The Monochromalist

Interiors

How to make monochrome interiors feel warm and cosy

Interiors

Black and white interiors are elegant and timeless but how do you make them feel warm and inviting? Here’s our top five tips so you don’t get left out in the cold.

Warm Lighting

One of the easiest ways to change the mood and feel of a space is with clever lighting. In particular, when selecting your bulbs, make sure you consider the colour temperature as you want a bulb that emits a cosy feel, and therefore you may want to lean towards a warm white or a soft white colour.

warm lighting
The comforting glow of warm lighting makes any space feel instantly cosier

Metallic decor

Working nicely alongside warm white light, metallic decor can bring a softer tone to a room and will reflect warm lighting into the space. You can add touches with decor pieces such as lamps, photo frames and plant pots.

Metallic decor pieces help to warm up the corners of any room

Soft furnishings

Layer your monochrome room with soft furnishings in a mixture of textures to create an inviting and comfortable interior. Think velvet curtains, tasseled cushions and knitted blankets, and you’re going in the right direction.

black and white soft furnishings
Layer soft furnishings made from various materials for a textured warmth

Shades and tones

If you’re still at the decorating stage, you’d be wise to research the shades and tones before covering your walls in white or black paint. There are so many wonderful creamy off-whites and earthy charcoals to consider, and they can provide a softer edge to a monochrome scheme.

Natural elements

Bring in some natural touches to add a subtle warmth to a room. They can be large elements such as wood or laminate flooring, or smaller elements such as wicker baskets and pampas grass.

monochrome wicker baskets add a natural element to room styling
Natural elements and textures add a subtle warmth to a space

So there you have it, our simple guide on how to make black and white interiors feel warm and cosy without compromising the monochrome aesthetic. Have you got any more tips?

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A how to guide on creating cosy monochrome interiors

Luxury Monochome Moments in a Jakarta Residence

Interiors

Discover a dreamy private residential project by Plus Design where luxury monochrome spaces reign supreme.

Located in the heart of Jakarta, Indonesia, this stunning 800 square meter private residence fuses together all the parameters of a dream luxury project. The house consists of four bedrooms, dining room, living room, study, beauty salon, gym and bar; however the spaces that standout are the ones that feature luxurious black and white interiors.

luxury monochrome hallway
Monochrome details in the stunning entrance hall

As confident as a luxury hotel, this beautiful home boasts a mixture of textures and materials with carefully curated furniture pieces from luxury Covet Group brands such as Essential Home, Boca do Lobo and Brabbu. The choice of products was an important part of this project, their quality and their beauty, were parameters to be taken into account when creating a design of this dimensions.

The living room

The white living room, which features flashes of charcoal grey and black among the furnishings, exudes a wonderful eccentricity. The golden tones present in the table and the lamp, add to the light tones of the sofas and cabinets, creating a comfort and coziness that is needed in a living room.

This beautiful project was completed by Plus Design, which was founded in 2003 by Prasetio Budhi, a graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, USA. Since its inception, the STUDIO PLUS DESIGN practice has grown substantially and attracted many high profile clients on residential, retail and commercial platforms. Based in Indonesia, PlusDesign’s goal is to bring world-class design to every project.

Images courtesy of Essential Home.

Dreamy Monochrome Kitchens of Instagram

Interiors

We all know that Instagram is crammed full of endless interior inspiration – it can be a little overwhelming. However, we have waded through a sea of stunning black and white kitchens to bring you some stunning monochrome inspiration.

The founders of Studio Fuse, Nina and Dan, have created the most glorious monochrome kitchen, which sits at the heart of their eco house that was built to cleverly float over a swimming pond. The beautiful kitchen design features a seamless use of materials with a high ceiling and a skylight that floods the space with light. The matt black finishes contrast beautifully against the white surfaces whilst the rattan lighting and floating plant feature add natural texture.

Fashion and textiles designer Pearl Lowe has a gorgeously eclectic kitchen with dusky white walls and a black deVOL island taking centre stage. Lowe’s carefully selected decor pieces and vintage furniture are what sets her kitchen apart and gives a quirky twist to a classic monochrome palette.

Karen Blanchard, a British fashion stylist who resides in New York, has created a super sleek kitchen. The metallic kitchen door handles coupled with the vintage carpet runner create a warmth in this fresh and modern design, whilst the crittal windows add a cool industrial edge to the space.

Interior designer Natasha Jones has created the wow factor in her black and white kitchen with a stunning oversized island, striking lighting fixtures, and glorious skylights that flood the white-walled space with even more light.

A smart industrial inspired design from a Lawless & Meyerson project stands out for it’s dedication to the monochromatic scheme. Both practical and chic, it’s a true monochrome lovers dream.

Studio Black Interiors showcase a truly stunning monochrome kitchen interior by Studio Amble. The beautifully contrasting materials are what makes this kitchen stand out, and the tones and textures perfectly marry together to create an inviting and serene space.

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amazing black and white kitchens as featured on instagram