Decorating With Black Furniture

When it comes to decorating, I feel that black and white is the ultimate color scheme. Classic, elegant, sexy and something that you really cannot mess up. Over the years, I have changed my decor and have settled into a black and white color palette for my home. My floors are ebony and my walls are painted in neutral shades like Benjamin Moore’s Grant Beige and Revere Pewter. Although my furniture has not had a complete makeover yet, I am slowly getting there. Here are a few of the projects I’ve been working on and a few others that inspire me.

While visiting Lucketts, VA last spring, (click here for more about our Lucketts shopping adventure), I stumbled across this black cabinet painted by the amazing Kara Reister. Kara opened a shop called Vintage Blue (isn’t that a great name?) where she started selling her beautiful milk painted furniture and accessories. I just adore Kara’s style and eye for detail and instantly fell in love with her painted pieces. The images below are from her outdoor store in Lucketts. (Don’t you just want everything?!!) Kara has since welcomed a baby boy named Cross so she is on hiatus from selling her works, however she is still available for custom orders and consulting. Vintage Blue: KaraReister@gmail.com

 

I consider this piece one of my best purchases. I love the milk paint finish, it is the perfect size for my kitchen and it has been the inspiration for the rest of my home decor. The best thing about decorating a black and white home is that everything looks coordinated even if your black paints and finishes don’t exactly match. And to add some “pop,” you can change out your accent colors depending on the season or party theme as shown below (click here if you missed Altas’ Royal Celebration). Everything goes with black and white!

 

This is how I have currently decorated my cabinet. Can you see the beautiful peonies?

I purchased these two dressers from a local auction a couple of months ago. I actually couldn’t even stay for the auction so I left my max bid for both pieces and ended up WINNING!! This dresser was already painted black so all I had to do was change out the hardware, which I ordered online through Knob Deals and saved a bundle. They didn’t have the exact color I wanted so I sprayed them gold. In the end I spent $30.00 for the dresser, $16.00 for the hardware and $10.00 for a can of gold spray paint. I am still working on hanging pictures and I plan to replace the black chairs with something upholstered but, for now, I am loving the look and all the storage.

 

This chest of drawers was the second item I won at the auction, and it is stunning. I did have to paint this piece and spray the existing hardware but it was well worth the effort. I used black milk paint for the dresser, the same can of gold spray paint that I used for the above hardware for this hardware and some gold gilding that I had on hand from my Martha Stewart craft paint kit. The hardware and the gold detailing around each drawer takes this chest to another realm and I absolutely love this piece in my foyer. Again, the extra storage space is an added bonus.

Remember my kitchen table makeover using a white chevron vinyl decal (click here if you missed it)? What a simple way to update a boring black table without making it a permanent change. Since then, I have added a few new chairs and have continued my search for a church pew (they are quite popular right now).  These chairs were given to me for FREE from my dear friend Janet from The Empty Nest. If you have not visited her blog (or more importantly, her store) please add that to your bucket list. She is one amazing, creative and crafty gal. Below is a photo of my hubby painting the chairs in black milk paint — what a sweet guy!!

 

 

Here is a close-up after one coat. I really love the finish and the fact that you really do not have to sand in between coats. I am all about getting things done quickly these days especially with a one year old running around.

 

Here is the finished product with reupholstered cushions:

I wanted to end this post with a bit of inspiration. Over the past few months, Amy has been featuring home tours from a variety of bloggers for our Spring Open House Series. Two tours stood out to me and have inspired me to get a bit more bold with my decor. The first home that I am head-over-heels in love with is Pam’s, from Simple Details (click here for her full home tour). From the black and white cheetah entry to the accents of hot pink and green, she simply gets it.

The next person that inspires me is Jennifer from Dimples and Tangles (click here for her home tour). What can I say… I love it all and hope it inspires you too to try something a little different with in your own home.

 

Thanks for stopping by~