park, proves that occasionally committing to color may be overrated.
“This is a very classic look,” particularly for a floor, says Potts of the creamy off-white walls and upscale living room furnishings. However, “it’s also highly adaptable and can be dressed up or down with different patterns or accents.” Bonus: Those who can’t commit to color often find black and white a safer bet.
On the opposite coast, in Los Angeles’ fast-growing Century City district, a sleek condominium in the gated Le Parc community shows the power of contrast. “This is crucial to pulling off a black-and-white interior,” says Potts, “since there’s no anchor color to fall back on.” He warns against softening it with anything grey, which he feels looks overdone.
An eight-bedroom mansion in North London’s Highgate features traditional Art Deco flourishes, from the marble checkerboard floor to the wrought iron railings and stepped chandeliers. It even extends to the kitchen.
“The most classic pairing with a monochrome color scheme takes advantage of the white space it creates and goes really bold with accents,” notes Potts. In the Highgate house, the glass wall sconces—with their cascading fringe evoking a flapper’s dress—do just that.
An original 1930s art deco villa in Provence, France, features panoramic views of the Mediterranean—and a trip back in time via its stunning and well-preserved black-and-white bathroom.
Crisp boundaries like those of the black-trimmed arched window and boldly framed celestial-inspired tilework make it clear why this look still feels fresh.
Meanwhile, the exterior of a large home in Atlanta similarly turns heads with its brick facade, limestone detail and patinated copper awnings. In the foyer, the art deco theme continues with black-and-white marble floors and eye-catching millwork. The walls’ rhombus motif, typically seen in industrial buildings of the era, looks right at home here.
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