Combine Black and Pastels for a Fresh New Look
Take the sweetness out of sugary shades by adding striking black accents. Here's how to do it and why it works
If you’ve tended to steer clear of pastel colors, believing them to be too saccharine for your tastes, it could be time to think again. When balanced with purposeful black accents, those pale sherbet shades feel fresh and contemporary.
The secret to success with pastels is an effective use of contrast: Incorporate black elements in a way that best allows the other colors in the scheme to shine. This may mean using only a small amount of black in a graphic or sculptural shape, or being bold with a larger area of color but using it in a softer texture.
The secret to success with pastels is an effective use of contrast: Incorporate black elements in a way that best allows the other colors in the scheme to shine. This may mean using only a small amount of black in a graphic or sculptural shape, or being bold with a larger area of color but using it in a softer texture.
1. Ditch the white appliances. Colored appliances are having a moment, but if you don’t feel confident choosing a bold shade for your priciest purchases — and would rather not stick to basic white or stainless — why not try classic black? It is easy to keep clean, coordinates readily and can give a mint-green kitchen oodles of adult appeal.
2. Skip the sugar. Use graphic black accents to punctuate pretty pastels and floral prints, preventing them from becoming too sickly sweet. In this bedroom, a coordinating pale mirror and pair of lights have been swapped in favor of more striking designs in dramatic jet black.
3. Add some edge. Introducing pale grays and pistachio greens will help prevent an overload of sweet shades in spaces where balance is important. This eclectic dining area has an abundance of pastels, but it also incorporates gray, black and biscuit tones in the cushions. The robust plastic chairs add an edge.
4. Try monochrome with a twist. If your scheme is an ode to monochrome restraint and you’re looking to liven it up, pastels can pack an effective punch. Small tweaks — such as the tiny touch of peach, hint of mint and splash of neon — lift this minimal black-and-white space, enabling it to take on a whole new personality.
5. Employ industrial elements. The pastel shades appear balanced and contemporary in this dining room, thanks to the darker industrial elements and midcentury furniture. The statement dining chairs in faded orange, yellow and teal suggest lightness and frivolity, while the oversize black pendant light provides a no-nonsense counterpoint.
A black table lamp or a smattering of black accessories on the shelves would create the same effect as here. Similarly, for a subtle flash of pastel with a DIY element, consider color-dipping your chair legs in complementary sherbet tones.
A black table lamp or a smattering of black accessories on the shelves would create the same effect as here. Similarly, for a subtle flash of pastel with a DIY element, consider color-dipping your chair legs in complementary sherbet tones.
6. Play with pattern. There’s something endlessly pleasing about a graphic black-and-white floor, particularly when combined with icy pastels and a classic 1950s-style fridge. Keep the look from going full-on “American diner” by opting for painted floorboards rather than vinyl tiles. More texture means feet that are less cold.
7. Look beyond the obvious. In this striking scheme, the pastel pink walls haven’t been paired with trim in the usual bright white, but rather in an unexpected nude tone (Farrow & Ball’s Smoked Trout). This clever combination plays down the pink’s vibrancy. Similarly, the floral-print chair has a black background for a further hint of subversion.
For an easier update along these lines, look for pillow covers or wall art featuring black and the pastel shade of your choice, then build your decor around that palette.
For an easier update along these lines, look for pillow covers or wall art featuring black and the pastel shade of your choice, then build your decor around that palette.
8. Accent with upholstery. A softer way to bring black elements alongside sugary shades is to use fabrics and upholstery. In this chic living room, a simple charcoal sofa offsets the lively mix of patterns and pastels on the pillow and rug, effectively helping to ground the scheme.
9. Frame your space. Even a small amount of black can introduce enough contrast to define paler colors and make them sing. This bathroom floor’s border of black tiles outlines the space and is echoed in the black-framed print on the wall.
If dark tiles in the bathroom aren’t an option, try a washable cotton rug with a monochrome geometric pattern as a bath mat.
If dark tiles in the bathroom aren’t an option, try a washable cotton rug with a monochrome geometric pattern as a bath mat.
10. Use pastels as a neutral. You may not realize it, but peachy pastels can appear almost neutral when used as a background to a subtle, sophisticated space like this one. Wooden elements add warmth and mimic the greenery outside, while a black throw and gray cushions guard against uniformity.
Tell us: Do you like the combination of pastels with black? How would you pair them? Share your tips in the Comments below.
More: 9 Downright Modern Ways With Pastels
Tell us: Do you like the combination of pastels with black? How would you pair them? Share your tips in the Comments below.
More: 9 Downright Modern Ways With Pastels