Black is the new White

Much of my downtime at work is usually spent engulfed in the latest issues of Style At Home, House and Home, Dwell, and Elle Decor magazines. Typically, I flip through page after page, yearning for some inspiration to incorporate into my own home. For the past 2 years, there has been a common theme through every single issue of these magazines: white walls. Nearly every home or living space featured is saturated with houses upon houses of blank white walls, just aching to be painted and decorated. I get how white can be a fantastic color for a backdrop to help punchy accent colors look, well, even more punchy. But, I despair that the industry is laying waste to this trend of a blank canvas.

I've been drooling over the exact opposite lately: dark inky colored walls- shades of black, off-blacks, and blue-blacks that can afford a lot of drama. People fear that dark colored walls will make a room feel too small. The only thing that will make a room feel too small is a lack of space planning and poor decorative execution. True that white walls will reflect light better, and allow for a brighter feel. But, if lighting is such a concern, consider getting a higher bulb wattage to better illuminate a dark color.

I first experienced this black bliss when I painted the back door of our apartment an off-black. The room gained an immediate dramatic presence, and looks much more thought out. I'm going to be as bold as to venture that black is the new white. May the coming months be filled with magazine pages full of ebony and ink dripping walls, saturated with dark hues- many livable rooms to spark the imagination.