How to design a home with black and white

The edgy young talent is known for sexy, sophisticated interiors that incorporate bold visual moments and saturated shades—including that most intimidating of tones, black. She dreamed up the dramatic retreat featured here with her design partner Don Easterling. 1 Pick a shade A green-black room looks stunning with white marble and brass.

Graphite looks amazing with dark blues—it’s genteel, creating a Ralph Lauren sort of feel. We mixed in antiques, old oil paintings, a fabulous rich blue velvet sofa. 3 Lighten up Since black rooms are so dark, it’s important to incorporate light-reflecting objects: glass, Lucite, metals.

Beth Webb’s Buckhead firm never scrimps on sophistication, with a portfolio of calming spaces where white frequently reigns supreme. Next fall, her new Rizzoli tome will share secrets to creating rooms with a bright outlook. 2 Timeless classic There is a reason white has historically been the number one bestselling paint color. 3 Mask imperfections You can hide a lot of bad things with a good coat of white paint. And if you have an incredibly dark space with few windows, white can instantly make it light and uplifting. We’ve been known to paint whole houses the same color—like one we recently did in a warm “China White.”

4 Accent on architecture When you coat molding details in a basic white paint, you reveal so much interplay between the shadows and the crevices. 5 Toy with texture Employ different surfaces and details to make the same shade of white look diverse; all of the lights and darks appear as a multitude of different hues. There are many ways to use whites: a lime-washed wood, a creamy dimensional plaster, a cashmere blanket, a wool boucle on upholstery, a white lacquer for gleam and gloss, or a really thick flokati rug.

We’ve had clients walk in and ask if we painted a different shade on every wall, yet it’s all the same; it only appears different according to the light.

I painted my own living room Pratt & Lambert’s “Seed Pearl.” It appears different throughout the day. 8 Tried and true In the design community, we spend a ginormous amount of time discussing the search for the perfect white.

This article originally appeared in our Winter 2016 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.