She covers furniture products and more for Chosen Furniture.
Whether you thrive in simplicity or crave order amid chaos, these ideas blend function with soul.
Let me share a story about stripes that changed my tiny world.
Suddenly, those 8-foot ceilings stretched like the walls were sighing in relief.
Ill admit, the process wasnt glamorous.
My crampedliving roombecame a place that moved.
Friends would walk in and pause, eyes tracing the stripes upward.
Its like your walls are alive, my neighbor Maria said, grinning.
A single terracotta vase on the coffee table.
That earthy orange kept the room from feeling like a museum.
Why it stuck: Stripes arent just visual trickery.
Theyre rhythm a beat that makes a room hum.
Removable wallpaper lets you take the magic with you.
No commitment, no regrets.
Your Turn: Grab a roller, pick a corner, and let the lines lead you.
Even asmall stripe can rewrite a rooms story.
When I renovated my kitchen, I chose porcelain tiles for durability.
How the floor plays with light.
The morning sun turns it into a chessboard of shadows, while evening lamplight softens the contrast.
Just avoid high-gloss; it shows every crumb.
Pro tip: Seal grout thoroughly.
My coffee spill mishap taught me that lesson the hard way!
Matte black feels intentional less hardware store, more curated boutique.
In my bathroom, a black showerhead and towel rack turned a basic space into a spa-like retreat.
But heres the secret: Pair it with warmth.
Brass accents (like a vintage-inspired mirror frame) keep the vibe inviting.
Matte black pulls on white cabinets feelmodern in my kitchen, but the butcher block countertops add rustic charm.
Budget hack: Spray paint existing fixtures!
I refreshed my dated brass lamps with matte black spray paint total cost: $12.
The monochrome palette unites them into a cohesive story.
Start by laying frames on the floor to arrange the layout.
Vary sizes, but keep spacing consistent 2-3 inches between frames works best.
Add a floating shelf with a black-and-white ceramic bowl or a small plant for depth.
Personal touch: Include a handwritten recipe or a vintage postcard.
My Paris 1962 postcard adds a whisper of wanderlust.
It was like adding a cloud underfoot.
Textures are your friend here.
A nubby linen curtain softens black metal rods, while a velvet pillow adds contrast.
Winter upgrade: Swap lightweight throws for a faux fur blanket in winter its hygge meets high contrast.
Itll feel too dark, they worried.
But after two coats of Benjamin Moores Onyx, our entryway transformed from forgettable to unforgettable.
The glossy finish caught the sunlight, and suddenly, our house had a presence.
Its like a handshake that says, Welcome this home has character.
Inside, I took the idea further by painting our pantry door the same shade.
Its a hidden jewel box effect.
For renters or commitment-phobes, try a temporary solution: peel-and-stick black vinyl works wonders on hollow-core doors.
Pro tip: Pair a black door with brushed brass hardware.
My neighbor even copied the idea now our street has twin black doors that spark joy daily.
The day I painted it black?
It was like the house finally woke up.
But oh, choosing the right black was a saga.
I smeared six different samples on the walls before finding the one Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black.
There are no blue undertones, no muddy browns, just pure, velvety depth.
For the baseboards, I went semi-gloss tough enough to survive my dogs zoomies but still subtle.
Then, on a whim, I brushed the ceiling trim black too.
Instead of feeling closed in, the room wrapped around me like a cozy cocoon.
The secret sauce?Texture.
And that sunbeam by the window where my cat loafs all afternoon?
Proof that even the boldest contrasts can whisper, Stay awhile.
Suddenly, the room had gravity.
The uppers stayed white to reflect light, while the lowers grounded the space.
I chose Behrs Blackout for its velvety finish no fingerprints, even with my toddlers sticky hands.
I mixed knobs (black on uppers) and pulls (brass on lowers) for visual interest.
The open shelves display white stoneware, but I added a few black mugs to add rhythm.
Its practical (hides coffee stains) and pretty like a little pool of midnight.
Lesson learned: Test cabinet colors at different times of the day.
My first pick looked chic at noon but gloomy at dusk.
Suddenly, the room felt taller the beams drew the eye up, creating the illusion of height.
I used lightweight polyurethane beams (easy to DIY!)
and Farrow & Balls Railings for a soft matte finish.
Unexpected bonus: The beams hide smart lighting strips!
At sunset, they glow like hidden coals.
My kids call it the Hogwarts ceiling.
The installation was a marathon (so many cuts), but the result stopped guests mid-sentence.
The tiles shimmer like piano keys, each catching light differently.
I matched the grout to the tiles darkest shade for a cohesive look.
In my friends kitchen, she used black subway tiles with white grout for a graphic, grid-like effect.
Both approaches work its about personality.
Maintenance tip: Use a toothbrush and hydrogen peroxide for grout cleaning.
My attempt with bleach left streaks, but this method keeps lines crisp.
Now, washing dishes feels like curating art and isnt that what homes all about?
Mounted asymmetrically, they became a sculpture.
Installation insight: Use metal brackets for heavy items (I hid mine with matte black spray paint).
Secret joy: Rearranging them seasonally.
Autumn brings black candlesticks and white pumpkins, summer, a vintage camera, and coral shards.
Its my quiet rebellion against monotony.
I started with crisp white linen sheets, which felt like sliding into a cloud.
But it was the addition of a charcoal-gray duvet thattransformed the space.
The journey: I learned that not all fabrics play nice.
Now, my morning ritual includes fluffing pillows and smoothing the duvet its my three-minute meditation.
Pro tip: Mix thread counts for depth.
Pair 600-thread-count white sheets with a nubby black blanket.
Nightstand magic: A tiny black lamp with a white linen shade casts a warm glow.
My partner joked, Its like sleeping in a fancy hotel, but with better coffee.
Black Window Frames: Framing the Light
I hesitated for months before painting my window frames black.
What if it felt too heavy?
It turns out its the opposite they became bold outlines for my garden view.
The frames cast delicate shadows on the floor at sunrise, turning my morning coffee into a light show.
Renter-friendly fix: Use black vinyl trim kits!
I tested this in my home office, and the faux frames stuck seamlessly to existing windows.
Peeled them off lease-end with zero damage.
Curtain call: Pair black frames with sheer white curtains.
I chose linen ones that billow in the breeze, softening the sharp lines.
For hardware, matte black rods echo the frames, while crystal knobs add a hint of glam.
Seasonal shift: I layer heavyweight blackout drapes behind the sheers in winter.
A cozy, cinematic vibe perfect for rainy Sundays.
Painting it white felt sacrilegious, but using black grout revived its soul.
The process was messy I used a tiny brush to trace each mortar line but the payoff?
A wall that whispers Brooklyn loft meets Parisian atelier.
Texture love: The bricks imperfections shine now.
Cracks and chips became artful details.
Maintenance hack: A yearly touch-up with white chalk paint keeps the brick fresh.
For grout, a black Sharpie (!)
works wonders on small chips.
My DIY-averse friend hired a pro, but I secretly love the meditative process.
Unexpected perk: The wall reflects light like a prism.
On sunny days, its a living sundial.
Playful Wallpaper: Small Space, Big Personality
My powder room was a beige box of boredom.
Then I found a wallpaper with black-and-white lobsters wearing top hats.
Design courage: Small spaces are playgrounds.
I went bold with a high-gloss finish, amplifying the tiny rooms light.
For balance, the vanity is matte black, and the mirror frame mimics the wallpapers whimsy.
Guest reactions: My dad said, I feel like Im inside a Wes Anderson film.
Practical twist: Use peel-and-stick paper for easy swaps.
Im already eyeing a retro astronaut print for next year.
Theyll clash, my contractor warned.
Ignoring him was the best decision.
The brass warmed up the black, while stainless steel appliances bridged the gap.
Secret formula: Stick to three metals max.
I chose black, brass, and nickel.
Its cohesive without being rigid.
Sentimental touch: I repurposed my grandmas brass cookie jar as a utensil holder.
Lighting lesson: Under-cabinet lights with black housings and brass accents unify the mix.
At night, they cast a gold-and-shadow mosaic on the countertops.
Black wrought-iron furniture, white Sunbrella cushions, and a striped umbrella turned it into a destination.
Weatherproof wisdom: Choose powder-coated metal it survives Midwest winters.
For cushions, Sunbrella fabric repels rain and wine spills (tested during a memorable girls night).
Greenery glow-up: Black planters filled with white petunias and trailing ivy frame the space.
Edison bulbs strung between black poles at night make it feel like a secret garden.
Bonus: A DIY stenciled checkerboard patio (using concrete paint!)
became my pandemic project.
Its part chessboard, part dance floor.
Productivity boost: The palette minimizes visual noise.
A large whiteboard with black markers keeps tasks front and center.
Personal pep: Framed concert posters in black-and-white remind me of pre-pandemic life.
A black lava lamp adds whimsy during Zoom calls.
Cable chaos solved: White cord covers to blend into the walls.
My desk is now a no junk zone just a black teacup and a single succulent.
Statement Lighting: Sculptural Shadows
I replaced mydining roomsbland boob light with a Sputnik chandelier.
Its black arms hold frosted white globes, casting starburst shadows at dinner.
Installation was a comedy I forgot to turn off the circuit but what was the result?
A room that feels designed.
Scale matters: The fixture is 2/3 the tables width.
Too small, and it gets lost; too big, and its a UFO.
Dimmer magic: A black dimmer switch lets me adjust the mood.
At full brightness, its brunch vibes; lowered, its date-night ambiance.
Budget find: I scored a similar fixture on Facebook Marketplace for $50.
A coat of black spray paint made it look custom.
Black crib, white walls, and a polka-dot rug.
Its calm, not clinical.
The rug stayed it hides everything.
Stain solutions: White bedding is washable (IKEAs DVALA sheets are heroes).
Black chalkboard paint on one wall lets her scribble freely.
Teen upgrade: At 13, she painted her desk chair with black-and-white stripes.
Its her retro studio now proof that monochrome grows with them.
Fireplace Facelift: Heart of the Home
My builder-grade fireplace was beige blah.
A weekend with black masonry paint and a white mantel transformed it into the soul of myliving room.
Step-by-step: Cleaned bricks with TSP, then rolled on matte black paint.
A salvaged barn wood beam painted white.
The mantel holds a black-framed mirror, white candles, and a single air plant.
She styled it with twinkle lights cozy magic.
Final Thought
Black and white arent rules theyre a canvas.
Maybe your striped wall becomes a hand-painted mural, or your checkerboard floor evolves into a family hopscotch grid.
Start where joy lives.
Hang a wild wallpaper square.
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She is passionate about all types of design and prefers traditional, rustic, and modern.
